Dealer Tint on my new 330i?

[Bmw 325i 7803]

The dealer offers to tint my 04' 330i for $395 before I pick it up later this week. In NY state I believe the limit is 35% and you can do all 4 windows, if I'm driving in NJ or elsewhere do their tinting laws apply?

Also the dealer said that the $395 tint job is quality work done by professionals and they actually take off the door panels when they do it. Is this a good thing? How easy is taking off the door panels and putting them back on without a problem? Or should I go elsewhere and get it done for less?

 

[Tom]

You can go to most tint shops and they'll do it for about $200(5 Windows). Of course this depends on the quality of the tint. Different states have different laws, you might want to call up a Tint shop in your area to find out what the laws are.

I would think taking off the panels is a good thing so that the tint covers the entire window and not just to the seal. If it's a dealer installation, I'm sure they will have no problem getting your panels back on.

 

[theBMWenthusiast]

what is the California limit...anyone know??? want to get the windows of my car tinted

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

You can go to most tint shops and they'll do it for about $200(5 Windows). Of course this depends on the quality of the tint. Different states have different laws, you might want to call up a Tint shop in your area to find out what the laws are.

I would think taking off the panels is a good thing so that the tint covers the entire window and not just to the seal. If it's a dealer installation, I'm sure they will have no problem getting your panels back on.

Think I could negotiate the $395 lower? As for removing the panels does that pose any future problems? It would be a nightmare to find out that 6 months down the line a panel is lose or that the added tint caused the window motor to fail or whatnot.

If anyone had a tint done by the dealer, would you remember how much it was, what it was, and if they took off the panels.

 

[MrElussive]

I live in NJ, only 10-15 minutes from NYC. $200 is a more reasonable price for a 5-window tint (all around, except for windshield), as Tom suggested...and if you find a good place, they will do a great job. 35% is the legal tint limit in NY, but if you drive in NJ, it will be illegal (front side windows are not allowed to be tinted at all in NJ). But if it makes you feel more comofrtable, I live in NJ and I have a 15% tint all around on my car.

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

I can't tint the windshield? Isn't the purpose of tint to reduce glare, keep the car cooler in the sun, and prevent you (somewhat) from knowing who the driver is?

 

[MrElussive]

Yeah, pretty much, but tinting your windshield is totally different. When you tint your side and rear windows, you compromise visibility. As the tint looks dark from the outside-in, it looks dark (but not as dark) from the inside-out. So if you tint your windshield, you just turn yourself into a hazard on the road, while driving at night. In fact, a lot of tint shops won't even tint the front windshield just because they know how dangerous it is. If you really do want your windshield tinted, make it something light such as 50%....you don't wanna compromise your visibility...side and rear windows are one thing, but the front windshield is quite another.

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

Then I'll just tint the sides and the rear. Any brand suggestions??? (huper, LLumar)
Im just about ready to go with the dealers $395 tint under a few conditions. They drop it to $350 and guarantee the tint, guarantee the window motors wont wear and if they do they will replace them and that the tint doesn't harm the warranty/door panels wont have a problem. If the GM signs it I'll go for it, am I getting ripped or being unreasonable?

 

[MrElussive]

You're definitely getting ripped, but it might be worth it since you won't have to deal with dropping your car off and then being carless for a few hours and then having to pick it up, plus when you purchase the option with a whole new car, $395 isn't much more money than you're already paying.
I say do it, especially if you don't have to deal with the 2-3 day drying time (i.e. they get the car tinted for you and let it sit there for 2-3 days to dry off).

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

On the side note they drove my car from the boat to their garage in hempstead or whatnot, and they will be driving it back to the dealer. If I get the tint they drive it to the tint shop and back to the dealer. From what I understand the 330i has a 1500 mile break in period in which everything (especially the engine and brakes) is sensitive. Something tells me their "help driver" won't be gentle at all.

 

[MrElussive]

Don't worry, everything will be fine. During break-in period, you don't have to baby the car, just not go over 4,000rpm. So only if one of the drivers of your car floors it, then that is not good for break-in. But it's pretty hard to brake the car in improperly so you don't have to worry so much at all.

 

[Tom]

Think I could negotiate the $395 lower? As for removing the panels does that pose any future problems? It would be a nightmare to find out that 6 months down the line a panel is lose or that the added tint caused the window motor to fail or whatnot.

If anyone had a tint done by the dealer, would you remember how much it was, what it was, and if they took off the panels.

Everything is negotiable and since it's a BMW dealer installed you will have more leverage of getting anything fix should your panels become loose.

 

[Tom]

what is the California limit...anyone know??? want to get the windows of my car tinted

In CA I think it's 20% or 30%(I may be off), but the deal is that you can only tint the rear 3 windows. You can also tint the front as long as it doesn't exceed below the mark on the windshield.

 

[bmwrocks]

I got max legal tint (in FL) for $125, five windows, by a local expert who's been in the business 25 years and tints for the dealership here. He has a small immaculate indoor operation. He does not remove the door panels, which I have never heard of, and it sounds totally unnecessary. He uses very high quality tint (I can't remember what brand) and guarantees it for life, even in the FL sun.

$395 is a total ripoff. Look around and pay less. Hell, I could tint 3 cars for your price.

 

[codex57]

Legal limit for California is anything in the rear 3 windows. Can be pitch black if you want as long as you have side mirrors. Front sides are 70% light transmission and a clear film. Front windshield can't have anything except for a strip at the top not to exceed a certain number of inches.

No state allows you to tint the windshield I believe. If you tint it darkly, that's not a bright idea. While it helps cut down heat in your car, a sunshade works much better. Plus, you lose visibility at night. Sunglasses work just as well during the day to cut down on glare. If you get in an accident and a cop notices the tinted windshield, you could get some blame for having diminished visibility.
One of the biggest reasons tint isn't allowed over a certain level or on certain windows is to allow the police to see the driver. If you're worried about privacy and others seeing you, than sit in the back seat. It's a safety thing for officers.

And yeah, $395 is a total ripoff. The dealer makes a big deal about taking the panels off but that might not be totally necessary. The more important thing to ask about is whether they can handle the dot matrix around the borders of all the windows. Bad installers can't tint over it properly and so there's a ring of bubbles around the edge of the windows, particularly in the back.

If you want to pay $395, get Huper Optik. There is a dealer in NYC and I believe he just recently got Huper Optik 30 (which is actually like 34% or something).

 

[MrElussive]

I got max legal tint (in FL) for $125, five windows, by a local expert who's been in the business 25 years and tints for the dealership here. He has a small immaculate indoor operation. He does not remove the door panels, which I have never heard of, and it sounds totally unnecessary. He uses very high quality tint (I can't remember what brand) and guarantees it for life, even in the FL sun.

$395 is a total ripoff. Look around and pay less. Hell, I could tint 3 cars for your price.

Keep in mind that here in NJ/NYC, not as many cars get their windows tinted as in Florida. Whenever I go down to Palm Beach (once a month), most cars have tints. Around here it increases your "cool factor" to have tinted windows since it is much more rare, lol (particularly because it's illegal to tint the front side windows to any percentage here in NJ). Around the NJ/NYC area, the average price is around $200 for 5 windows tinted.

 

[dzervit]

As stated by many others: $395 = bend over.
Take off door panels = they don't know what their doing.

Got all 5 windows done for $210 w/ lifetime warrenty. Didn't touch any door panels.

325i w/ 50% tint (black interior)

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

If you're worried about privacy and others seeing you, than sit in the back seat. It's a safety thing for officers.

Not really worried about those things, just looking for an excuse to tint the front windshield...

And yeah, $395 is a total ripoff. The dealer makes a big deal about taking the panels off but that might not be totally necessary. The more important thing to ask about is whether they can handle the dot matrix around the borders of all the windows. Bad installers can't tint over it properly and so there's a ring of bubbles around the edge of the windows, particularly in the back.

If you want to pay $395, get Huper Optik. There is a dealer in NYC and I believe he just recently got Huper Optik 30 (which is actually like 34% or something).

Which dealer, and how good is the Huper Optik.

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

As stated by many others: $395 = bend over.
Take off door panels = they don't know what their doing.

Got all 5 windows done for $210 w/ lifetime warrenty. Didn't touch any door panels.

325i w/ 50% tint (black interior)

Nice rims, the car looks great with the tint. What about the power windows does the tint interefere with the warranty if they break?

 

[MrElussive]

Now I have a feeling that you're just not gonna get your windows tinted...