Stupid window tint
 

My SVX has the back and rear side windows tinted, what's the best way to get it off? I figured heat gun for the side windows, but I'm worried about messing up the rear window defroster so I'm not quite sure how to get the rear tint off...

Heat gun it then pull it off? The worst part isn't the tint, but the sticky mess it leaves behind. Some people don't have a problem with it, but I actually found it so difficult to remove I just left the goop on one of my windows.

Ask a tint shop what they use. I thought it was a solution that is just sprayed on and let it set for a little bit. Then the tint peels right off.

My sidewindow tint is tearing all apart, so I'm wondering the same thing.

Acetone is usually what Tint shops use to remove it, but it never hurts to get some other ideas from them.



Dustin

My son is a professional tinter and this is what he does

for the back window
remove the film layer by just pulling it off
then use Fantastic brand cleaner with a light duty scrubby pad to remove the residue
it takes quite a while
it depends on what brand of tint was used as to whether the defog lines will come off
you'll know right away as the lines turn a different color
3M tint usually pulls the defog lines off

use a razor blade and Fantastic for all the other windows.

Good luck :)

use a fingernail to lift a corner and just rip it off. The gooey mess left behind dissapears with mineral spirits, any kind of goo gone, or even wd-40. you'll want a nice fine edge to scrape the stuff off...but dont use a razor blade, especially on the rear glass, because you'll run the risk of either scratching the glass, or DEFINENTLY scraping off the defroster lines. a credit card works alright, but best yet is a bondo spreader.

FYI I used acetone and a razor blade on my windows and still found it difficult enough to just give up. The adhesive on your tint may vary in strength...
I attribute one part of the problem to the acetone evaporating too quickly. "Fantastic" may not have this problem.

Chris (my son) says some shops do use Acetone but he doesn't recommend it because being a solvent, it can eat the plastic in the car ... Fantastic will just wipe off

Also depending how long the tint has been on the glue might be there forever :(

I'll have to try that. I doubt it's 3M window tint as it's faded.. It is a well done job, so someone knew what they were doing, but it's cheap tint, so you can't see through it very well, and it's purplish.. Otherwise I'd just leave it on... Thanks for the tips, I'll give it a try tomorrow and see how it goes...

I may have to get mine off as well after my little run in with the law :(

For my side windows I used a razor and rubbing alcohol. For the rear, I did some research and found this method recommended most.

1. For best results do this on a bright sunny day park the car so that the rear window is facing the sun.
2. Cut a large black plastic garbage bag so that is is slightly larger than the rear window.
3. Cover the rear deck and seats with a few layers of old newspaper.
4. Put some ammonia in a spray bottle and heavily spray the rear window tint, then immediately push the black plastic up against it, it will cling there.
5. Shut the car and all the windows and leave it sit in the sun for 30 minutes.
6. Get in open the doors and windows, and use a plastic scraper.

QUOTE: "Put some ammonia in a spray bottle and heavily spray the rear window tint, then immediately push the black plastic up against it, it will cling there. Shut the car and all the windows and leave it sit in the sun for 30 minutes. Get in open the doors and windows, and use a plastic scraper."

This method should loosen the old tint, making it much easier to remove. I do, however caution you about using ammonia. You should wear both eye and breathing protection when using ammonia in a closed environment. Be sure to ventilate the car while you are inside spraying. The ammonia smell will linger but with proper ventilation it should be gone in a couple of hours. As for removing the glue/bonding material, try "Goof Off" a product made to remove paint and varnish spills/overspray. It should do the trick, and you should not have to scrape the residue, just wipe it off with paper towels. As Hocrest says, cover and protect your interior pieces. Best wishes.
Preston

Hmm... Bright sunny day. Oregon. November. Probably not going to happen anytime soon :(

Use goof off or goo gone it gets all the sticky mess off quickly