Arizona laws only allow front windows to be tinted 33%. I called a couple window tinting places, and they say I could have the rear side windows and back window tinted as dark as I want. So, would 5% be too dark, especially at night? How dark should I go?

 

Go to an optometrist and get a note that says you have Photophobia. Then, get any % you want.

 

Yeah I kinda thought that too, but if it would help cool down the inside of the car some, it would probably be worth it. Id prefer to get 20% all around like I did in indiana, but the laws are different here. 33% and 20% in the back proabaly would be too noticeable I suppose.

 

same thing here in TX. I had 5% on my back windows, 25% on the sides (min legal) on my camaro(s), RX7 and Vette.

 

All my cars have 5%. I had 35% on a car once and felt like I wasted my money. I would do 5%. If you are worried just leave the front windows alone and tint the rear and side.

 

my recommendation:
go as dark as you can in the back, and put something around 20% on the sides of all windows. Real dark on the back may seem too much at first, but once you have it, you won't want any lighter....esp in AZ

 

I agree for the most part. One shade difference does not look bad though. For example, here is my wife's car with 20% on the rears and 35% up front (By the way, 70% is all that is legal up front in NY, but they typically don't bother you if you don't go too dark):

 

I went with 5% on the camaro, I'm debating 10 or 15% on the Bronco....

Made it nice and big so u can really see how dark it is...obviously the first shot is in full sunlight, on a blue sky day......can't even see inside from any angle, even when trying to look in the front.

 

I would go 5% in the back and sides, then 20% or 35% on the front. Having 5% on the back side windows makes the front side windows look lighter, even if they're tinted also.

 

i think 20 all around is a good number thats not too dark and not too light. just find a place that will do it. it should not be too hard.

i have 15% all around on the vette and its nice.

 

No need for window tinting. Get this:



/thread

 

...wtf is that?

 

It's some sort of BS solar powered car fan. You lower your window about an inch, put the weather stripping thing on, and hook the fan over your car window. It blows the hot air out of your car, so your car is much cooler when you get in. That's the theory anyway. Not sure if it actually works, or is crap, like most of the other "As seen on TV" stuff is.

 

Does window tinting actually keep the car cooler? I found that the windows on my Camaro got scorching hot (they were tinted sides and rear) and that seemed to heat up the inside of the car a lot. Didn't seem any better or worse on hot summer days compared to a car w/o tint.

What I really enjoyed was people not being able to see IN when I was driving.

 

OMG yes it makes your car cooler. I did a before/after comparison on my 2 door Sunbird a number of years ago. 28°C outside. Sunny. Same parking spot for the same amount of time at the same time of day.

Before tint, it was 52° inside.
After tint, it was 40° inside. So a 50% reduction in the amount of increased heat compared to ambient.

Window tints should have a heat rejection number. Mine were
5% tint = 64% heat rejection
20% tint = 55%
35% tint = 45%

I had 5% rear and sunroof. 20% on the small backseat windows. And 35% on the large front door windows. Why the difference? I wanted dark in the back (no more annoying glare from people's headlights). Wasn't allowed to put anything on the front doors which is why I went for the 35%. The 20%? I partly wanted to compare the 20% vs the 5%. And going 5% on them would have made the front door windows appear darker and increase my risk of getting a ticket.

All new people who are thinking about getting tint say they're worried about it being too dark. It's darker from the outside looking in than it is from the inside looking out. All new minivans come with 20% in the back windows. If you are inside one and looking out, it's EASY to see outside. 35% inside is within a hair's difference of 20% when you're looking outside. It seems that 5% is the only one that has any real darkness. And it's not even that bad from the inside.

I don't know what kind of car you have, but for Arizona, go for the 5% on the backs and sides. For the front door, if 33% is your limit, go with 35% or 20%. Personally I'd aim for the 20%. But if you don't want to risk a ticket, stick with the 35%.

Night time with 5% behind you? No problem. It's actually nicer because it keeps the headlights from filling up your whole vehicle with light. You still will need to flip the day/night setting on your rear view mirror. But it won't be as bad as without tint. As for being too dark to see when backing up? I don't think so. It's dark outside anyways. It's not really reducing the amount of light coming in because there is no light anyways.

The human eye is like a camera when it comes to light. That's why when you see a 5% tint, you think that you will only be able to see 5% of the light coming in. But your eye adapts to the darkness and lets more light in. Same reason turning on the bathroom light in the middle of the night blinds you yet it's perfectly fine to turn the same light on in the middle of the afternoon. The 5% tint will also have something like 97% glare reduction. Very very handy for summer driving when the sun is beating down. If you forgot your sunglasses and are squinting to see in front of you, you'll be able to see in your rear view mirror without squinting at all. Very easy on the eyes that way.

All tint regardless of darkness will have a 99% UV reduction (no sunburns that way). But the darker tints will still reduce interior fading more than the lighter ones. UV is only part of the reason your interior fades. Heat is another factor. And the darker the tint, the cooler inside it will be.