How to tint rear window with defroster lines

Removal of old window film is not an easy task, when you have to do it on a rear window it is one of the most difficult to achieve. All rear windows in modern cars have very fragile defroster lines, it is imperative that these lines are not damaged when removing the old tint.

Table of Contents Show

Can you tint over defroster lines?
Can window tint be removed without damaging defroster?
Are defroster lines inside or outside?

There are multiple chemicals that are marketed exclusively for the removal of window film. While they may assist with the breaking down of the adhesive they all have the same basic instructions; spray on the window film, apply a plastic covering to the window and let sit for a set amount of time in the sun.

Whether you choose to use these chemicals or choose to use the basic ammonia and water that has been the industry standard forever. The same basic techniques must be used to ensure that you do not damage the rear window or defroster lines.

Below you will find a few tricks of the trade for you to study, before you attempt to remove any film from a rear window make sure you have these tricks memorized.

Tools Needed: Spray Bottle (containing your cleaning solution), White Scrub Pad, 000 Steel Wool, Black (thin) Trash Bag, Ammonia, Water and Paper Towels

10-25-2012, 09:32 PM

Private

Drives: 2013 E92 M3

Join Date: Feb 2012

Location: SC

tint along defroster lines...

Got my windows tinted about a week ago. My initial reaction was not pleasant.. Found air bubbles/pockets throughout the car which I understand is normal. However, the rear window had to be the worst as you can see from the pics below. I took the car back after a few days to have the manager (who was one of two guys who tinted it) take a look. He said he'd redo the small side panel window behind the drivers seat, but did not really seem to care about the rear window which was even worse. Anyways, i thought i'd give it at least a week under the sun to see if it helped and it really hasn't changed. Sucks more because I found another streak about 1.5 inches long on the front windshield, in clear view from the passengers seat. Bottom line, I'd like to have the front windshield and rear window re-tinted. Has anybody else have the same issue with the tints not sticking to the defroster lines? If so, how did you deal with the issue. Thanks.

10-25-2012, 09:40 PM

Banned

Drives: e92 M3

Join Date: Oct 2012

Location: Here and there

Thats a terrible job...had mine done and it had some imperfections but not that bad

Check this out..Post #5

10-26-2012, 01:01 PM

Captain

Drives: e90 M3; i3 rex; e46 M3 vert

Join Date: Feb 2012

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Sorry, but somebody goofed up that job.
Get your money back!

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10-26-2012, 02:42 PM

Colonel

Drives: '08 IB E92

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: OC

My tint sticks fine to the defroster lines. Your dot matrix looks really bad also.

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10-26-2012, 03:44 PM

Banned

Drives: when at all possible

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Quote:

Originally Posted by lorinzo

Sorry, but somebody goofed up that job.
Get your money back!

This. What kind of film? Might want to let other people know about that shop so it can be avoided.

10-26-2012, 06:18 PM

Lieutenant Colonel

Drives: 2021 M2C

Join Date: Oct 2011

Location: NJ

Everything on mine is perfect except the dot matrix also... Is there anyway to fix this without having to remove and retint?

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10-26-2012, 06:35 PM

Colonel

Drives: '08 IB E92

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: OC

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicname

Everything on mine is perfect except the dot matrix also... Is there anyway to fix this without having to remove and retint?

Vinyl is an option for you I think. The tinter can remove the upper dot matrix portion of your current tint and replace it with vinyl. I think your other option (sanding) includes removing the current tint.

You could try using a heat gun or a hair dryer and pressing it yourself to see if you can make it adhere around the dots any better. That might help but not completely eliminate the problem.

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10-27-2012, 09:17 AM

Private

Drives: 2013 E92 M3

Join Date: Feb 2012

Location: SC

Quote:

Originally Posted by whats77inaname

This. What kind of film? Might want to let other people know about that shop so it can be avoided.

Suntek CXP 35 all around. and CXP 55 for the windshield. The place is pretty reputable around here. I drove by their other location across town and had the manager look at it. He told me to come by sometime next week and they'll see if they can smooth it out, if not replace it. I'm hoping they just replace the whole thing.. As for the dot matrix, he suggested painting it. Dunno how i feel about that either.

10-27-2012, 12:39 PM

#10

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Yolkster

Thats a terrible job...had mine done and it had some imperfections but not that bad

Check this out..Post #5

You should take it back and have them tint the 3rd brake light area. It looks funny with it clear like that. Even with tint, the 3rd brake light can still be seen just fine.

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10-27-2012, 04:39 PM

#11

Private

Drives: 2013 E92 M3

Join Date: Feb 2012

Location: SC

Quote:

Originally Posted by M3PO

You could try using a heat gun or a hair dryer and pressing it yourself to see if you can make it adhere around the dots any better. That might help but not completely eliminate the problem.

are you sure Vinyl is an option afterwards? if thats the case, i should find a place that does vinyl because this one offers to paint it. and i'm not feeling that..

10-28-2012, 01:22 PM

#12

Warrant Officer

Drives: 2011 E92 335is

Join Date: Dec 2011

Location: Alabama

Same thing happened to me. I took it to a guy in NJ who knows EXACTLY how to deal with dot matrix and defroster lines and he took the garbage tint off and installed new tint PERFECTLY. No bubbles anywhere on the entire car, including the dot matrix on the door windows (I have a coupe).

I would tell them to either re-do it or get your money back and find someone that knows what they're doing.

10-28-2012, 03:43 PM

#13

Major

Drives: SG X6 35i; MW e92 M3

Join Date: Jan 2011

Location: Germany

horrible job...get them to either re-do or refund.

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10-29-2012, 02:18 PM

#14

Colonel

Drives: '08 IB E92

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: OC

Quote:

Originally Posted by doree610

are you sure Vinyl is an option afterwards? if thats the case, i should find a place that does vinyl because this one offers to paint it. and i'm not feeling that..

I don't see why not. Call around and see what they can do for you. This place that did it for you already is probably gonna do a shitty job again so I think you'll have to take it somewhere else.

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10-29-2012, 03:18 PM

#15

Lieutenant Colonel

Drives: 2011 E92 M3

Join Date: Feb 2009

Location: One of the coasts...

The vinyl will work just fine. It'll look 100% better. The dot-matrix, I mean.

As for the rest of it, that's just a bad job. Better try your luck somewhere else

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10-29-2012, 09:44 PM

#16

Private

Drives: 2013 E92 M3

Join Date: Feb 2012

Location: SC

**update**

things went from bad, to worse... tint seems to be the least of my troubles now.
so instead of going to the original location, i chose to go to their 2nd location which does all the tinting for the BMW dealership in town. figured, these guys had more experience with tint for BMWs. went in today around 1:30 to have the front windshield, and rear windshield retinted.. the guys noticed the driver window and both side panels needed work too so agreed to redo those. off to a great start right? i knew this was going to take longer because they had to remove the tint and glue from all the windows. 3 hrs later... my car is ready to roll out. manager comes out to hand my keys when he noticed a bubble in the rear windshield. he said it wasn't water but glue, and needed to go back in to have it done all over again... its about 5:15 when it seems everything is done. he pointed out a bubble in almost the same spot before but said he was 90% sure its water this time and i should give it some time... i don't know, it was time for them to close and i'm sure by now these guys have seen enough of my car today. so i take the keys and as i'm driving out their lot, i noticed the small tray that flips open was broken.

Attachment 773458

showed the manager what one of his guys did. he made a call to the BMW dealership and left a message for his guy/contact to take care of me. i went straight to the dealership and got a quote for the damaged piece.

Attachment 773460

i'm sure these guys have no idea how expensive this damage is going to cost them.. to make matters worse, i noticed after i left the dealership my head lights along with all the interior lighting of the car was flickering (around 10secs) when the engine started. happened 2 more times tonight after the car had been turned off for awhile and restarted. hopefully this electrical issue has nothing to due with all the water that was sprayed and go onto the dash while they were installing the front windshield... anyways... i don't know what i'm going to do from here. cause in the end, even giving the tint some time to cure i think its still gonna turn out bad. but like i said in the beginning of this post, it seems after all this tint my be the least of my worries. sorry for the long post...

Last edited by doree610; 10-29-2012 at 10:06 PM..

10-30-2012, 06:58 AM

#17

Warrant Officer

Drives: 2011 E92 335is

Join Date: Dec 2011

Location: Alabama

Well, at least they're willing to fix their mistakes.. Could be a LOT worse, trust me.

10-30-2012, 04:01 PM

#18

Lieutenant General

Drives: 19 Tacoma, 16 Golf wagon

Join Date: Sep 2007

Location: Upland, CA

not good at all

10-30-2012, 04:33 PM

#19

Colonel

Drives: '08 IB E92

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: OC

Oh man, good luck.

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10-31-2012, 11:46 AM

#20

vvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Drives: ^^^^^

Join Date: May 2012

Location: Bay Area, CA

good luck. If you're patient in your search, you can find an installer who can install properly without the use of vinyl or paint.

11-04-2012, 07:47 AM

#21

Captain

Drives: 2012 M3 CPE

Join Date: Jun 2011

Location: SF Bay Area

Damn dude, you have some baboons working on your car. So much for a reputable place. Damaging the car on top of that is unbelievable.

Good luck and I hope everything gets fixed.

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Can you tint over defroster lines?

People often ask us if it is possible to successfully tint over rear defroster wires. The short answer is, yes you can! The long answer is as follows. Defroster wires get very hot to help you quickly regain visibility in the winter months.

Can window tint be removed without damaging defroster?

Heat up the tint with a heat gun and start pealing. Use a razor blade to peel back one of the top corners of the tint. Be careful not to touch the defroster lines with a razor blade to avoid damaging them. Remove the film and the plastic down and away from the window using long, firm motions.

Are defroster lines inside or outside?

Turning it on activates a grid of wires, visible as thin lines on the inside of the glass, that heat the rear window to defog the glass and melt frost, snow and ice. Most rear defrosters operate on a timer that automatically shuts the defroster off after 10 minutes or so.