balthus

So I found the link for Texas law on tint: http://www.tintcenter.com/laws/TX/
and wonder if there are any other GLK owners from TX here who have had their GLK's tinted, where & what % and how it looks with black exterior & does it really help with the heat particularly with MB Tex ? Thanks.

EnigmaAW

i have 20% to match the rears. my dealer recommended star auto accessories in houston. they were really professional and i'm very happy with the results. i'm not to sure what level uv protection i have but but i think i have their 3m carbon injected. i always keep the shade closed on the roof and have a cheap fold up sun shade for the front windshield. reguardless the car is going to be hot if it sits outside all day, but it's not unbearable. the a/c cools of the interior really quick. here are 2 links with pics...https://mbworld.org/forums/glk-class...tint-20-a.html
https://mbworld.org/forums/glk-class...2s-glk350.html

balthus

Thanks - maybe I will call them & see who they can recommend in Dallas.

balthus

Your car looks great BTW. White was my first choice for a change but could not get what I wanted in terms of options & our car was totaled by someone running a red light so time was not on our side.

balthus

I called Star Auto & they couldn't have been nicer (and was pleased to hear he had been recommended) - he called 3M to find out who to use in Dallas & amazingly only one dealer who is quoting $250. He will only do 35% tint though.

Baby G

Here is a pic of my GLK black on black with 20%, let me know if you like to see side angles, I will post some when I get back home this weekend.

Edit: see below...

NYCGLK

^^^huh? those front windows aren't tinted, are they?

Kamen

I believe it is illegal to tint the front side windows in Canada.

Baby G

Edit: Found the pics...

Baby G

Na, just made a mistake...

Kamen

Maybe it's different in ON? If I had that here in BC I'd get pulled over. We got our B class tinted and we were only allowed the rear windows. That definitely makes it look sharp!

EnigmaAW

$250 is really high! is that for all the windows or just the driver and passenger? i paid $100 to have the 30% tint taken off and retinted 20% on the driver and passenger windows only.

balthus

We can only do 35% & nothing on front so I am wondering how a black/black car will look with rear window on tailgate at 20%, sides at 35% & fronbt at zero. I think I may not tint after all.

chilledbenz

If your going to tint the fronts, get the same percentage as the rears. I saw a GLK at my dealership that was waiting on delivery and they had the fronts tinted less than the rears and it looked awful. If your going to spend the money on getting it tinted, match the rears and cross your fingers you won't get ticketed. Where I'm from they tend to let the suv's and trucks slide on the window tint due to the fact that many like the GLK come with the rear tinted dark to begin with.

balthus

problem is 2 places i called won't tint the sides 20%.

EnigmaAW

i'm surprised. everywhere i went here in houston will tint any percentage, but anything below 35% has to sign an agreement that you know it's illegal, the tint shop is not liable if you get a ticket. maybe because you're calling, they say that they won't tint lower than 35% because they think you're an undercover cop. the shop can loose their license for illegal tinting? did you call your dealer? do they recommend anyone?

balthus

i did & he told me the name of another place & they pretty much said same & that many places will not let you pass inspection so it's just not worth it as I think the car won't look good unless it's consistent with rear. also some new law tales effect 9/1 something that they have to put a sticker on & they can be fined $1K if they do not follow law or something like that. And I don't want any undue police hassle if I were to be pulled over. You are braver than me to do the 20%. I always get caught.

antsGLK

i actually asked a cop one time about how dark we can tint it without getting a ticket and he said he doesnt care. most cops dont really care. its just up to the cop if he's a d*ck. then he'll give you one. i used to have limo tint which is the darkest on my rear and back windows. my fronts were tinted just enough to not get a ticket.

GLKBlack

After multiple screw ups in tinting my GLK, I can now offer definitive answers on tinting.

The rear windows on the GLK have a tint pretty close to 35%. This is a tint from the factory and it is in between the two window panes. Getting a 35% tint in the front will be a near perfect match, but will not provide too much privacy.

If you are looking for something a bit darker, a 20% on the two front windows will blend in fairly well. Because the back windows are lighter, it will lighten the appearance of the front two as well. However, there will be some noticeable differences between the 20% in the front and the 35% in the back. From the outside of the car, these differences are subtle, but from inside, it is pretty obvious.

To properly match a 20% front requires either a 50% tint added to all the back windows or a 35% added to the back windows. the 50% will blend pretty perfectly while the 35% will be the slightest bit darker.

I personally opted for the 35% on the rears and the 20% on the front two and it provides the perfect balance of darkness without impeding on night driving.

glkbeige

I got 35% on the front and a 20% windshield strip. The windshield strip does make a difference in direct sunlight.

EnigmaAW

i think i going to have to say your wrong glkblack... i did the whole tinting testing with both shades and there is no way the factory windows on the rear are 20%. here is a thread i posted a while ago, with pics of 35%. there is a noticable difference between the front and back windows. https://mbworld.org/forums/glk-class...rker-tint.html

and here is a thread with the 20% https://mbworld.org/forums/glk-class...tint-20-a.html

GLKBlack

Veerodder, I think the stock Canadian tints on black GLK's are closer to 35%, not 20%.

I must first say that I was inspired by your tints to think initially that 20% was the correct tint for my car. Your photos are exactly what I wanted my car to look like . However, when I actually went and got the tint done, it did not look nearly as dark as yours did on the back windows.

There are some fundamental differences between the Canadian and US cars. For example we have a mono button that I don't think you guys have, we don't have individual tire pressure monitors, all Canadian GLKs have 4matic and heated seats are standard in Canada (and necessary!)

It is possible that the factory tints are different between the two countries or that they changed the tint on later production runs.

Compare for example this picture: https://mbworld.org/forums/members/v...-glk-rear.html to the pics Baby G posted above on this thread. To me yours look much darker (especially since you took your pics on a sunny day and he took his on a cloudy one). Having seen my car with just the 20% tints on the front windows for a quite a while, it was hard for me to believe that your back tints were just stock.

When I had only 20% on the front windows and nothing but stock on the back, I could see a difference from the inside especially. So if I looked outside at grass, it was much brighter in the back windows than if I looked out the front side window. Or if I was standing outside the car and looked at something on the other side through the front two windows, it was definitely darker and less clear than If I looked at it through the back side windows.

EnigmaAW

my driver and passenger windows are darker from the inside too, and the tint shop even told me they will be different, but i don't care. but my ouside appearence is a perfect match. maybe you are right about the 2 countries having different tint?

CK86

Hey glk black
i want to confirm if you just added 20 % to the front sides or to the whole thing as i am hearing the factory tint is 35%
i want to get the fronts done to match the rear, also where did you get it done i am in ontario too and i love the looks!!

CK86

sorry i meant baby g!!!