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Spring is coming and I'm probably gonna get this thing tinted. Would love to see some pictures of your tinted B9s and any thoughts/feedback on what film brands/types/opacities you are running, how they deal with heat rejection, visibility at night, issues with police if darker than legal, etc.
I know Mark has a Daytona Grey with red interior -- same color combo as me -- and would love to see more picturess of his car specifically, preferably some high res ones in different light if he would be so kind! Mark, how has that tint held up over time? You had it put on what, 3-4 months ago?
I got my tint done in Florida, at a shop directly across the street from the Audi dealership. I had to pay them cash to get the level of Dark I wanted, which I think ended-up being 12%.
i cannot remember what brand of film was used, but it's holding-up nicely. I want to say it was 3M, whatever they call it (brand name).
I have to say, I'll NEVER own a car without tint. Living in the South, it's a no-brainer - for the UV protection ALONE, especially in the rear window....prolonged exposure will really damage the leather on the seat tops. Same goes for the other seats and leather surfaces when left in the open sunlight.
I rarely opt for a UV or tinted barrier for the front windshield, but it IS a good idea, for the same reasons.
I always have a cheap "pop-up" Sun Shade that I deploy when I park outside in the sunlight. This helps keep the car cool, and block UV damage from the dash and interior components.
Last one I bought on sale at TArget, and it's a two-piece unit that folds-up nicely, and I keep in the rear seat-back pocket of the passnger side.
I paid less than $10.
I had purchased the rigid Audi sunshade, and that thing weighed a TON, and was difficult to easily deploy and store in the car. It got returned before I left the dealership. = FAIL. The Audi version was nearly $100.
Driving at night with anything darker than 20% tint, does take some compensation.
Admittedly - I had some trouble adjusting for the first few nights after I got this car done....but I don't even notice it anymore.
ONe final point: amongst all of the benefits listed above, I also really enjoy the PRIVACY that tinting allows for, within the cockpit. Call it vanity or whatever, but I just don't like people SEEING what I'm doing while I'm driving down the road.
Admittedly, i think it makes the car look cool. Non-tinted windows simply make the car look unfinished to me. Personal preference.
Notably -- dark tint CAN be a reason for the Cops to pull you over (think probable cause) if they suspect your windows are too dark If you're the kind of person who will have a few drinks and drive home.....be aware, it just as easy for to be pulled over for illegal tint, as it is a broken taillamp. I personally have never had this issue, even living in the midwest, where laws and cops are much more sensitive to this practice.
I'll try and get you some pics in the daylight today. It's nice and sunny for a change.
gr
Last edited by ghostrider990; 03-22-2018 at 08:43 AM.
I know this won't help a whole lot, but hey, this is a tint thread. Local shop installed the best German brand here, Bruxsafol, at 20%. Will have to wait until car eventually ships to the States to do the front windows, since not legal here.
Related side note, the rear lower red reflectors are also wrapped in an external grade tint, Lamin-X gunsmoke from ECS Tuning. They subdue the red just a touch, as they are a brighter red than the tail lights, while remaining functional (did the same with the nasty amber front reflectors).
In my B9 S4, negotiated tint when I got the car. Not sure of the product but it is 35% on the four windows and rear window.
When I had my B8.5 S4, since I parked outside and drove around a lot more, I did 3M Crystalline on all the windows and the front windshield. Crystalline
is an expensive product and tends to be on the lighter side. The heat rejection is bar none.
Oddly the dash in my B8.5 seemed to heat up a lot quicker than the dash on my B9. Thus splurging on the Crystalline on the front in the B8.5.
Though enjoy parking in a garage now and the cooled seats!
Damn, you guys go dark. Ghostrider's car would get immediately pulled over here in MN (legal tint = 50% here).
Curious what 40% or so looks like (just a bit darker than the limit).
Do you guys find that crystalline/ceramic tint affects cell reception or radar detector efficacy at all?
Did anyone have their tint shop measure what the factory glass tint is? Usually it's really subtle, but measurable to where you need to adjust 5-10% with whatever film you're buying if you want to stay legal or close to it.
LOL. That is true not sure what the additive from the factory + tint would be. The Prestige has some coating on the windows not sure if any different in the Prem+.
Crystalline isn't a metallic tint so no issues with cell/radar/gps. In my B8.5 took the Valentine One out of my 335xi I traded in
and plopped it into my S4. The Valentine was old and had the typical blind side detection problem would always go off..
In my B9, not sure of the product. I am sure some hybrid metallic/ceramic product. I can't notice any lag in my radar/cell/gps.
My Escrot Max360 works just fine.
Not sure what the OEM tint is you're referring to, but I know the Allroad OEM tint (as well as the Q5 / Q7) is pretty dark at about 15% light transmission on the rear glass, from the factory.
The Panoramic sunroof(s) on the these cars are also around the same (12-15%) light transmission.
I laughed when Brian said he'd get pulled over in MPS with my tint. Haha.
You can get away with alot darker in da South!
Last edited by ghostrider990; 03-22-2018 at 07:24 PM.
Reason: update
I'll go against the usual flow and will state my preference for "invisible" tint: maximum heat rejection while maintaining an unmodified look. I have used 3M Crystalline 70% on my last three cars, with amazing heat rejection and ... well, barely any darkening. I have it on all side and the back window, plus the sunroof.
03-22-2018, 07:42 AM
Tint thread!
