15 yr old tint
15 yr old tint
11-10-2004, 06:33 PM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: TAMUCC- Texas
Posts: 25
This works
I removed the tint from my two door windows and the hatch this afternoon. This is the method I used- it worked well.
Things you'll need:
Spray bottle of Simple Green (the stuff that says "Concentrated"
Your favorite glass cleaner
Several razorblades (I went through more than 5)
4 Large trash bags (one should be big enough to cover the hatch window) or multiple small bags.
Masking or packing tape (easily removed)
Lots of Paper Towels
Direct sunlight
I wish now that I would have taken photos, but hopefully this will be clear enough:
On the side windows, the first thing I did was stuff some rolled paper towels into the window opening to keep too much Simple Green from running into the door cavity. Take one of your trashbags and tape one edge of it along the bottom of the window, leaving as much of the tint exposed as possible. Then spray (liberally) Simple Green all over the inside of the window, on top of the tint, making sure that you spray the edges enough that some will penetrate between the film and the window. Immediately grab the trash bag and pull the hanging end of it over the window, trapping the fluid against the glass. Tape the top of the bag if necessary, or you can just drape it over the window and shut the door on it. It's probably best to do one window at a time. Park the car so that the window is in direct (preferrably mid-day) sunlight and leave it for about 15 minutes. Catch simple green drips and stuff with extra paper towels.
After waiting a little bit, take off the trash bag and throw it away (one of the bags is really for trash). Get one of the blades underneath the edge of the tint, and try to loosen up as much of the outside perimeter of the film as you can. If your heat and ammonia vapors did the trick, this will be surprisingly easy. This part takes a little bit to get the hang of, but you should be able to slowly peel back the tint with a little help from the razorblade. Spray more SG as you peel, it will help loosen the glue and will lubricate your razorblade against the glass. Depending on the condition your tint was in and your luck, it will come off in several (or many) pieces, but it will come off. I learned pretty quickly- the driver's window came off in about 80 pieces, the passeneger's side came off in exactly 2. The trick is to get the tint to bring most of the adhesive with it, leaving you with a fairly clean window. Clean up using more SG and then finally your glass cleaner. It's best to do the side windows first so you can practice before you have to work around the defroster.
For the back window, I worked from outside the car and by squatting in the trunk. If you're concerned about your seats or trunk carpeting you might want to cover them with a tarp or something before continuing. Miine weren't affected by a few drops of cleaner, but they're kinda crappy already. Follow the same steps you used for the side windows, taping the trash bag at the lower edge of the window first. (Lower edge when it's open, meaning towards the front of the car) Use tons of SG on this window, and maybe let it sit for a little longer. You want the tint adhesive to loosen up even more so you don't have to slean around the defroster wires too much. By now you should be decent with a razorblade, so after letting it sit find the seam that runs horizontally across the back window (factory tint was actually 2 sheets) and start there. Peel slowly, and if the glue is staying behind, spray again and let it soak in. If your tint was already bubbled or cracked, these are good places to peel from. Don't worry about your defroster lines peeling off with the tint, but don't get under them with the blade. The rear window will probably take you longer than the other two combined, but it's essential to take your time and be careful if you still want a working defroster. When scraping with the razorblade, you can actually run it lightly ALONG (not across) the defroster wires without hurting them. Also watch out for the black stuff around the edge of the inside hatch glass- it looks like it might be easily scratched, but I didn't try. When all the tint is gone, follow up with paper towels and more Simple Green, and hopefully most of the glue will be gone. On some of my back window most of the glue remained, and it took some surgical precision and a long time to scrape it off without hitting the defroster wires. Really fine steel wool #0000 won't scratch your glass and can be used if you need it.
At the end of the day I had three really nice looking windows, and I can actually see something in my rear view mirror. Hopefully this will work as well for anyone else. Now to tackle those back seat windows...
-Adam
Things you'll need:
Spray bottle of Simple Green (the stuff that says "Concentrated"
Your favorite glass cleaner
Several razorblades (I went through more than 5)
4 Large trash bags (one should be big enough to cover the hatch window) or multiple small bags.
Masking or packing tape (easily removed)
Lots of Paper Towels
Direct sunlight
I wish now that I would have taken photos, but hopefully this will be clear enough:
On the side windows, the first thing I did was stuff some rolled paper towels into the window opening to keep too much Simple Green from running into the door cavity. Take one of your trashbags and tape one edge of it along the bottom of the window, leaving as much of the tint exposed as possible. Then spray (liberally) Simple Green all over the inside of the window, on top of the tint, making sure that you spray the edges enough that some will penetrate between the film and the window. Immediately grab the trash bag and pull the hanging end of it over the window, trapping the fluid against the glass. Tape the top of the bag if necessary, or you can just drape it over the window and shut the door on it. It's probably best to do one window at a time. Park the car so that the window is in direct (preferrably mid-day) sunlight and leave it for about 15 minutes. Catch simple green drips and stuff with extra paper towels.
After waiting a little bit, take off the trash bag and throw it away (one of the bags is really for trash). Get one of the blades underneath the edge of the tint, and try to loosen up as much of the outside perimeter of the film as you can. If your heat and ammonia vapors did the trick, this will be surprisingly easy. This part takes a little bit to get the hang of, but you should be able to slowly peel back the tint with a little help from the razorblade. Spray more SG as you peel, it will help loosen the glue and will lubricate your razorblade against the glass. Depending on the condition your tint was in and your luck, it will come off in several (or many) pieces, but it will come off. I learned pretty quickly- the driver's window came off in about 80 pieces, the passeneger's side came off in exactly 2. The trick is to get the tint to bring most of the adhesive with it, leaving you with a fairly clean window. Clean up using more SG and then finally your glass cleaner. It's best to do the side windows first so you can practice before you have to work around the defroster.
For the back window, I worked from outside the car and by squatting in the trunk. If you're concerned about your seats or trunk carpeting you might want to cover them with a tarp or something before continuing. Miine weren't affected by a few drops of cleaner, but they're kinda crappy already. Follow the same steps you used for the side windows, taping the trash bag at the lower edge of the window first. (Lower edge when it's open, meaning towards the front of the car) Use tons of SG on this window, and maybe let it sit for a little longer. You want the tint adhesive to loosen up even more so you don't have to slean around the defroster wires too much. By now you should be decent with a razorblade, so after letting it sit find the seam that runs horizontally across the back window (factory tint was actually 2 sheets) and start there. Peel slowly, and if the glue is staying behind, spray again and let it soak in. If your tint was already bubbled or cracked, these are good places to peel from. Don't worry about your defroster lines peeling off with the tint, but don't get under them with the blade. The rear window will probably take you longer than the other two combined, but it's essential to take your time and be careful if you still want a working defroster. When scraping with the razorblade, you can actually run it lightly ALONG (not across) the defroster wires without hurting them. Also watch out for the black stuff around the edge of the inside hatch glass- it looks like it might be easily scratched, but I didn't try. When all the tint is gone, follow up with paper towels and more Simple Green, and hopefully most of the glue will be gone. On some of my back window most of the glue remained, and it took some surgical precision and a long time to scrape it off without hitting the defroster wires. Really fine steel wool #0000 won't scratch your glass and can be used if you need it.
At the end of the day I had three really nice looking windows, and I can actually see something in my rear view mirror. Hopefully this will work as well for anyone else. Now to tackle those back seat windows...
-Adam
11-11-2004, 04:07 AM
#5
Or you can just go to wal-mart & get "tint-off" is about $3 a bottle.
Just becareful because it can fade the plastic panels.
OR you can just take it to a tint shop & have them do it for about $80 & if they screw it up. They pay for it.
Just becareful because it can fade the plastic panels.
OR you can just take it to a tint shop & have them do it for about $80 & if they screw it up. They pay for it.
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