Lude Generation

Has anyone got any good advice for fitting diy window tint?

Don't do it lol you will have a nightmare doing the rears get really angry and rip it all off

W1ggz wrote:Don't do it lol you will have a nightmare doing the rears get really angry and rip it all off

This.

Its not too bad i do my own the sides are easy its just the rear window thats a bit hard but just make sure u keep tint wet with a bit of fairy liquid in it

I've done loads of cars.
For the rear screen, make sure glass is as spotlessly clean as possible, inside and out. Lay your tint on the outside of the window, sticky side up (do not peel the clear backing yet) ideally you want the factory cut edges of the roll at the top and bottom of the window for easier shrinking. Trim around the edge about 2inches bigger than the window. Lift tint, get glass wet, drop tint back down. Gently start to smooth the tint to the screen with your felt covered squeegee, go right across the middle then work up to the top and down to the bottom. Some finger shapes will appear on the top and bottom tint edges, heat these gently with a heat gun until they go wiggly (2 or 3 seconds of heat) then smooth it to the edge, keep doing this until tint is flat to the glass, then trim the excess.
Mix up water in a squirty bottle with 5 or 6 drops of J&J baby shampoo (fairy liquid isn't ideal) spray the solution on the inside of the window, soak it, do not leave any dry glass. Now the tricky bit, peel off the clear protective layer off the tint spraying the sticky side constantly with your solution, lay this clear layer over your parcel shelf to prevent dust contamination. Soak the tint again then take it inside the car, its not easy but if its wet enough it won't stick to itself. Place it on the glass, slide it to its desired position and repeat the squeegee process, be patient, don't press too hard.. the rear screen can be done in one piece, with minimal heat shrinking required.
Quarter light windows are easy peasy, just a mini version of the rear.
Good luck

Also, there are loads of instructional videos on Youtube

Honestly, I would get a professional to fit the rear window tints unless you have several days spare for learning and a lot of patience.

I did my own a few months ago and it took me 8 attempts and 2-3 days of pain to get the rear tint to a state I was happy with. Yes, you read that correctly. 8 attempts!! Mostly because I was trying to heatshrink around the rear windscreen aerial, which is nigh-on impossible, once removed it was much easier.

The sides are very easy to do in comparison and good practice.


If you have a lot of patience and want to have a go yourself then here is some advice:

• Remove any aerial antenna on the outside and inside of the rear windscreen. Save yourself the pain and remove it so you have no obstructions to fitting and shrinking the film, it's difficult enough as it is!
  
  Not sure if the antenna is only used for MW/LW radio as I left mine off and haven't noticed a difference in FM signal reception (U.S. non-DAB head unit)

• Watch plenty of video guides online, especially of heat-shrinking using talcum powder as this takes some practice to get right.

• Use the reverse-rolling technique to carry the rear windscreen tint into the car. This is the only technique that worked for me fitting it on my own.

• Buy premium, higher-quality film as the cheap stuff scratches easily when fitting and can be harder to fit as well.

• Be very careful not to crease the film as you cannot remove creases. Also make sure the surfaces are as clean as possible, any large dust particles or hairs will stand out as air-pockets.

• Film will sometimes be a little cloudy for a few days after you fit it, this will try out and disappear just make sure you squeeze out as many of the air pockets as possible, especially along the demister lines.

• If you make a mess and want to remove it after letting it dry for a few days then try removing it with a steam-cleaner, this makes it very easy it peel off and you can use a sponge and degreaser for any bits leftover.

Always thought this would be one job I leave tothe professionals

Some great advise there by the looks of it, but would it also help to remove the front seats? I think if I had to do the job myself, I'd want them right out of the way.

I had the rear seats, parcel shelf and speak covers off when I did mine on the 5th gen but didn't find the front seats got in the way at all really.

I did find it practically impossible trying to fit using the "arms outstretched and tint hanging in the middle" method of carrying it, couldn't seem to apply it to the windscreen evenly without catching/creasing this way. That's why I highly recommend the reverse-rolling method as it's easy to get in and out the car this way, even with all the seats and trim in. Only thing to watch is the alignment and creasing when you unravel it.

I did mine with tint draped over my arms and head like some sort of tint ghost haha