Ok, seeing as I have decided to stop throwing money at my Air Conditioning system, I have made the choice to tint my windows to the darkest extent of the law. I am doing this with the hopes it will assist my Air Conditioning system and make things cooler in my car while driving around town.
Can anyone tell me that by doing this, I will notice a difference temperature wise?
It definitely helps cool the inside somewhat, but is still no replacement for working A/C. Also, I had the tint guy do the Mark's tint one shade lighter than the darkest legal in Florida because I hated trying to move my car around in the dark. My yard is not well-lit, being only one street light for at least 1/8th of a mile and no other houses around, and it was very annoying trying to look out that dark tint to see if I was backing into anything. It's somewhat of an improvement, and I think it still keeps the car just about as cool as it's going to be with a dark blue leather interior and one untinted window (windshield, only has the top strip that's allowed) exposed to the afternoon sun. The A/C doesn't have to work as hard to cool the car down now.
You might look into that tint that blocks UV rays, if they don't already use it at all the tint shops, which they might :dunno:
I'd like to get my windows tinted, but considering the darkest that is legally allowed here is 35%, it's hardly worth it...
I have 2.5% on my back 3 windows and as Bird351 said you can't see at night. But the nice thing is you don' thave to adjust the mirror when some one is behind you.
I have 5% all around except for the windshield (not quite legal in Ohio). IMHO it helps to keep the inside of the car cooler, I removed my A/C so I am not sure if it helps it to work less or not, but I think it would. As other people have pointed out though, it is a PITA to see at night.
If you would have listened to everyone in the other thread you started about how to PROPERLY repair your AC system then you would have working AC by now. The problem is that you are not willing to invest the time and/or money to do something right and you are always looking for a quick fix. Sometimes there isn't one. If you want the inside of your car to be cool, then get your AC system fixed instead of pumping all sorts of different refridgerants into it hoping one of them will work.
Yes, I don't have the endless supply of cash which some of you guys must think I have. If I did all of the stuff to fix The A/C system you guys have told me to do, I would have a $1000+ hole in my pocket.
Sorry, I'm not made of money, and I have to get by with what I have. I cannot afford to have the entire system converted, and therefore will do EVERYTHING in my power (Including Charging the system.....*Gasp*....MYSELF! Quick! Someone call the EPA to come and arrest me!) to get the air cold.
it is suppose to help. i havent had mine done*yet* but am planning to soon as i get some money that i don't have to spend. but it is smart if you are going for legal tints to go lighter than law b/c the read darker than they are on the cops meters or so my friend have told me from their experenaces. one friend had 15% ( Missouri law legal) on her fronts and 5%s on the backs of her monte but it read 12% on the cops meter.. on your car the mirror tints would look good but they are more expensive to get put on because they are more difficult to install. or you could go as dark as you want and pull the windows out so there is no line at the top ( looks better anyways) and say it came like that factory is a trick my dads friend told me about but how well that works with a highly pissed off cop i dont know and would rather not find out. people i know have had 5% for over a year and havent got in trouble for it even when they have gotten pulled over for something else. the trick is to roll the windows down as soon asap when you are pulled over.
(http://www.griffshp.com/belchja/forums/orryasian.jpg)(http://www.trumpio.com/funny/highhorse.jpg)
O rly? Yes really. Taking into account bills, gas, etc, saving for the A/C job which is required to make my system "good" would cost $1000+. Get of my High Horse? I'm sorry, but unlike some of you guys, I just can't afford to get A new Accumulator, Dyer, Compressor, Evaporator, Condensor, Orfice Tubes, Etc, etc, etc. I don't know why you have the impression this stuff is simple to come by and CHEAP, because it's not.
Maybe you don't have that impression, but nevertheless, I'm still doing things my way. I did get the windows tinted today, and it made a huge difference.
how dark did you go
Remember that thread where we told you to spend $1000 in A/C parts? I don't (because it doesn’t exist).
I told you to spend $40 for a set of manifold gauges (http://"http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92649") so you could actually diagnose what was wrong. Did you buy them? No (http://"http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/retail_stores.taf?f=detail&Retail_Store_ID=36").
Trying to diagnose A/C problems without gauges is like Helen Keller trying to review the latest Death Cab for Cutie concert tour.
So, you never got past step 1. Is your "new" compressor bad?...is the orifice tube clogged? Are you over/under charged? Who knows...you certainly don't and aren't willing to give us the information to help us decide. Instead, you bitch and moan about how hot it is and throw money at stopgap measures.
I went the darkest the law would allow here in Arizona. It's pretty dark, enough so that the backseat of the car appeared as if Cardboard was blocking out the rear windows. The temp inside didn't seem as hot as it was before either.
Whatever you do, just don't get as dark of tint on the side windows. It'd be like driving with blinders on. A guy I know had some REAL dark tint on the side windows and he had to roll 'em down at night in order to see anything. Another idea is to invest in a windshield shade to put up when you park the car. It will make a big difference in that the windshield is the biggest piece of glass in the car and acts like a super-greenhouse.
Hah, today I picked up a 1.5L bottle of water that'd been sitting in my car in the hot sun for 3 hours and it actually burned my mouth like coffee does.
PS - Dumping all different kinds of refridgerant into a car can be an explosion hazard. I'm sure others' concerns regarding it were safety concerns and they weren't trying to be dicks.
I had mine at 5% and they pulled me over and it read at 4%. You're lucky we can only go down to 35% I believe. Some bull about the cops are worried about their safety and the driver could be carrying a weapon or something.
And I agree with the side windows I had to roll mine down when I came to intersections so I could see if anyone was coming at night. Bright headlights looked like fireflies in my mirrors though it was nice.
With one of the windshield blinds my car never really got close to hot even with it 100+ outside. I would just call it cozy inside. I also dont have AC as well, but I admit Im to cheap to spring to get it done right. My main worry is getting the car running right and drivable again before I worry about comfort. That will come later.
After sacrificing my rear window defogger so that I could once again see aout of the rear of my cat, I will never have tint applied over those heater wires on any car I own.
what did it do to the defroster?
I'm guessing it messed up some of the heated trace lines or he scratched them off trying to get residue from the tint off or something.
just a quick question, where is the orfice tube located in our cars? I think mine may be plugged since I cant get a high side reading. 88tc
That!! The stuff was really old and stuck to the glass.