JPauwels

Has anyone had problems tinting the windows on an LS 460? I have a 2011 and I had the windows tinted at a local place that has a good reputation, but I haven't been happy with the results. There are tiny specks of lint around the edges of the windows that are causing little bubbles in the tint. The shop has retinted my windows multiple times to try to remedy the problem, but it hasn't helped. They retinted one window 4 times and another one 5 times, but the problem remains no matter how well they clean it.

They're saying it's because of the felt material surrounding the windows that's leaving small fibers on the glass that aren't visible until the tint is applied. I guess most cars don't have felt near the windows, so it's not something they encounter often.

I've never had aftermarket window tint on a car before, so I'm not sure what to expect and maybe my expectations are just too high and this is normally acceptable with aftermarket tint. The shop has a lifetime warranty on the tint which includes labor. They've been great to work with and are willing to redo the tint as many times as I want, but I'm not sure it's worth trying anymore since the situation hasn't improved at all.

Has anyone else run into this issue?

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

I didn't have that issue tinting mine.

Any idea if (knowing what the issue is if that's really the problem) why they didn't just put painters tape over the felt material before they prepped and tint?

JPauwels

I'm not sure. Did you do something like that when you tinted yours? I'm not at all familiar with the process, so I assume they knew what they're doing. I could ask. Maybe I'm also assuming too much by thinking that a professional tint shop that only does window tint would know what to do.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

I didn't tint myself; had a shop that I had prior good experience with do it and didn't watch the process (dropped off and picked up).

Not sure if that's even an option to do what I suggested given how wet things need to be when tint is applied, but seems like if they've identified what the problem is they should be taking some actions to mitigate the issue and contain the source of the contamination.

TRIUMPHT

No you are not alone i have a 2015 and took it to get tinted about a month ago. That will have been my 6th vehicle being tinted aftermarket. Every window had little bubbles in it. They told me that was within spec i told them absolutely not. 2 other cars i had tinted had those little bubbles i took it back to the shop, they replaced and never seen it again, mind you that only happened on just 1 window in 2 of my cars I've tinted not every window.

This shop was willing to replace a couple windows but not all so i asked for them to remove the tint and they did and gave me my money back.
This place is supposed to be high standard with a great reputation. They gave me a 2 hour wait time i was there for 3 1/2 hours. They said the LS was a bit harder to tint than normal. I watched the guy do the passenger front 3 times and the last time he did a bad cut which i didn't notice the shop owner did.

I would love to take it somewhere else to get it done again but i am afraid most places will not refund your money if you request. They will just keep re tinting and i do not have the time to keep going back if it doesn't come out as i want.

NotFasty

That's odd. I'd think any decently experienced tint guy would know how to overcome these issues.

JPauwels

I'm glad I'm not the only one. Were the bubbles on yours also around the outer edge of the windows? Mine have the issue on the two front side windows, but all the rear windows are fine. From a distance of more than a few feet away, it looks fine and the bubbles aren't noticeable unless you get really close to the glass since they're so small. It's not bad enough that I would want the tint totally removed and I'm wondering if it's even worth the time to have them try again. I appreciate their willingness to keep trying to fix the issue, but like you mentioned, I'm not sure if I want to continue taking time out of my days to have them work on it.

I expected that the tint would be perfect and bubble-free when it was done and it does look good overall, but it isn't perfect.

SW17LS

No issues here either, and I had my 2015 LS tinted, the 2017 LS was tinted twice (I had to have the first tint removed and replaced with legal tint).

The issue here is the installer, they're just not cleaning the glass well enough before they apply the tint.

JPauwels

Yeah, I didn't watch either. My experience with the business has been great and they definitely stand behind their work because they've spent a significant amount of time trying to fix the problem for me. They also have a great reputation in the car communities in the area for doing good work on high end cars(lamborghinis, ferraris, etc). The guy that owns the business does all the work himself and he's been doing it for 20+ years, so I don't expect it to be a result of lack of experience or improper technique.

rick3242

You should not have bubbles if installed properly. I had mine done over a year ago and had to have the passenger side window redone under the one year warranty. When it was installed the owner who had a 460 wanted to do the install himself because he said it was one of the most difficult automobiles to install?

TRIUMPHT

No they were all somewhere in the middle. The rear windshield had tons in between the defroster lines. There was even a legitimate hairline in one area. I was referred to that place. The place has a good rep hard to get an appointment. They've done high end cars also. I mean when looking at a pics you cannot see those little bubbles. Even from a distance you couldn't see them on my car. You had to get close to the car.

As i told them if this was something i seen every time i have gotten a car tinted then it could be written off as a part of getting tints done after market, but i haven't. As i said the 2 cars that i did see that, it was one window and when replaced never seen it down the line and i had those cars done in the dead of winter no real sun to help cure the tints.
He even tried to show me his car and said even he has them that is within spec. Maybe other customers took that and ran with it or didn't find it a big enough issue to go back. Maybe didn't even notice who knows but i did and i do pay very close attention to my vehicles. I am just happy they were honest guys and gave me a refund.

They were also the most expensive out of every place i have been so i expected even more. I do miss the tints they made the car look nicer and on the hot days kept the car much cooler.

JPauwels

Ah, that's too bad that it didn't work out. I love having my windows tinted too, and even considering the minor blemishes, I'd rather keep them as is than remove the tint. I may have them give it one more try to see if they have another technique they can try that might help. The bubbles in my tint are very small and in each bubble, you can see an almost microscopic bit of dust or fiber. They clean the windows very well with a water solution and use a razor blade, so I would expect that to remove any dirt. I've also seen a lot of other cars they've done in person and none have this issue, so I'm not sure what's different about mine.

JPauwels

Oh, that's interesting. I know the shop I went to has done 460s before since they have a couple as examples of cars they've tinted on their Facebook page. The owner seemed very familiar with what was required to do the tint on a 460 and wasn't concerned about it, but he's not sure why there's still an issue after cleaning and retinting the windows multiple times.

Kuhan

Show us some of the pics of what you're referring to? I think I might have the same issues with my 13 LS. Where did you get it done in Illinois?

JPauwels

I went to Ridler Window Tinting in Lake in the Hills. I actually wanted to post pictures on this thread to show it, but the bubbles are so tiny and with the reflection on the windows, I was never able to get a picture that shows it. It's easy to see up close in person, but it's impossible to get a photo of it. If you were able to get a picture of yours, I can tell you if mine looks the same. I tried in a bunch of different lighting conditions and never got a good photo.