window tint causing glare on rear defroster..

[bluelion]

i got my windows tinted on my maxima a few months ago and noticed that i was getting a glare on each line of the rear defroster. i never got around to getting the tint guy to try to fix it and just kind of dealt with it since....

well, last week i got the Z's windows tinted and now have the same issue. i mentioned it to him about my issue with the maxima, and he said that he's had similar issues with other vehicles like a couple of camrys and even a couple of bimmers. he said he redid the tint on those vehicles and they still had the same issue. i don't know if it's the brand tint that he uses or what. he uses Solarguard.

does anyone else have this issue on their Z? or any other cars for that matter. surely it can't be a Nissan thing with their rear defroster being different sizes or thickness than other makes and models, can it?

[bluelion]

dang, 42 views and no one can answer the question... does anyone else have the same issue ? surely not all 42 views are people without window tint

[leighspped]

my guess would be the brand of tint used.... that being said i've only tinted 3 cars all with 3m...

[SoCal 370Z]

When you are looking at the tint from the outside of the car, does the tinting completely seal itself around the defroster grid lines, exhibiting no air pockets between the tinting, glass, and defroster grid? If not, then your installer did not install the tint properly and this may be the source of your unwanted glare.

[bluelion]

hmmmmm, i think each defroster line has a small gap of "air pocket". i initally thought that with my maxima, so i looked at other cars in my work parking lot and some had the gap also....

[supunna_picta]

I noticed this on our WRX, first car I've ever had tinted. It only happens at night - when headlights shine through the back window they cause a reflection off of the defrost 'wires'. I was wondering if it was the quality of the tint as well.

[bluelion]

did you ever get it fixed ?

[supunna_picta]

We only recently had it done, I'm taking it in Thursday for bubbles and will ask about it then, as well as the brand they used. I won't be taking my Z to this place.

There is a Z club drive this Sunday and I was going to ask around for advice on tinting and where to go - I'll see if anyone else has glare issues with the defrost.

[supunna_picta]

Update, took my Z in to a different shop than the WRX for tinting and on the drive home tonight the glare is there as well. Not as bad as the WRX, but it's there.

I'm already over it, but I think it might just be a byproduct of the tinting and/or poor night vision from staring at a computer monitor all day.

[1325]

It happens with any car and it's because the film is laid over defroster lines that are not flush with the glass.

[TongMan]

Mine has the same issue, if you call it an "issue". At night when other cars are behind me with their headlights on, I can see that glare at the defroster lines. I would assume that its normal if you have tint.

[kenchan]

maybe get an auto-dimming mirror?

they're easy to install.