Window tint / film

[SharksinBkk]

Hi guys, will soon be purchasing a new car and wonder whether others could share their advice/ suggestions on window tint “darkness” ? Seems to be a lot of very dark tint on cars here, but wonder on the safety/practicality of the really dark tint. Any advice greatly appreciated. 

[Dmaxdan]

The window tint that is on my car is one way. So when you look out from the inside it is like looking through normal glass but when you look in it has quite a dark tint.

It's exactly the same as what is on the windows in my house.

[Henryford]

Don't go too dark. I hired a car once and the tint was so dark i had to drive at night with the windows down. Very dangerous.

[transam]

There are different qualities in dark tint, some a problem to see through at night, some you can.

Your screen already has a UV protection film in the laminate glass, so if UV protection is what you want, the screen will not need much of a tint.

You really must do your homework on effectiveness of different tint brands.

 

My old Vigo had dark blue tint all round but only the top 8 inches of the screen, just above eye level, at times I had to open the side windows at night to see if a tool with no lights was not seen.

 

My wee runaround now had dark black tint all round when we bought it, BUT, I can see OK at night through it. Sadly I cannot help you with brand names, do a bit of research....????

[Nino3]

25 minutes ago, Henryford said:

Don't go too dark. I hired a car once and the tint was so dark i had to drive at night with the windows down. Very dangerous.

The Honda dealer installed such dark tint on our windows, per GF's request, I also had to roll them down before making a left or right hand turn. The front windshield was also tinted. Beyond dangerous.

 

A year later the GF lightly bumped a woman at the market, woman was walking, and it cost me 30,000 baht in compensation. Car was at Honda the next day getting the tint removed with no reinstall of a less dark tint. GF is still alive and amazed that her skin hasn't gotten any darker because of the lack of window tint. 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Nino3
Correction

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Nino3 said:

A year later the GF lightly bumped a woman at the market, woman was walking, and it cost me 30,000 baht in compensation.

You do realise YOU don't have to pay for your gfs actions.

I prefer a tint just enough for the police not to see I'm a foreigner when driving.

Edited February 6, 2022 by BritManToo

[Nino3]

24 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You do realise YOU don't have to pay for your gfs actions.

I prefer a tint just enough for the police not to see I'm a foreigner when driving.

Yes.

[Hummin]

47 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You do realise YOU don't have to pay for your gfs actions.

I prefer a tint just enough for the police not to see I'm a foreigner when driving.

It helped me after I used my horn at a idiot in a black Fortuner making his way through the traffic from behind, and I just gave him a friendly firm horn signal when he passed me. He did a stupid dangerous brake down in front of me and blocked me, jumped out of the car and when he see me sitting there (my tint is not to dark), he jumped straight back in to the car with a surprised grin on his face, and took off. And guess what, he did the first U-turn after that. All that noise and dangerous driving for just making a U-turn. 

 

Did I mention he was driving an old black Fortuner?

[Tuvoc]

2 hours ago, SharksinBkk said:

Hi guys, will soon be purchasing a new car and wonder whether others could share their advice/ suggestions on window tint “darkness” ? Seems to be a lot of very dark tint on cars here, but wonder on the safety/practicality of the really dark tint. Any advice greatly appreciated. 

The tint that the Toyota dealer recommended for us on our new car was perfect. You could still see well at night, and in daytime it reduced the sun enough to make things comfortable. Unfortunately my wife then sent it back for some darker tints. She wanted  no-one to be able to see in the car, i.e. privacy. The result is that yes in daytime visibility is still fine, but at night time it is simply dangerous. You have to drive under the speed limit, you can see nothing beyond the headlights so that is the distance you have to be able to stop within. And I often find myself opening the drivers window at least to see properly. Disaster, but that is what she wants.

Edited February 6, 2022 by Tuvoc

[South]

I have 80% on the sides/rear and 40% on the windscreen, 3M and no problems at all, day or night.

[Robin]

MY Vios was delivered with all windos except screen with tint. I hate the stuff and would never have another car with any tint on the windows.  Down to personal preference, s wife thinks the tint is good, and I should be grateful for a free gift from Toyota.

[transam]

1 hour ago, Tuvoc said:

The tint that the Toyota dealer recommended for us on our new car was perfect. You could still see well at night, and in daytime it reduced the sun enough to make things comfortable. Unfortunately my wife then sent it back for some darker tints. She wanted  no-one to be able to see in the car, i.e. privacy. The result is that yes in daytime visibility is still fine, but at night time it is simply dangerous. You have to drive under the speed limit, you can see nothing beyond the headlights so that is the distance you have to be able to stop within. And I often find myself opening the drivers window at least to see properly. Disaster, but that is what she wants.

Take it back to Toyota, you know it makes sense....????

[HashBrownHarry]

4 hours ago, Henryford said:

Don't go too dark. I hired a car once and the tint was so dark i had to drive at night with the windows down. Very dangerous.

Agreed, i have 80% on mine and it's not good at night.

 

Keep meaning to change it but never get round to it...

[Ralf001]

4 hours ago, Nino3 said:

The Honda dealer installed such dark tint on our windows, per GF's request, I also had to roll them down before making a left or right hand turn. The front windshield was also tinted. Beyond dangerous.

 

A year later the GF lightly bumped a woman at the market, woman was walking, and it cost me 30,000 baht in compensation. Car was at Honda the next day getting the tint removed with no reinstall of a less dark tint. GF is still alive and amazed that her skin hasn't gotten any darker because of the lack of window tint. 

GF should have called the police, if woman suffered  injury she could have claimed on the vehicles CTP.

Edited February 6, 2022 by Ralf001

[Henryford]

1 hour ago, South said:

I have 80% on the sides/rear and 40% on the windscreen, 3M and no problems at all, day or night.

80% is madness. I would say no more than 40% side, 20% front.

[HashBrownHarry]

1 hour ago, Henryford said:

80% is madness. I would say no more than 40% side, 20% front.

80% is good security for a female driving alone at night.

[KannikaP]

28 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

80% is good security for a female driving alone at night.

But not for anyone in her vicinity!

[Tuvoc]

7 hours ago, transam said:

Take it back to Toyota, you know it makes sense....????

I actually nearly drove into the back of a truck because of those tints. It was night time on an unlit road, and the truck had small tail lights that were barely visible  - a combination of hardly working plus they were dirty. It was going up a hill and barely moving, probably 10 km/hr at best. We approached it at 70 km/hr I guess, not really sure, and suddenly there it was right in front of us. Jammed on the brakes, thank god for ABS and a dry road, and we stopped millimetres before the back of it. A small miracle. Even that was not enough for my wife (who was in the car also) to get those dark tints removed and replaced by something lighter. From that point on, I drive slowly at night unless it is extremely well lit and there are other cars around as well so their headlights are a guide as well.

 

These dark tints are actually illegal as I understand things, a pity the police don't enforce it. Try it in the UK and you'd be taken off the road instantly.

Edited February 6, 2022 by Tuvoc

[G Rex]

8 minutes ago, Tuvoc said:

I actually nearly drove into the back of a truck because of those tints. It was an unlit road, and the truck had small tail lights that were barely visible  - a combination of hardly working plus they were dirty. It was going up a hill and barely moving, probably 10 km/hr at best. We approached it at 70 km/hr I guess, not really sure, and suddenly there it was right in front of us. Jammed on the brakes, thank god for ABS and a dry road, and we stopped millimetres before the back of it. A small miracle. Even that was not enough for my wife (who was in the car also) to get those dark tints removed and replaced by something lighter. From that point on, I drive slowly at night unless it is extremely well lit and there are other cars around as well so their headlights are a guide as well

I feel your pain . I have had the same issues , but normally with slow moving motorcycles or motorcycles with side cars. These invariably have no tail lights.

I will never have tint on my windscreen again.  

Tint is good to help keep car cool & to maintain anonymity from others road users - but make sure you can see through them windscreen for night driving!

[JAS21]

On 2/6/2022 at 9:21 AM, Dmaxdan said:

The window tint that is on my car is one way. So when you look out from the inside it is like looking through normal glass but when you look in it has quite a dark tint.

It's exactly the same as what is on the windows in my house.

Would you care to name the film, we are looking for a film for some of the windows in our house…, tks

[FriendlyFarang]

My girlfriend's car had 60% all around, this was outright dangerous at night.

At some point the windscreen had to be replaced and I had the film changed for 40% (the lowest "Hikool" has on offer), that's a bit better, but I still really don't like driving at night, might have windscreen and front side windows exchanged in the future.

On the rear and rear side windows you can get something like 60%, but on the windscreen and front side windows I would recommend to not go over 20%.

Edited February 11, 2022 by FriendlyFarang

[South]

On 2/6/2022 at 2:00 PM, Henryford said:

80% is madness. I would say no more than 40% side, 20% front.

3M is a good make, 80% can still see out clearly, can't see in. 40 on the front is no problem at all.