Checking darkness of window tint

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My brother is moving home to OH from TX. He shipped 2 cars up,(2015 Challenger, 1998 Mustang GT) they arrived yesterday.

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The Challenger has Dealer installed Tint (before he ever even saw the car), the car is fully blacked out(again, before he ever saw it, but it was the last one equipped the way he wanted).

Not sure how dark they went with it, but by TX law they can go as dark as 25% transmission, OH law is Limited to 50%, and I'm concerned about an over zealous inspector, when he has to take it through the out of state inspection to get it titled/registered in OH.

is there an easy DIY way to test it myself, I don't really have permission to drive it, so taking it to a local tint shop is sort of out of the question.(even thought that would likely be the easiest)
 
You can buy a tint meter, maybe $100-$200, but otherwise it's just a guess.

Maybe compare it to a truck/SUV with factory tint on the rear windows? IIRC, that is usually around 20%.

I would guesstimate that Challenger has 35% tint from the pics.
 
Leave the TX plates on as long as possible. You should be able to get a light meter or some kind, and test a bulb or flashlight both through the windows and directly into the light meter to get a reading.
 
Maybe brother could give you permission to drive them to a tint shop since you're willing to help out, unless he doesn't trust you with his cars. If not then it's his problem to deal with when he gets there. Not really your concern.

Nice Challenger.
 
In my experience with cops in general they usually only give trouble to people who own low value "ricer" cars with dark tints, lowered and big wheels. Traditionally it's these kinds of cars that usually have drugs or weed in the car. Most cops nowadays don't care if your car is tinted unless it's the windshield or its tinted insanely dark. I have had an Audi tinted 30% for the last four years and have never been pulled over for tints. Granted it's not OH though.
 
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Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Maybe brother could give you permission to drive them to a tint shop since you're willing to help out, unless he doesn't trust you with his cars. If not then it's his problem to deal with when he gets there. Not really your concern.

Nice Challenger.


+1

If he won't let you help, then don't!
 
My Nephew tinted his windows (of Van) with 'film'
He was pulled over by the Police because of the tinting being to dark.
While the Officer was waiting for the Light Meter to be delivered by another Officer, my Nephew peeled all the tinting off.
The Officer walked back to his Van and said, "hey, where's all the tinting ?"
They let my Nephew go.
 
if i asked, he'd probably let me, if i had been able to get the time off to help him move, I'd have probably driven the Challenger up here from TX instead of having it shipped.

and as far as leaving the TX plates on "as long as possible", by OH law, you have 30 days from "establishing residency" to get things switched over. which depending on how you define "establishing residency" could be Memorial day, which is around when he and all his stuff should get here(House closed on May 1st), or the end of June...
 
Would the local police or inspector check it for you while the Texas plates are still on the car? Just explain that a family member is moving back home and you are trying to help him out.

Any local tinting companies that you can trust? If so, they might check it for you.
 
Many areas will not cite you if the car came originally with the tinted windows. I was busted a few years ago and my windows were not very dark at all and the first thing the officer asked was if the car had the window tinting when new. Dummy me said no.I spent a cold afternoon in January removing it to present a judge with before and after pics to avoid a large fine.
 
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Originally Posted By: earlyre
if i asked, he'd probably let me, if i had been able to get the time off to help him move, I'd have probably driven the Challenger up here from TX instead of having it shipped.

and as far as leaving the TX plates on "as long as possible", by OH law, you have 30 days from "establishing residency" to get things switched over. which depending on how you define "establishing residency" could be Memorial day, which is around when he and all his stuff should get here(House closed on May 1st), or the end of June...


We had neighbors who moved from Oregon and went back there after three years...still had the Oregon plates on their cars. I'm not sure exactly how they were getting stickers for them, but I'd assume they would have been in DEEP trouble if our local govt had caught onto what they were doing. I know they didn't keep their original house out West, they told us about shopping for one while they were getting ready to move.
 
IF your brother is in the military and being PCS'ed up in Ohio, keep the Texas tags. Cops in those cities don't even bother checking at random because there are so many out of state vehicles coming in and if it is military related, they can have any kind of legal tags they want. I used Tennessee tags here in Oklahoma for 10 years before I switched....and only because I was selling that car to get the 06 Accord.
 
It's possible to use a camera as a light meter.
Check exposure with vs without the glass in line.
One stop difference is 50% transmission.
 
Originally Posted By: circuitsmith
It's possible to use a camera as a light meter.
Check exposure with vs without the glass in line.
One stop difference is 50% transmission.

not sure what you mean... not a real technical camera person. More of a cheap point and shoot/ phone camera person...
 
I had tints as a kid, they were too dark but they were on the car when I bought it. So, a few months into ownership police pull me over because of the tint and they used a tool called a TintMan.

Two metallic tubes attach to the window my magnetism, on outside and one inside. One tube fires a calibrated beam of light through the tint and the other tube has a receiver that measures how much light comes in, and gives a percentage.

Variations on the theme can be found starting at 60ish dollars, here http://www.ebay.com/bhp/tint-meter
 
Here, it's simple. If you have tint on the front side windows or the windshield, it's illegal, regardless of the percentage. A side window doesn't properly shatter when taped into place by tint.
 
Tint is an inspection item in a lot of states.

In Texas they actually run a tint gun over the film every year. I think it needs to be 25 percent visible in the front two windows, and whatever you want the rest of the windows.

I have 5 percent on the back windows and 25 percent on the front.

Not for show, or to be cool. I'm fair skinned, I would actually get sunburned my first year down here with no tint.

Good 3m film keeps you from getting baked in the car, also lets the AC work a little less.
 
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