Don't put film / tint on your front windshield.

[fuzzybabybunny]

I got a layer of Llumar Air 80 put on my front windshield.

Llumar 80 is a clear, color-neutral film that blocks about 42% of the solar heat from reaching the interior of your car and can help keep the car cool in hot places like CA. I figured that it wouldn't be a problem since it's practically clear and wouldn't harm my night vision. I had it on my side windows on my previous car and had always wished that I had put it on my front windshield since a lot of heat enters in that area.

I paid $150 to have it put on and I wish I hadn't because....

The film has somewhat of a grainy texture to it. It is not noticeable at all on something like side windows, but on the front windshield it wreaks havoc at night because the points of light from all the oncoming cars have a large "spray pattern" due to the texture of the film. It can get pretty distracting at night, especially with lots of cars around.

 

[ThatsABigOne]

You brought a good point regarding the 'grain' texture or orange peel. Will definitely keep that in mind when friends will be buying new cars as I will be advising them not to install tint up front.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

You brought a good point regarding the 'grain' texture or orange peel. Will definitely keep that in mind when friends will be buying new cars as I will be advising them not to install tint up front.

*sigh*

Live and learn I guess. I totally didn't see that coming. I mean, I've had Air 80 in my other car for 3 years, just on the side windows, so I figured that there wouldn't be a problem. The heat-blocking properties of it really are fantastic, almost eerie.

Night vision and light spray due to texture was the absolute last thing I would have thought about.

I *still* want to get a heat-blocking clear film though for the front windshield, but I guess all of them have a grain texture? Llumar Air 80 is already just about as high-end as you can get.

I guess the moral of the story is not necessarily to avoid film altogether, but to make sure to get a completely texture-less film if possible, and test it by looking through a piece in a dark room at a point light source.

 

[CrackRabbit]

I didn't think it was legal to "tint" your windshield for that very reason.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I didn't think it was legal to "tint" your windshield for that very reason.

Because of night time light splatter due to tint grain?

 

[CrackRabbit]

Because of night time light splatter due to tint grain?

Because in general it can impair your ability to see what is in front of you.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Because in general it can impair your ability to see what is in front of you.

What do you mean? The film is clear.

 

[jagec]

What do you mean? The film is clear.

Yet you started this thread to complain that it was affecting your ability to see what was in front of you!

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Yet you started this thread to complain that it was affecting your ability to see what was in front of you!

Ok? Front tint is outlawed because it makes the view too dark. This film does not make the front view dark at all.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

You must have went to a shitty tint shop, the place that did mine specifically said they don't do it to the windshield because of that one reason

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

You must have went to a shitty tint shop, the place that did mine specifically said they don't do it to the windshield because of that one reason

http://www.yelp.com/biz/computerized-tinting-san-jose

 

[tortillasoup]

actually believe it or not, tint is allowed however the degree of tint is what is limited. In california for example unlimited tint in the rear is allowed but for the front windows, the light passing through has to be 70% which basically means almost no tint. What fuzzybabybunny did is totally fine for that reason because it doesn't impede on light output. As for the distortion, I would ask FBB to look through the passenger windows at night and see if the same effect can be seen in those windows as he sees in the front windshield. Maybe it's the curvature of the windshield, bad product or improperly installed.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

I put a 70% tint on my front windshield, just to darken things a hair but mostly for UV protection. My only complaint is it has a very faint sparkle effect, but that's actually more visible during the day. I think it's a SunTek ceramic coating.

 

[Meghan54]

Frankly, I am surprised that you're surprised it impacted your forward vision. Although it may indeed look clear, esp. on almost vertical windows like your side windows, windshields are not vertical. Consequently, whatever material the tint manufacturer is using to block is now being much more exposed to your vision. You're not looking through the tint straight on, reducing your exposure to the tint's blocking material, but instead looking through it at an angle, exposing your vision to much more of the blocking material, hence the sparkle effect.

 

[jaedaliu]

http://www.yelp.com/biz/computerized-tinting-san-jose

Good reviews doesn't necessarily mean best.

If it's a good shop that stands behind their work, go return your front tint.

 

[Mutilator]

Hmm... sure you're not seeing something between the film and the glass like adhesive or they didn't clean it properly beforehand? I've had air 80 on my windshield for 3 or 4 years now and have no visibility problems day or night... you can't see the tint or any texture to it.

I've only noticed 2 things while I've had it. The first was when I first got it and would park in certain spots at work pointed downhill towards the curb a lane away (so it was in the middle - top 1/3rd of my windshield) I could kind of see a slight bend to the curb - perhaps that was the curvature of the windshield others mentioned or just the tint curing at the time but during normal driving that spot would be well above the horizon so it was a non-issue. The other side effect is if I have my windows down and look at the sky outside vs thru the tint the sky is a different shade of blue. But since technically the tint is too you'd kinda expect that.

If it's a visibility or safety problem for you then common sense says go back and have them re-tint it to see if it's fixable (installation issue, faulty tint, etc.) or just take it off entirely.

And out of curiousity I did a quick google search to see if others complained about this issue and found these pics that show the difference in the sky pretty clearly... and how clear your windshield should be day & night:
http://ls1tech.com/forums/appearance-detailing/1556905-llumar-air-blue-80-tint-large-pics.html

 

[Jimzz]

Will it show up on a picture? Have you contacted the manufacture yet?
Try that and see what they say. Could be a bad batch or they may say it was a install problem.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Might be able to salvage some of it. Trim it down like a tint strip leaving the top third in place.

 

[JTsyo]

I put a 70% tint on my front windshield, just to darken things a hair but mostly for UV protection. My only complaint is it has a very faint sparkle effect, but that's actually more visible during the day. I think it's a SunTek ceramic coating.

Aren't all windshields already blocking UV? I know my transition lens don't work in the car.

 

[jaedaliu]

Aren't all windshields already blocking UV? I know my transition lens don't work in the car.

They should. Glass typically blocks UV, and there are 2 layers of it in most windshields.

 

[nerp]

If they didn't already block UV, we'd be getting sunburns in the car. I think fuzzy did this in the interest of reducing heat buildup.

 

[onza]

remove the tint and buy one of those sun reflector's instead.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

actually believe it or not, tint is allowed however the degree of tint is what is limited. In california for example unlimited tint in the rear is allowed but for the front windows, the light passing through has to be 70% which basically means almost no tint. What fuzzybabybunny did is totally fine for that reason because it doesn't impede on light output. As for the distortion, I would ask FBB to look through the passenger windows at night and see if the same effect can be seen in those windows as he sees in the front windshield. Maybe it's the curvature of the windshield, bad product or improperly installed.

It varies from state to state.
Its illegal in most places not only because it can impede YOUR vision, but it can prevent people from seeing you. An example would be when a pedestrian is trying to cross the road infront of you but cant tell if you have seen them or not because you have your windows tinted. It prevents people from seeing which direction you are looking.
That and cops hate walking up to a tinted window because they dont know whats behind it.

 

[darkswordsman17]

actually believe it or not, tint is allowed however the degree of tint is what is limited. In california for example unlimited tint in the rear is allowed but for the front windows, the light passing through has to be 70% which basically means almost no tint. What fuzzybabybunny did is totally fine for that reason because it doesn't impede on light output. As for the distortion, I would ask FBB to look through the passenger windows at night and see if the same effect can be seen in those windows as he sees in the front windshield. Maybe it's the curvature of the windshield, bad product or improperly installed.

From what I've seen most states make it illegal to tint the windshield at all (other than like 10-20% at the top which most cars come pretinted there), but allow a pretty small amount of tint for the front side windows.

 

[desy]

Round here the tint guys would have told you its illegal to install on front windshield, in fact even driver and passenger are also illegal other than factory
They made me remove it from my 95 Civic when I had it and cause that car had no air it was wonderful when driving