Major problems with 2010 Mazda 3 Hatchback...

December 3, 2010

i missed this thread first time round, funny thing is the glass just falls out of these things, in the time these guys spent standing about telling everyone what pro's they are i would have had all the side glass out, tinted and back in, no light gaps on drops, no line round 1/4s, no unhappy customers and no re-do's, adds about 10 mins to each door

if you cant get a basic car like that right your in trouble

TintJunkie · December 4, 2010

Tough to give you a good reply. Personally thinking, You're already unhappy with the shop, you go back to have everything corrected, than eyef!@# the new job. I'm not saying thats wrong, but am saying you'll find every little problem you can, which is not only difficult for you but for the shop as well. I think its a lose lose situation..

realistically, if you can't see it while standing 3-4 ft away from the vehicle, then its not that big of a deal. It sounds like your TRYING to find flaws in the work. Finding more flaws isn't going to make the tint look any better, the more times you r/r it, the worse it will look(as evidenced by the glue on the door).

as for your post...

1. I'm not familiar with your car, but if there is a hard rubber seal on the edge, then there IS no way to get the film under it, short of cutting a little piece out of it. Which, although completely normal and something I do every day, sounds like you would not like it, and probably demand they replace your rubber gasket that noone will ever notice has a small slice out of it

2. If your looking for them, every window will have a couple very fine scratches in it. Window tint is an extremely delicate product, and it doesn't take much to scratch it. Unless their huge and really noticeable, I'd say let it go.

3. not a whole lot to say, other than go back in a couple days after its dried and see if them pushing it down makes it any better.

4. if it is truly a "bubble" and not a dirt spot, give it 24hrs to dry, and then push it down carefully with your thumb.

5. all hand cut tint is cut on the outside of the window. The gaskets will have a very fine sliver taken off every now and then. Not a big deal

6. This is a touchy point with some customers. From the sounds of it, you're the first one to complain when we leave streak marks. But, especially on the outside, if we were to wipe it down and put fine scratches in the paint, you would surely be the first to complain also. Its a lose lose situation. I personally choose to leave the outside streaks, and tell the customer i'm not wiping it down, but heres a free pass to a local car wash.

7. not a whole lot to say. When its dry, it won't be as noticeable.

8. cars die all the time while being tinted. Leaving the key on for over an hour will drain the battery, and depending on how many fancy electronic gadgets the car has will determine how long it lasts. Sometimes it lasts long enough, often times it doesn't. Its not that hard to reset your radio stations. be glad its not a phateon, which would require a tow to the dealer to be reset.

as for the other place, they don't really "scrape" off the glue. They steam it to soften it, and then scrub it with either a soft plastic scrub pad, or very very fine steel wool(no, don't worry, it WON'T scratch the glass). Theres virtually no chance of the defroster being harmed, assuming they know what they are doing.

I missed this thread as well. If I was a customer and saw this post and lived in Detroit, I wouldnt be bringing it to you. The guy with the Mazda expressed his complaints and you are basically telling him to get over it. There is no excuse for the install he recieved, and a shop that cares about the work that leaves would do everything to accomodate that customer. Sounds like you would just just pee on his foot and tell him its raining.

Id edit that post Scotty.

jttint1 · December 5, 2010

dayummmmm i missed this thread! i would've done the rite thing.contact me on the next ride!!!if your still here...

December 5, 2010

Tough to give you a good reply. Personally thinking, You're already unhappy with the shop, you go back to have everything corrected, than eyef!@# the new job. I'm not saying thats wrong, but am saying you'll find every little problem you can, which is not only difficult for you but for the shop as well. I think its a lose lose situation..

realistically, if you can't see it while standing 3-4 ft away from the vehicle, then its not that big of a deal. It sounds like your TRYING to find flaws in the work. Finding more flaws isn't going to make the tint look any better, the more times you r/r it, the worse it will look(as evidenced by the glue on the door).

as for your post...

1. I'm not familiar with your car, but if there is a hard rubber seal on the edge, then there IS no way to get the film under it, short of cutting a little piece out of it. Which, although completely normal and something I do every day, sounds like you would not like it, and probably demand they replace your rubber gasket that noone will ever notice has a small slice out of it

2. If your looking for them, every window will have a couple very fine scratches in it. Window tint is an extremely delicate product, and it doesn't take much to scratch it. Unless their huge and really noticeable, I'd say let it go.

3. not a whole lot to say, other than go back in a couple days after its dried and see if them pushing it down makes it any better.

4. if it is truly a "bubble" and not a dirt spot, give it 24hrs to dry, and then push it down carefully with your thumb.

5. all hand cut tint is cut on the outside of the window. The gaskets will have a very fine sliver taken off every now and then. Not a big deal

6. This is a touchy point with some customers. From the sounds of it, you're the first one to complain when we leave streak marks. But, especially on the outside, if we were to wipe it down and put fine scratches in the paint, you would surely be the first to complain also. Its a lose lose situation. I personally choose to leave the outside streaks, and tell the customer i'm not wiping it down, but heres a free pass to a local car wash.

7. not a whole lot to say. When its dry, it won't be as noticeable.

8. cars die all the time while being tinted. Leaving the key on for over an hour will drain the battery, and depending on how many fancy electronic gadgets the car has will determine how long it lasts. Sometimes it lasts long enough, often times it doesn't. Its not that hard to reset your radio stations. be glad its not a phateon, which would require a tow to the dealer to be reset.

as for the other place, they don't really "scrape" off the glue. They steam it to soften it, and then scrub it with either a soft plastic scrub pad, or very very fine steel wool(no, don't worry, it WON'T scratch the glass). Theres virtually no chance of the defroster being harmed, assuming they know what they are doing.

I missed this thread as well. If I was a customer and saw this post and lived in Detroit, I wouldnt be bringing it to you. The guy with the Mazda expressed his complaints and you are basically telling him to get over it. There is no excuse for the install he recieved, and a shop that cares about the work that leaves would do everything to accomodate that customer. Sounds like you would just just pee on his foot and tell him its raining.

Id edit that post Scotty.

now that its quoted, It wouldn't do anything.

and I don't see anything wrong with anything I said there. customers like this will never be happy no matter what you do.

skanlan · February 12, 2012

That's what happens when you're not honest..I explain to everyone about imperfections before I start!! Like the dot Matrix and how it'll turn out or gaps on some quarters unless it has to be removed..dirt, etc..And when I'm done they're happy because it's usually better looking than the sample window or what they pictured.. The owners deserve to be told the truth not the B.S it'll disappear in time blah blah..Hoping that the car owner will disappear in time!! At least they can decide whether to get it done or not stop worrying about the money oppurtunity disappearing because re do's will cost 2-3 times more!

treimche · July 3, 2014

i missed this thread first time round, funny thing is the glass just falls out of these things, in the time these guys spent standing about telling everyone what pro's they are i would have had all the side glass out, tinted and back in, no light gaps on drops, no line round 1/4s, no unhappy customers and no re-do's, adds about 10 mins to each door

if you cant get a basic car like that right your in trouble

I know this thread is old but I HAD to reply. I'm with this guy. I pull every window possible so that there are zero issues with light gaps, much easier to avoid dust and dirt in the tint, and really in the end it takes about the same time when it's all said and done. Guy can fight to tint the windows in the doors and end up cutting rubber and whatever else, taking a bunch of time, or simply remove the 2 bolts that hold the window in and pop it out of the door (assuming they're not lazy and remove the door panels too).

gospeed3go · July 4, 2014

way to :zombie a post there buddy. keep those useful posts coming.

Devil with bad attitude · July 4, 2014

Find yourself another tinter if they cant hand cut it without gaps either, shifting windows are not hard to compensate for..

Shifting windows are becoming more of a typical thing in lots of makes these days and a computer can't allow for that.

Only real smart tinters can make manual design changes for it before the film goes onto the glass and by the sounds of it, you've had someone who needs to hone better skills....to give them their due, Mazda 3's are one of the worst for shifting and that should have been known.

devil