thread: car window tinting

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Hork-Bajir Valley
    5,722

    car window tinting

    we got some money for being evacuated in the floods, while I have put it all straight into our savings, DH suggested that I get my car windows tinted. Now this is something I see as a luxury, something rich people have, that I never in 1million years thought I would ever get done. but he poses a good arguement...
    See my car is 21 years old. While it does have aircon, its 21 year old aircon, so no climate control, no refridgeration, basically the air that gets blown around is cooled slightly and only has vents in the front, so doesn't really make the back at all, so DH said it would help cool the interior of the car down, and with a baby that is a big pro. I can put up with no aircon, yea its uncomfortable and I get hot but I can deal with it and put up with it and suck it up, a baby/child cant..
    so does anyone have any experience with it at all? anyone done it? done it for that reason? did it work?
    I guess our other option is to get better aircon in my car, but I'm not sure if that is actually an option or not...can you get aircon upgraded? and cost will obviously play a major role..

    Thanks everyone!!!

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Dec 2008
    8,986

    Your air conditioner might just need gassing.

    You won't regret having your car's windows tinted, it keeps heaps of heat out.

  3. #3
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Jun 2008
    In snuggle land
    4,499

    I've had tinting but it didn't make that much difference on hot days. If you have the option, get the air con fixed.

  4. #4
    2014 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.

    Mar 2008
    Vic
    4,806

    Out of my five cars over the years, I had the windows tinted on three of them (the others I just couldn't afford to do at the time).

    It keeps so much heat out. The car still needs the aircon, but I don't need it flat out and it's so quick to cool. Plus the privacy of having them is sensational. I have darkest legal on my current car and when I get into cars without it, I just feel so exposed. It's great for DD, she never has the hot sun blazing on her face (although we have put those mesh ones over the window so she's still protected when the window is down).

    There's another factor too - I knew a woman who's mother had numerous skin cancers on her arm as an old lady, only her left arm. Her doctor had said it was most likely from exposure through the car window as she was always the passenger and it wasn't on her right arm.

    It's one of those things that I can't actually live without anymore and well worth the money.

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Melbourne
    1,628

    I never really got the whole tinting to keep heat out but got it done in my car and I found it really helps. I find I don't use my air con as much and if I do it's lower setting than I used to. Just my experience and others may differ

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Nov 2010
    Perth, WA
    3,172

    We have the darkest legal tint as well - definitely worth it, especially with kids in the car. We still have mesh window screens to block late afternoon glare more than anything, but it does make a big difference compared to our second car which isn't tinted.

    Plus it helps prevent nasty people with sticky fingers seeing nice stuff in the car unless they're really looking

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Jan 2006
    country victoria
    1,055

    We have tinted the windows on all our cars. I do the front windows darkest legal tint and then the back ones a bit darker again. I find it really helps with the heat, and the sun glare on the kids. We had our new car for about 4 months before we had the money to tint the windows and it felt horrible, I felt naked, and hated that everyone could see in.


    I personally think its money well spent.

  8. #8

    Oct 2010
    Baldivis, WA
    2,873

    We have tinting on our subaru.

    With the tinting on wagons, as long as you do darkest legal on the front drivers and passenger windows, the rest can be illegal tint. Ours is pitch black.

    Hard to see into from the outside and I agree that it does help with the aircon not needing to be blasted in hot weather!

    Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Hork-Bajir Valley
    5,722

    thanks everyone. I have no problems with people seeing me, dont get that expossed naked feeling... but I guess I don't know any better =P

    Sounds like it will be worth getting, my aircon never really reached the back anyway, and even getting it regassed I dont think it would either cause there are no vents in the back...
    that skin cancer/UV light thing is interesting too, I read up a bit on it after you mentioned it PRMG.

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Dec 2008
    8,986

    Our car doesnt have vents in the back and it stays beautifully cool.

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Hork-Bajir Valley
    5,722

    hmm suppose it wouldn't hurt to get that checked anyway too (the gassing)

    coming into winter it wont be so bad, and her heater is amazing, too amazing you actually get to hot with it on =P but will deff need something done before summer comes again..

  12. #12
    2014 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.

    Mar 2008
    Vic
    4,806

    You can get the aircon regassed for relatively cheap if you shop around. Makes a huge difference once it's done.

    Seems somewhat ironic that we're talking air con when it's bucketing down outside and I'm thinking of turning the heater on !!!!!

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Jan 2008
    Brisbane
    5,039

    We are in qld. it helps a lot but the cars still hot