ugly window tint.... Options

[mmmchocolate]

what is the best way to remove window tint besides using a razor blade? i know thats probably the most effective but im afraid ill damage the rear defrost and be screwed, so im wondering if there is a better way to remove it.

this is what my tint looks like now, so as you can see its a driving hazard, i dont use mirrors!

inside looking back


outside looking in


it looks so ugly!

[samir0189]

I have heard that ammonia liberally sprayed on the film and leaving the car to sit in the sun can help it peel off.

However, sometimes, its just so far messed up that it's impossible to get it to peel off all at once, and the using the razor blade is inevitable.

Even if you take it to a respectable shop, sometimes the blade is the only choice....

[mmmchocolate]

im thinking im just going to remove the window and set it in the grass with ammonia and just go to town, because i my truck lifts are shot.... i use a stick to hold my liftback up

[Promasta]

lol i was using a stick too i just replaced my hatch shocks.
but a clothing steamer is supposed to work to remove tint and a razerblade is not needed
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-rem...-messy%2c-chea/

[MaskedMan]

Yes, use ammonia, and then tape a black garbage bag around it and allow it to "bake" in the sun. A razor blade will damage the rear defrosters like you said, so just use the ammonia and you should be good to go.

[Welsh-Celica]

In the past I have used a sign vinyl removal tool called the "Lil Chizler"...once you get an edge started it will scrape off the tint with the adhesive and will not scratch the glass...have a little search from Beacon Graphics or other sign supply shops.

[garin]

that's some pretty ghetto tint there. at least it's one color. i hate that garbage that fades from on color to the next... anyways i've heard one way to prevent this from happening is to poke small holes where the defroster is... fact or fiction? idk. good luck though man.

[mmmchocolate]

thanks, next weekend im gonig to attempt to remove it. hopefully all goes well, im so sick of the white trash look, but hey, i dont worry about my car much because it already looks like crap, who would want it?

[Nial]

When I had my tint removed the guy that did it just got a heat gun...the type used to burn paint from window frames etc...looks like a hair dryer...he heated the film up and then just peeled it off...it came off in one go...you just have to be carefull not to heat the glass up so that it cracks......once the film was removed the window was washed with window cleaner and it was done....took less than 5 mins.

[richee3]

I've done it with one of my friends. He did almost exactly what Nial said, except he actually did use a blow dryer instead of a real heat gun. You still have to use the razor blade, but it's still a little bit faster.

[GriffGirl]

that's some pretty ghetto tint there. at least it's one color. i hate that garbage that fades from on color to the next... anyways i've heard one way to prevent this from happening is to poke small holes where the defroster is... fact or fiction? idk. good luck though man.

Professional installation with quality materials is the way to avoid this. I've seen mad old tint that's turned purple over the years but didn't bubble like that. Generally that kind of bubbling is because of inferior materials.

[95st-celica]

dude.....grab a corner and peel it off...it'll be super easy...theres no need to soak the glass in amonia or spray anything on it, thats just more of a PITA and more work then anything...peel one side a little bit and pull that crap off....all tint is is a big sticker...i dont understand why people are so afraid of it...

This post has been edited by 95st-celica: Apr 6, 2009 - 7:51 PM

[mmmchocolate]

ha, well you see those bubbles there buddy? those bubbles are extremely brittle! they crumble under the touch of a finger, the parts that aren't bubbly, those are the parts that do not want to "simply peal off" i didn't do this window tint, the previous owner must have thought it looked "ghetto".... obviously he was an idiot. but i need to remove it so i can see when to slow down when i get tailgated by a fool who thinks they are way way way way way way way way way way, did i mention way way way way way way way too "fly"? no stupid is more like it....

This post has been edited by mmmchocolate: Apr 6, 2009 - 9:09 PM

[richee3]

dude.....grab a corner and peel it off...it'll be super easy...theres no need to soak the glass in amonia or spray anything on it, thats just more of a PITA and more work then anything...peel one side a little bit and pull that crap off....all tint is is a big sticker...i dont understand why people are so afraid of it...

It's not that simple. Tint is NOT a big sticker. It has to be glued on. If he tries to peel it off, it will simply rip then he'll be missing a corner and still have 3/4 of the tint stuck to his window. And where he manages to get the tint off, he'll still have glue stuck to the window. That's why he has to soak it in ammonia or scrape it with a razor blade.

[95st-celica]

yea i guess if its been on there for a number of years, but anytime i ever took tint off i just peel a corner of it and slowly peel it off the window. i can see what you mean about it being brittle and crumbling, thats what cheap tint will do after a number of years. i have tinted several cars and never once used glue, to glue it on the window.

[Fate]

whenever i did tint i've always used soapy water, glue = no dice. heat gun is a good option so is razor bladin' but you have to be real careful of the rear defrost. good luck regardless.

[mmmchocolate]

well i was going to rip off my tint this weekend, but i guess im getting my wisdom teeth pulled...there goes my plans for the weekend! maybe it wont be that bad and i can do it Saturday or something