Old window tint and the rear window, need solutions

[Dirgle]

I got the car with old bubbling cheap window tint on the rear and quarters. Now it's worse and becoming a nuisance. The rear quarter windows I'm not worried about. I can deal with that. But the rear window is a big issue. The tint is dead and difficult to see through. I've taken it to a shop and they say it can't be done due to the rear defroster and antennas on there. Does anybody have any experience with this or am I stuck with replacing the whole rear windshield?

 

[Who]

Go to another tint shop. My tint was at least 15 yrs old and the tint shop removed it off the back window with no issues.

 

[benchwarmer]

Ammonia and a razor will take tint off fairly easily. I had the same problem and had to remove the tint from the hatch and quarter glass. Use the razor to pull up an edge in the tint then smear some ammonia on it. Let the ammonia soak into the adhesive to weaken it then start peeling the tint back. Work slowly and be liberal with the ammonia and it comes off pretty easily in large sheets. Do NOT rush it or the tint will peel of and leave the adhesive backing stuck to the glass. Make sure you have plenty of ventilation or you'll wake up passed out in the trunk.

 

[JMofIRW]

My car came blacked out, Looked sick on the outside. Couldn't see anything but blue/purple on the inside. A horrible job.

Go to walmart. Buy the Tint remover (like 6 bucks) Spray it all over the tint. Grab a razor and or fingernails try to pull up a small corner. As you pull spray under it. and slowly peel. Keep spraying and slowly peel.

Be careful not to break the rear defogger wire, but you should be fine, just don't cut it.

There are tons of vids on youtube about higher end ways, Steam Gun and other cool things, but this way took me about 1 hour and I got MOST of it off the rear window. I have a little patch, that i keep forgetting to remove cuz of obvious engine difficulties lol

 

[rossman3s]

Window cleaner and a razor blade are your best bet. Sometimes it comes off on a single nice sheet, others inch by inch.. Take your time, use lots of window cleaner (ammonia was mentioned earlier, works very well too), and it's not too bad of a chore.

 

[gelboy1015]

i pretty much had to destroy my defroster lines cause my tint was baked on... texas heat ftl..

 

[grimreaper]

To add: razor blade is NOT to scrape!! (ask me how i know ) a tint shop should be able to remove damn near anything on your windows. Ive found a few do not WANT to, although they can. Its a massive headache to get a fubar tint removal job finished ($$$). Either do it ALL, or let the tint shop do it from start to finish.

 

[03bamaGT]

Take it to a different tint shop...that guy won't do a good job if he is to lazy to do it anyways. It has been done infinite amount of times before.

 

[Satan]

It is easy to remove the tint, just kinda messy.

They've always proposed removing the defrost lines 'cause they did not want to wait or just do it as easy as possible for them.

DO AN INTERNET SEARCH.... you may find pics and other tips. Basically, I recently did it by following what I've typed below. I removed mine and am getting ready to take it to get re-tinted. I've done 3 MKIIIs and 1 MKIV following the basic directions below. This is exactly what they'd do, if they wanted to spend extra time at the tint shop.

Make sure the back window is directly facing the Sun. It would be best to have someone else help, since the trick is getting the plastic to stick, while trying to keep other ends from falling. This is wher an extra set of hands is essential.

Get a black plastic bag, cut it open so that you only have one wide layer. Spray the window with windex or anything containing ALOT of ammonia. Best to get some straight ammonia and maybe slightly dilute. Either way, spray on the window, place the plastic on it to where it sticks and keeps the moisture pushed up against the tint. Shut the hatch, letting the extra plastic stick out of the sides and be held in place by the hatch seal. Go inside and make sure to push any plastic back onto the tint, wherever it may have dropped as you closed the hatch.

Anyways, do not use a razor, except to help lift the tint after about 30 minutes in good, direct Sunlight. I would actually re-spray (not completely removing the plastic) every 20 minutes for an hour. Just pull up a corner at a time to respray.

After the tint's good and warm/hot for awhile, try using the razor to lift a corner of the tint and pulling it away in one complete sheet (keeping the plastic still attached so that the liquid does not dry up).

The 1st time I did this, the film did not lift off in one piece and I had to put the plastic back on and try removing the remaining "piece-by-piece." Still when I did it this way, it only took about 90 minutes total and I kept the defrost.

 

[Dirgle]

Thanks for the reply's everybody, I had done an internet search before and seen Satan's way the most recommended. But when I went to the tint shop I received a lot of static about how it would just flake and I would have to do most of it by razor anyways. Now I just have to get creative about the sunlight thing since I live in Washington.

 

[grimreaper]

Your not going to find strait ammonia for sale to the public. A few wifs and it would kill you within minutes. My tint shop uses a hand held steamer to get the tint to start peeling off. No blades or scraping. The trash bag trick sounds easy enough too!

 

[Poodles]

Ammonia is easy to get ahold of... but it's not 100% pure just like many other chemicals...

 

[grimreaper]

i ment non-diluted ammonia

 

[Poodles]

lol, it would eat the bottle it came in

Still, even diluted will do some serious damage, and it's far stronger than the small amount in glass cleaner which won't pull tint off at all...

 

[Satan]

...There's the floor cleaning ammonia concentrate stuff at any supermarket. Has more ammonia than Windex anyways. Just gotta spray it on.

If Sunlight's an issue, just let it sit longer. I did mine early in the AM and it was still pretty cold, barely any Sun. Just took longer. Let the ammonia soak as long as you can, with the window facing the Sunlight. Even with little light, the window will get quite warm. Use BLACK plastic trash bag for best effect.

Also, since it is bubbled, some ammonia may not reach the window and dissolve that glue too well. Again, let it sit (and keep it wet) for maybe 2 hours.

 

[sneakypete]

when i had to replace my door, the window class came with that nasty factory tint. i scraped most of it off with a razor and class cleaner, but it still has residue left on it. i tried almost everything.
what worked best for me was one of those portable dry cleaning steamers you use on your suit when its wrinkled. i sprayed down the window with class cleaner and used the steamer and wiped. it worked very well.
-pete

 

[Who]

Straight Simple Green removes adhesive as well.

 

[Guyana00]

Anyone ever try some goo gone. Just came to mind, that stuff works amazingly otherwise. Anyways, if you want it retinted. I really would just suggest finding a good shop and telling them you want your 19xx supra tinted. If they don't know the car tell them 2-door hatchback. Get your quote, drop it off and pick it up later. Or wait while they do it.

My point is, any good tint shop who may not even know the car doesn't even consider that something to worry about. Whenever I take a car to tint, any condition it's in, deforster lines, bubbles, 20 year old tint, plain glass, anything...they tell me to pick it up in 2 or 3 hours, however busy they are, and give me a lifetime warranty on it.

 

[Poodles]

GooGone isn't nearly as effective...