Heat Impact Of Tinting

[SaratogaLefty]

I met up with another Lucid owner (Air GT) who had just had his front windshield, top, and rear window tinted. He didn't do the side windows because he didn't want to have the door panels removed. Anyway he went with Xpel Prime XR Plus and did 70 on the windshield and 35 on the top and rear window. The work looked flawless. I sat inside to see how much visibility was impacted and the 70 had a minimal impact on visibility and the 35 significantly darkened the glass especially on the rear top portion. Then we went to lunch and left our two cars parked side by side in the heat (89 degrees). When we returned a little over an hour later I sat in his car first and it was very comfortable. Then I sat in my car (no tinting) and it was significantly warmer. My car was bearable but his car was much cooler. Definitely has me considering tinting but not sure I really want to go with the 35. I'm thinking maybe 70 on the windshield and top and 55 on the side and rear window. Not sure how much heat resistance I'll be giving up but I'm concerned about 35 especially at night. Thoughts??

 

[MPawelek]

I have had the side windows tinted on five different vehicles over the past few years and the inner door panels have never had to be removed. What is different about the Air?

 

[SaratogaLefty]

I have had the side windows tinted on five different vehicles over the past few years and the inner door panels have never had to be removed. What is different about the Air?

I don't know specifically what is different but my installer said he also has to remove the door panels on the Audi sedans as well and it essentially the same process. Not sure what other makes require door panel removal since I've never had any tinting done??

 

[Steveinarizona]

I have had the side windows tinted on five different vehicles over the past few years and the inner door panels have never had to be removed. What is different about the Air?

Same for me. Living in Arizona I have always had my windows tinted but never had to remove door panels. If your tint is too dark, you won't have a problem seeing during the day but may at night. If your concern is heat, the new nano ceramic tints do a really good job at lower tint levels of reducing heat.

 

[Codyroo]

From what I've read on tinting, the IR rejection is the value you are looking for. For the XR plus products (top grouping) the lightest tint rejects 92% of the IR energy. The darker tints all reject 96%, thus the rejection difference is small. For ceramics (when it comes to heat) the darker the tint is more for privacy than heat rejection. Link below.

BTW - was in your neck of the woods on Monday around 5 pm. Took a drive down 35 to 9 into town on my way to a massage session. No Lucids observed.

https://www.xpel.com/web-assets/downloads/XPEL-PRIME-Spec-Sheet-USA-V2-1.pdf

 

[SaratogaLefty]

From what I've read on tinting, the IR rejection is the value you are looking for. For the XR plus products (top grouping) the lightest tint rejects 92% of the IR energy. The darker tints all reject 96%, thus the rejection difference is small. For ceramics (when it comes to heat) the darker the tint is more for privacy than heat rejection. Link below.

BTW - was in your neck of the woods on Monday around 5 pm. Took a drive down 35 to 9 into town on my way to a massage session. No Lucids observed.

https://www.xpel.com/web-assets/downloads/XPEL-PRIME-Spec-Sheet-USA-V2-1.pdf

Where are you located?

 

[Alex]

I met up with another Lucid owner (Air GT) who had just had his front windshield, top, and rear window tinted. He didn't do the side windows because he didn't want to have the door panels removed. Anyway he went with Xpel Prime XR Plus and did 70 on the windshield and 35 on the top and rear window. The work looked flawless. I sat inside to see how much visibility was impacted and the 70 had a minimal impact on visibility and the 35 significantly darkened the glass especially on the rear top portion. Then we went to lunch and left our two cars parked side by side in the heat (89 degrees). When we returned a little over an hour later I sat in his car first and it was very comfortable. Then I sat in my car (no tinting) and it was significantly warmer. My car was bearable but his car was much cooler. Definitely has me considering tinting but not sure I really want to go with the 35. I'm thinking maybe 70 on the windshield and top and 55 on the side and rear window. Not sure how much heat resistance I'll be giving up but I'm concerned about 35 especially at night. Thoughts??

I would recommend Spectra PhotoSync IRD for tinting. It works much better than XPEL, since it has the highest Total Solar Energy Rejection (TSER) of any tint. See http://www.prestige-films.com/spectra-photosync/

 

[Alex]

From what I've read on tinting, the IR rejection is the value you are looking for. For the XR plus products (top grouping) the lightest tint rejects 92% of the IR energy. The darker tints all reject 96%, thus the rejection difference is small. For ceramics (when it comes to heat) the darker the tint is more for privacy than heat rejection. Link below.

BTW - was in your neck of the woods on Monday around 5 pm. Took a drive down 35 to 9 into town on my way to a massage session. No Lucids observed.

https://www.xpel.com/web-assets/downloads/XPEL-PRIME-Spec-Sheet-USA-V2-1.pdf

Actually it's just not only IR, but Total Solar Energy Rejection (TSER). For example, PhotoSync that I mentioned above has the highest TSEL. IR Rejection is 98%-99%, but compare TSER between brands. Here is the specs sheet for PhotoSync:

http://www.prestige-films.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/sph_ird_digi.pdf

 

[Impatient7536]

do you think the darkened canopy took away from the open air-ness experience? if i decide to get the air, the last thing i want is to get the tint to reject heat (which is important to me), and have it take away the most important parts of the canopy =/

 

[Codyroo]

Where are you located?

I'm in San Ramon, but work in Foster City. I enjoy driving down that way via 84 - 35 - 9 (driving a 2017 Fiat 124).

 

[borski]

I'm in San Ramon, but work in Foster City. I enjoy driving down that way via 84 - 35 - 9 (driving a 2017 Fiat 124).

Join the Bay Area Telegram! https://t.me/+G7A8z8uewIw3ZjFh

 

[Codyroo]

Join the Bay Area Telegram! https://t.me/+G7A8z8uewIw3ZjFh

You don't fool me for a second! Thanks to Saturday night live!

 

[Alex]

do you think the darkened canopy took away from the open air-ness experience? if i decide to get the air, the last thing i want is to get the tint to reject heat (which is important to me), and have it take away the most important parts of the canopy =/

I did the windshield in 70% and it made no difference. The rest of the glass was done in 45%, although I had asked for 55%. I can’t really tell any difference compared to before, but then again I rarely look up, but I’m still aware of the openness.

 

[SaratogaLefty]

do you think the darkened canopy took away from the open air-ness experience? if i decide to get the air, the last thing i want is to get the tint to reject heat (which is important to me), and have it take away the most important parts of the canopy =/

That is exactly my concern. The 70 doesn’t darken much at all but still rejects a lot of heat.

 

[EVCar]

I've had 3M 70% for the front windshields of all of our vehicles for the last 6 years and can attest to the significant heat rejection from this application. No impact on visibility day or night time.
TSER for PhotoSync does have the highest number but is also one the costlier brand , plus there's a school of thought that the testing is not standardized across the brands and that the several percentage difference may or may not translate into meaningful real-life significance to justify the increased expense.

 

[borski]

You don't fool me for a second! Thanks to Saturday night live!

Lmao I had never seen those skits! That’s great lol. Love SNL

But seriously tho, join!

 

[jdetar]

I just wanted to make sure for those of you that tinted the canopy/windshield had any issues with electronics? I have tinted the side windows so far but we were waiting to do that for fear of interference.
Here in south Florida, I need that tint on the canopy it's miserable mid-day summer

 

[DeaneG]

I just wanted to make sure for those of you that tinted the canopy/windshield had any issues with electronics? I have tinted the side windows so far but we were waiting to do that for fear of interference.
Here in south Florida, I need that tint on the canopy it's miserable mid-day summer

Just use a ceramic tint like 3M crystalline. They have no effect on radio signals.

 

[jdetar]

Just use a ceramic tint like 3M crystalline. They have no effect on radio signals.

Thank you! Good point
Will do. Scheduling the whole top now!

 

[ZASUPITTS]

In tinting the Lucid's front window do the sun visors need to be removed? If so, how are they removed?