Ok...Just got my ES350 tinted. I'll have pictures after I get car washed, which will be done later after the tint is all cured.

I got the Madico CH Ultra Polyurethane 35% tint. Lifetime warranty on parts and labor. Got it done at Song's (very reputable in Los Angeles). They had to remove the strip panel where your seat set button is located. For the older ES models, this step is unnecessary. Anyway, everything is put back perfectly, and as far as I can tell, it looks fabulous. It looks really cool, and a little darker than expected on the outside. I guess from now on, i'll drive with the front windows rolled down to avoid cops hahahahah...

Question for those who have had tints (i forgot to ask this before I left). Is it supposed to have streak marks looking from the outside? I am only assuming that these streak (possibly air marks) will disappear after the curing period. Ant comments?

 

Congrats on getting your ES tinted. Will be patiently waiting for pics

In the meantime, I'm sure you know the ground rules for proper curing of your new tint: Don't roll the windows down for the first 3 days, and don't use alcohol-based fluid to clean your windows on the inside. BTW, did the tint shop apply tint across the 3rd brake light, or around it?

 

the tint was applied across the 3rd brake light... i think there is space between light and glass. the fit is flawless. they installed it without removing my baby carseat, which i dont think is a big obstacle. These guys have been around forever, so i think they can overcome any issues. I'll patiently wait for it to cure now.

Oh...one more thing.... i overheard the tint person tell another person that my car had light factory tinting... I think thats impossible because no Es350 comes with preinstalled tint....dont you have to buy tint as an extra? My glass was absolutely clear....i dunno why he would say that.

 

Can't wait to see the pics! I've been putting off doing mine...would love to see what it will look like.

What does waiting for the film to cure have to do with washing it?

 

Kaius, I had mine tinted with 35 in the rear and rear side and 50 in the front side.

To those of you with tinting experience, is it normal to have a "halo" on the rear window at night? The headlights from other cars create a halo at each rear defroster marking. The tinting place says it is normal when I called back and without my telling them said I must have a Lexus.

 

Could be the material of the tint in combination with the Lexus temper glass. which tint material (brand/make) did you get?

 

Formula One classic series--non-metallic dyed film

 

I was gonna ask the same thing...not unless he was planning to wash the inside of his car as well...LOL!!!

 

They should go away in a day or two (if those streaks are just water pockets); if they're still there after that time, or if you just can't wait for them to disappear on their own--you can try to squeegee them out using a credit card or similar flat-edge scraper (don't apply too much pressure so that you wind up scratching the film). Not too difficult a task if the streaks are close to the edge of the window...a bit more difficult if they're far away from the edge.

 

Dunno about it being a "halo" but I think I know what you're talking about...and there isn't much you can do about that since the tint film is not able to be applied completely flush against the glass in those areas where the defroster lines are...not unless somehow you have a rear glass whose defroster lines are embedded within the glass itself...

 

Dangerous advice. I would let the water pockets dissipate on their own. We just got some sliding glass doors redone in our house this summer. Looked terrible from the outside for about a week until it cured. (They face to the west so it did not take long.) The film is completely smooth and clear now.

 

That is nice to know! Im glad these water marks disappear on their own as my glass is 99% all smooth and clear now. I am going to take a pic with my camera phone today at lunch. Hopefully it will turn out ok...if not i'll use my point-n-click Sony 7.2Mp, and if that doesnt come out good then I'll use my wife's Canon Rebel XT 8.0Mp. Let me tell you. The tint looks great with SGM.

 

Took this at lunch outside McDonald's. Wish there was more sun. This camera phone doesnt do it justice....but here you'll get an idea. After i get it washed this week i will post formal picks.

 

look nice, Kaius. Waiting for a better picture from you. I'd probably go with Song's for my tint, just gonna decide which brand and % i would go with.

 

In all fairness, I didn't say that my suggestion was necessarily a sage one...but that if someone was impatient and couldn't stand looking at those streaks, even if only for a day or two...then perhaps he--or perhaps the tint shop--could squeegee them out...in which regard, care should be taken when doing so.

Yes, it would be dangerous advice...if you didn't know what you were doing...but not absolutely a dangerous one.