How to tint rear window?

[thebigbread]

ok, im about to go out & buy a roll of 35% tint for my rear window (i want more visibility in the rear because i look out it alot) but i got a few problems: 1. i have about 3 stickers the previous owner left on the window for about 10 years how can i get this off? 2. the rear defroster has 2 power tabs, how can i make a nice tint job around this? 3. will the tint damage my defroster (or vice versa)?

[xirdneh]

ok, im about to go out & buy a roll of 35% tint for my rear window (i want more visibility in the rear because i look out it alot) but i got a few problems: 1. i have about 3 stickers the previous owner left on the window for about 10 years how can i get this off? 2. the rear defroster has 2 power tabs, how can i make a nice tint job around this? 3. will the tint damage my defroster (or vice versa)?

razor blade

[scotisha]

I used some WD-40 to help loosen up the glue on the stickers. It worked really well.

[thebigbread]

thanks, when i head out to get tint tommorrow i will try both of these. Also, i noticed why my rear defroster is not working: several strips look & feel corroded, & some small sections are missing. I might try a razor blade to remove it. Besides, fixing it is a pain, & i have never seen the rear window foggy.

[Iain]

DO NOT USE A RAZOR BLADE ON YOUR REAR WINDOW-!!

Unless you don't care about your rear window defroster. The rear defrost lines are really delicate, I found that some of the old stickers when peeled off (using heat gun of hairdryer btw) even took some sections of the defroster element right off of the glass with the sticker. Now, you can try the defrost line repair kit that is available @ any local parts store, the problems with those kits are:
1) They are only designed to repair a small nick or two in the lines.
2) The result of the repair does not really look stock, what i mean by that is the repair is a bit wider than the OEM line, which is not a huge deal other than looks, the big problem is that the repair is a lot THICKER than the original line on the surface of the glass. The problem with that is when you tint the window, the tint lays over the glass and the defroster lines, the thinker the defrost line is, the higher the tint has to "bridge" over the line creating a white line on either side of the defroster line. It looks like sh*t.

As for the power tabs, they just unplug, simply cut a notch around the tabs on the window glass.

I has the some problems with my car, 10+ year old stickers, scratched and corodded lines. I priced out a new rear window glass, it was $300. So i just peeled off the sticker with a heat gun, remover the glue residue with some Goo Gone. Scrubbed the glass and rubber seal and tinted it. I figured i could up up with a little fog...

Here is a pic of my car after i tinted it. It's 13% all the way around (except the windshield). It is not too dark to look out of at night at all.

[MootsMan]

Your car looks great, Iain ! I should tint mine, but think I'll wait 'til I can get the body painted.

As for the rear window, it's super easy to take one out of a junkyard car and replace yours if you want a working defogger.....just make sure the one you get at the yard has the elements intact. I have had to replace 3 pieces of glass in my cars.....oops, 4 counting the rear window in the MR2 which was broken when I bought it....and it is not hard to do. You just have to take your time and be careful working the glass out of the seal, and then back into it. $20-30 at the junkyard is a lot cheaper than $300 for a new one !

[thebigbread]

DO NOT USE A RAZOR BLADE ON YOUR REAR WINDOW-!!

Unless you don't care about your rear window defroster. The rear defrost lines are really delicate, I found that some of the old stickers when peeled off (using heat gun of hairdryer btw) even took some sections of the defroster element right off of the glass with the sticker. Now, you can try the defrost line repair kit that is available @ any local parts store, the problems with those kits are:
1) They are only designed to repair a small nick or two in the lines.
2) The result of the repair does not really look stock, what i mean by that is the repair is a bit wider than the OEM line, which is not a huge deal other than looks, the big problem is that the repair is a lot THICKER than the original line on the surface of the glass. The problem with that is when you tint the window, the tint lays over the glass and the defroster lines, the thinker the defrost line is, the higher the tint has to "bridge" over the line creating a white line on either side of the defroster line. It looks like sh*t.

As for the power tabs, they just unplug, simply cut a notch around the tabs on the window glass.

I has the some problems with my car, 10+ year old stickers, scratched and corodded lines. I priced out a new rear window glass, it was $300. So i just peeled off the sticker with a heat gun, remover the glue residue with some Goo Gone. Scrubbed the glass and rubber seal and tinted it. I figured i could up up with a little fog...

Here is a pic of my car after i tinted it. It's 13% all the way around (except the windshield). It is not too dark to look out of at night at all.

Thanks! youre right, i was considering a kit but saw the lines were about 2-3 times wider than stock. i will take off the stickers & defroster lines, since they are dead. $300 for window glass? ouch... rather DIY

[Mickey_D]

Something I don't know whether has been thought about in our cars, but there's a handy little space on the left hand side at the back. I think most people call it the jack storage compartment (yes, there's serious amounts of sarcasm in there ).

I had thought of running a pair of coolant lines (tapped into the existing heater core hoses) back to that compartment and trying to find a really small heater core to put in there. Then hook up a couple computer fans to it to blow the hot air out into the luggage compartment. Duct it so it blows on the rear window and there's no need for a rear window electric defogger. Could also be ducted for rear seat heat.

[keith]

I have done some window tinting myself, but our Tercel was done at a shop. When I did my own, I followed the instructions on the package, but I kept thinking that that had to be the hard way. When I watched them do it at the shop, they did it differently, and what looks to be a lot easier too.

They laid the material on the outside of the window, adhesive side out, and cut it to fit. Then they took a heat gun, hair drier should work, and heated the material until it conformed to the glass. That step wasn't in the instructions. Then they prepped the inside of the window, pealed the backing off the tint and put in place. We had 35% all around. Recommend a 5% strip across the top of the windshield down to the AS1 mark, or the bottom of the mirror, it makes driving into the sun so much easier. I did that to my Saturn because my commute is into the sun each morning and evening. Makes it much safer.

[Typrus]

My rear window fogs constantly. And my damned defog doesn't work. Ticks me way the heck off. But there is a plus... I got my rear wiper working! How? You need that spacer that lifts the wiper arm above the wiper. If you just plug the wiper onto the end of the arm, the angle is too sharp for the spring to do its job. It has to be spaced up.

ZEROSTART has a line of interior heater cores. Most with built in fans. Varying sizes too. I've considered putting one in the rear, less for the sake of fog (though its really needed IMHO) and more for the sake of the fact that I'll be on fire in the front seat in winter and my passengers in the back are freezing.

Theres a question more or less of proper coolant flow... I almost wonder if the housing couldn't be made to have a larger tube. Maybe bump it up to 3/4"?
I also wonder if a booster pump wouldn't be needed. They make little ones for this very purpose. Dunno about pricing unfortunately.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Item ... 0000165023
7 1/4" cube there.... Rather large, but I'm sure more selection could be found. Dunno if that one is an official ZEROSTART though. Not like thats the only good brand, just that I know they have good selection.

[thebigbread]

I just finished the rear tint. one side was perfect, but the other side stuck to itself & ruined. So i cut & removed the bad side, then i cut a new half & matched it up to the good half.

[Iain]

I just finished the rear tint. one side was perfect, but the other side stuck to itself & ruined. So i cut & removed the bad side, then i cut a new half & matched it up to the good half.

Sides? I'm confused...You are supposed to tint the rear window in one peice on these cars. Do yo have any pics?

[thebigbread]

I just finished the rear tint. one side was perfect, but the other side stuck to itself & ruined. So i cut & removed the bad side, then i cut a new half & matched it up to the good half.

Sides? I'm confused...You are supposed to tint the rear window in one peice on these cars. Do yo have any pics?

one piece was too big for me to handle & was catching itself constantly, so i split it into 2 pieces & made them meet in the middle. about the pics, i probably will post them later tonight or tommorrow

[thebigbread]

Here are some of my tint pics:

Full Side (doors are 5%, 3rd window is 2 1/2%)



Iain, u asked about how i tinted my rear window. Look closely near the middle there is a very small overlap which i plan to trim. the overlap is from cutting 2 pieces & meeting them in the middle.

[ARCHINSTL]

If you trim it in the middle (presuming slicing it with a razor blade/Exacto knife for a nice joint), won't you risk defeating the antifog system?
Tom M.