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Johnson Ceramic Insulatir and Radio issues

Guest TX_Twister

By Guest TX_Twister
in Window Tinting - General Discussion

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Guest TX_Twister

Guest TX_Twister

Posted
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I just got a new 08 Camry Hybrid tinted at a 'very reputable (in business for > 10 years a ' local' shop here in Austin Texas). I spent the extra $ and went for a ceramic tint - Insulatir (Johnson Films). It ran ~ $400 for the vehicle. The XM radio pickup is inside of the back window (odd choice for Toyota? could this be the Kentucky connection ?? ) so the concept of a film that is NOT metallic and will not cause reception issues is important. 1st they did not have the film I had discussed on the phone with them ? We discussed the IR-30 film on the phone the previous week. They said that that the IR-30 film was too reflective from the outside and chose not to carry that film for cosmetic reasons ? (hmmm). So I settled for the IR-40 film that they actually still carried. Not ideal but OK. I would have liked a darker tint ideally. They did not carry any other ceramic films so options were limited. With the IR-40 all the way around, the rear window almost looks lighter than the rest of the car. Being that I am here in Texas I went with the ceramic film to get the max heat rejection for the dog days of summer. After picking up the car I checked out the AM radio reception and XM radio reception and low and behold - it was crappy ? The sat now drops out when I drive next to large trees (did NOT do this before the tint) and I actually lost 3 preset AM radio stations that I had purposely dropped in prior to the tint to test the 'ceramic' reception issue. After reading all about Formula One pinnacle and the HO films I am pretty sure but not positive that the ceramic films should work with the car but I am not sure? It would really suck to waste any more time in getting tint installed and not having the new car work 100% with the film choice that I make.

The owner of the company has been very cool and has offerred to take the film off and refund my $. Originally the sales person only offered to either retint the car with another non metal film (they also carry SunTek films) or redo just the back window with another film (not cool especially with the IR40 on the sides - light film and I think it might be hard to match the color / look with the limited film selection these guys have). Like I said the owner was OK with a full refund. I am still trying to decide what to do and have a few questions for you experts -Like I said - I am a nube when it comes to the tint deal.

1) Did these guys just throw a metallic film on the car and not the ceramic ? The sales person is adamant that the film is the right one but how the heck do I know short of watching the install and making sure that the film is the right one? How can I tell ?

2) If this is Ceramic film will I also have this issue with all / any other ceramics ? HO or F1 - Pinnacle ? There is another larger shop in town that carries both Formula, HO and other films (Also large in San Antonio). I am considering HO-30 or Pinnacle 30 side / 15 or 30 back.

3) Should I go with a non ceramic / non metal film to be sure to not have issues with reception ? How much heat rejection am I giving up ? IR rejection blah blah blah (Is it all just marketing hype?). Texas law is min 30's on the sides and any on the backs.

4) The rear window with the IR-40 has issues at night with flare associated with headlights behind me ? Will this resolve as the film cures ? It seems that the light is refracting on each of the defrosted / antenna wires ? Is this an issue with all the ceramics ?

5) What is 'ghosting' ? is this a huge issue with the metals ? Would

TeX

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hoosierwindowtek

hoosierwindowtek

Posted
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So many questions...

I will say that sometimes even dyed films can cause interference issues when still wet. Maybe after drying the issues will resolve.

I've installed a little IR30, and it has a slight gold color to it, so if the film on your camry doesn't have that color, then maybe that's an indication that it's just a regular metallic film. :beer

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Guest darkdan

Guest darkdan

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1) Did these guys just throw a metallic film on the car and not the ceramic ? The sales person is adamant that the film is the right one but how the heck do I know short of watching the install and making sure that the film is the right one? How can I tell ?

Post a picture of it. Most of us can identify it.

2) If this is Ceramic film will I also have this issue with all / any other ceramics ? HO or F1 - Pinnacle ? There is another larger shop in town that carries both Formula, HO and other films (Also large in San Antonio). I am considering HO-30 or Pinnacle 30 side / 15 or 30 back.

It could be the insulatir, or it could be moisture. I'd give it a few weeks to dry out first before considering other shops.

3) Should I go with a non ceramic / non metal film to be sure to not have issues with reception ? How much heat rejection am I giving up ? IR rejection blah blah blah (Is it all just marketing hype?). Texas law is min 30's on the sides and any on the backs.

Most non-ceramic/non-metal films are going to have horrible heat rejection compared to a ceramic. Right now, you're rejecting about 50% of heat.

4) The rear window with the IR-40 has issues at night with flare associated with headlights behind me ? Will this resolve as the film cures ? It seems that the light is refracting on each of the defrosted / antenna wires ? Is this an issue with all the ceramics ?

This is an issue with almost all films ceramic or not.

5) What is 'ghosting' ? is this a huge issue with the metals ? Would

Ghosting looks like "flame" marks in the film. It's not a huge issue, but it can happen when the film is installed with too much heat.

Yes, the insulatir 30% is very reflective and most people don't like it. Your rear window most likely looks lighter because it's angled or the glass is slightly lighter compared to the sides.

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lorenzotint

lorenzotint

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up selling more $$$ films.. many clients prefer to see the film [in the box] this way they know it is the real deal and can compare the quaility for themselves. This extra time spent closes deals. Sounds like you got the heavy metal stuff..never heard cerm have radio issues.

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Guest TX_Twister

Guest TX_Twister

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The film almost look a little green on the Camry. Certainly not a goldish tint ? This is supposed to be IR-40 and not IR-30. I tried to post a picture but could not figure out how to post ? Every day with the Sat cutting out brings me closer to pulling off the tint and going with another shop. $400 is a good buck to pay for a film that is not cutting it with the AM radio and Sat. Next time I certainly will watch them start to ensure I have the right film on the car as well as try to get a good look at the type of tint prior to getting it put down.

OK team tint - What do you think about Huper Optik vs Formula 1 Pinnacle. Ideally I do not want a reflective film (certainly not a gold tint on the outside). The darker the better but I think that the legal limit on the side fronts is 30% here in Texas. What do you all think about the back window ? Should I go 30's on the front and 15 on the rear deck ?

Also - Should the tint go in front of the stop light or get cut out around it in the back ?

Dave

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Guest haroldshouseoftint

Guest haroldshouseoftint

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Here is what 30% single ply ceramic looks like

mac3000003.jpg

Here is 40% single ply Ceramic

Mac4000Volvo002.jpg

Here is 40% Huper Ceramic (on front doors)

8milDrei.jpg

If your film looks like one of the top 2 pictures, it's single ply ceramic, there is a way to fix the antenna issue associated with the single ply ceramics, tell the shop to call Johnsons and ask, if they don't know how to fix it, have em call me, all my contact info is on my website.

http://www.haroldshouseoftint.com

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