[BarryJI]

My recent tint now shows signs of "ghosting" (smearing/streaks) on the windshield. I took it back to the shop and was told nothing could be done, it's about the limitations of using heat to get the film to conform around curves. When the guy saw how unhappy I was -- and thinking about what I might do to his Yelp page, no doubt -- he offered to get hold of a more expensive 3M film called "Crystalline", that apparently does not ghost. He does not usually offer this as it is very expensive (and I am not sure he is a licensed seller). Very reasonably, he offered to install it at cost.

Can anyone comment on any of this? Will this address the issue?

[ocN55]

Do you get any fine scratches on the tint?

[BarryJI]

No scratches, just a kind of smudging/blurring, universally known, I believe, as "ghosting".

[Cloud IX]

I believe that is normal when you tint the front windshield. When I did my EVO several years back they told me the same thing before I got it done.

[BarryJI]

Yes, I like the quality of the guy's work but I did tell him today that I wish he had notified me about this up-front. Do you think I should live with what I've got (it's not horrible, just a bit annoying when you mistakenly expect perfection) or get it re-done in 3M Crystalline, that apparently does not ghost?

[dfwmods]

Originally Posted by BarryJI

Yes, I like the quality of the guy's work but I did tell him today that I wish he had notified me about this up-front. Do you think I should live with what I've got (it's not horrible, just a bit annoying when you mistakenly expect perfection) or get it re-done in 3M Crystalline, that apparently does not ghost?

3m crystalline tint is a ceramic tint you wont need to use a sun visor when you park unless you need additional privacy. It blocks out most of the heat and is the best tint out there.

[BarryJI]

Originally Posted by dfwmods

3m crystalline tint is a ceramic tint you wont need to use a sun visor when you park unless you need additional privacy. It blocks out most of the heat and is the best tint out there.

This is very good to know, thanks so much. Am I crazy or did I read somewhere that ceramic tints can interfere with electronic signal reception inside the car? Probably wouldn't discourage me even if true. Thanks again for your encouraging and knowledgeable response.

[dfwmods]

Originally Posted by BarryJI

This is very good to know, thanks so much. Am I crazy or did I read somewhere that ceramic tints can interfere with electronic signal reception inside the car? Probably wouldn't discourage me even if true. Thanks again for your encouraging and knowledgeable response.

metallic tints can interfere with electronics. The crystalline will not interfere with your cell phone reception or other electronics because its not metallic. Its the best tint on the market at the moment.

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/6...%2098-0150-010

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by BarryJI

This is very good to know, thanks so much. Am I crazy or did I read somewhere that ceramic tints can interfere with electronic signal reception inside the car? Probably wouldn't discourage me even if true. Thanks again for your encouraging and knowledgeable response.

What brand is your original tint? Some brands will 'ghost' more readily (Huper Optik, which is what I have, is known for this) than others depending on the skill of the installer. It's almost completely related to heat applied when installing.

3M Crystalline is top-of-the-line tint ... though calling it 'the best' is a stretch since tint is partially subjective in terms of tint shade and 'look' ...

... and ceramic tint was invented partially to allow electronics to be used behind it. That's what you need.

[BarryJI]

Hey Viffermike. The original tint is 3M, the highest end 3M product, I believe, below Crystalline and the most UV-resistant. The installer told me that he does not offer Crystalline because, at around $700 to do all windows, this would be too rich for his customers. I am skeptical about this because the guy services plenty of $120k+ cars so my suspicion is that it's about how 3M doles out territories for this product and/or what margins it offers the installers.

The ghosting on my windshield is relatively minimal and exists along to top, an area which would be obscured by the factory anti-glare strip if BMW windshields had such a thing. Because it is visible only in certain light conditions, I have asked myself if I am being too OCD about it and can I live with it? Possibly, but the installer has managed to get hold of a roll of 70% Crystalline the right size for my windshield and has offered to install it at cost (he knows that I can be pretty articulate on Yelp and we actually like each other, the quality of the work on the rest of the car was superb...)

I am hoping that the guy's claims that there will be no mismatch in hues between the Crystalline on the windshield and the other product on the other windows will hold true. We shall see when he install it on Thursday. If there is any incongruity, the Crystalline will have to come off. Sigh.