How to remove tint

[Cyclops]

Ever since I got my car the mirror tint has always bothered me on the quarter window and rear hatch. It didn't transition to the black window border and seemed there was too much contrast in the separation between the two. So finally I called a tint shop to get the windows re-tinted and when I found out it was going to cost just as much to remove the tint as to apply it, so I thought I would give it a try first and maybe save a few bucks. I figure I would try the driver side window and see how it goes..... what could possibly got wrong LOL..... and if I screw it up I just get the tint guys to it. So I watched some Youtube videos, some using a steamer others heat gun and one just doing it on a really hot day and pulling it off. I went with the heat gun as you didn't have to deal with condensing water and it was still a month away from scorching hot days. This was so easy after the first window I thought I'd better take some pics and write a DIY as I didn't see one. By the last window, the rear, I tried all the different techniques in the videos and found one to be the best so I'll just share it. This is just what worked for me so do this at your own discretion.

What you need
• heat gun
• razor blades
• shop towels
• water

I would not recommend using razor blades on the rear window because of the defroster strips.

• 1. Start with one of the door windows.
• 2. Use the heat gun at the corner of the window. Just move the gun in a circular motion about 5" diameter or back and forth about 2"-3" from the glass. Doesn't matter which side of the glass (inside or out)
• 3. Place your fingers on opposite side of the glass you are heating and when you feel you can't hold your finger there any longer you are ready to start peeling the tint off.
• 4. If you have finger nails grab the corner and peel away about 1", you can also use a razor blade to start it.
• 5. On the tint side of the window, start putting tension on the tint. Now move the heat gun back and forth along the tint where the tint is separating from the window.
• 6. With the tension you are applying and the heat against the edge of the tint, it will start peeling back and releasing from the window.
• 7. Take your time, if you don't have enough heat the glue will separate from the tint and leave some residue on the window. This is fine but just more work to clean up after.
• 8. If you don't have enough heat, the tint will separate from the glue leaving the entire layer of glue on the window. If this happens as it did to me, just heat the area where the glue is, use a razor blade and peel back the glue layer and continue heating and pulling the tint off slowly.
• 9. Work your way down the window until you have 1/2" left on the bottom, so your tint is just attached along the bottom of the window.
• 10. If you have a lot of glue to clean up on the window use the razor blades to scrap the thick residue off while heating it. Wipe the glue off the razor with a shop towel or let it fall on the tint that is still attached at the bottom. The tint acts like a bib and protects any glue from falling down between the window and the felt trim.
• 11. You'll have some glue still left on the windows in streeks, so wait for the window to cool and use a wet shop towel to go over the remaining glue. Now use a dry shop towel to take the remain glue off, put some force into it and use friction to work a 2"x2" area, once the glue is transferred from the window to the towel, fold the towel over to get a clean area and star the next 2"x2" area until your all done.
• 12. Now start heating the remaining lower section of the attached tint at the bottom and gently pull it off going from left to right. I would heat it up a bit more here because you really don't want any glue left on the window in this area as the tint is below the window trim. If you have glue left you'll have to either clean it carefully while prying the bottom window trim away from the window or just remove the door panel and clean it up. So take your time so you don't have to remove the door panels.
• 13. Moving to the quarter windows, I heated the glass from the outside as it was much easier and it came off like butter.
• 14. Your almost there.... to the hatch, working from inside. I started from one corner and pulled the tint at 45 degree. Heating the tint back and forth along the edge where the tint is separating from the window. I found that the amount of tension wasn't very much. Imagine the tint attached by string to a 5LBS weight. Without heat the tint would stay attached to the window, but when you apply heat the weight would gently start to pull the tint off the window by gravity.
• 15. I had very little glue left on the rear window and just used water to wet the remaining glue down and the a dry shop towel to scrape off the remaining bits. I would not recommend using razor blades on the rear window because of the defroster strips.
• 16. I used some soap and water to clean all windows, then just wiped it down with water and dried with towel.

Good Luck

[dubsesd]

great work. it will look much better with normal tint. what percent are you considering?

[inTgr8r]

Excellent job!
Not a fan of that mirror tint at all on any car, or color.

[Cyclops]

Originally Posted by dubsesd

great work. it will look much better with normal tint. what percent are you considering?

I have not nailed it down yet but it will be between 20%-35% all the way around. I didn't realize how busy the shop was that was recommended, so it will be 2 weeks before it's covered up again. Unless I can find another shop that does good work on the West End of TO.

[doozyj]

Use Goo-Gone to get the remainder adhesive off. Safer and easier than using razor blades.

[JPWEraser]

Originally Posted by Cyclops

I have not nailed it down yet but it will be between 20%-35% all the way around. I didn't realize how busy the shop was that was recommended, so it will be 2 weeks before it's covered up again. Unless I can find another shop that does good work on the West End of TO.

I would recommend 20%. I've had 35% on cars in the past and I wondered why I paid money for it. I've never gotten harassed by police with 20% on a car and you still have good vision at night. Just my 2c. Thanks for the write up!

[Z4Lee]

Really nice DIY article - well done.

and thumbs up for goo-gone

[Digs]

Top work! I really need to do this as well and get rid of the mirror look. Thanks for posting.

[Cyclops]

Got my new tint installed.
Went with Llumar FormulaOne PINNACLE SERIES (Ceramic Tint)*
30% on the sides and 15% hatch

[inTgr8r]

MUCH better, looks great