Jump to content

2004 Mercedes E-Class Wagon

Guest Litespeeds

By Guest Litespeeds
in Mercedes

Recommended Posts

Guest Litespeeds

Guest Litespeeds

Posted
Posted

I tinted a brand new 2004 Mercedes E-Class wagon about 4 months ago for Mercedes of San Francisco and actually had some problems with the back glass. I didn't think much of it before until I had to do one yesterday with Huper Optik ceramic film. The big problem is the ULTRA-THICK defrost lines. When you heatshrink the film, it will pucker up all over the place. Be prepared to spend alot of time heating each pucker to try and get it to lay down without smearing air into the adhesive.

Now here is what happened yesterday. I had to install Huper Optik ceramic 30% on the back glass and didn't think much of it. Did my usual heatshrink of the film and from the outside it all layed down nicely. Put the film on and I had about 30-35 puckers which I just couldn't seem to get to lay down, even with heat. After about 30 minutes with no success, I decided to 2 piece the back glass. Sure enough, I ended up with around 15-20 puckers that did the same. I was so frustrated as I am trying to heat these puckers out because I sometimes smeared the air from a nearby defrost line. Round number 3, I decided to go with a 3 piece installation. That finally worked and I was able to get the film down without any puckers but I felt like I failed because I never do seamed installations anymore. After I thought about it, I realized the reason why I couldn't install the Huper Optik in one piece over thick defrost lines. The film is very thick and because the defrost lines were so thick, it caused the film to want to lift because I couldn't get enough of the soap solution out between the film.

This is just a little warning to those who have to work on the new E-Class wagons. Depending upon the type of film you are using, don't think the back glass is a piece of cake.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest Litespeeds

Guest Litespeeds

Posted
Posted

The first one that I did at Mercedes of S.F. was with Sungard Desert Smoke II and after I dry shrank the film, I had to fight with about 4 puckers that took me alot longer to lay down than I'd expected.

I know for a fact that the thicker the film, the more problems you will have on this back glass. If anyone has used or felt the Ceramic 30%, you will know what I am talking about. Feels almost like a 4 mil security film. :lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest naughtydog

Guest naughtydog

Posted
Posted

did one today and like litespeeds - I struggled my ass off with the backglass.

Now, I aint no good at back glasses on saloon vehicles as I have never really had much practise. This car had a fixed GPS antenns that made the shrink more awkward. Ended up with puckers and finger at the sides, gave em plenty of heat and they are still there but not as bad.

Wired wooled the lines a little as well on the second attempt

The customer is a pal and I told him the back glasses are a @#$% - I think he will be OK with it after I give em another push tomorrow.

rest of the car was OK. Front panels pull easily, back ones are a little tighter.

Onwards and upwards

Naughtydog

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  •   Sponsored by
    ride wrap

    Conco

    Lexen

    tintwiz

    auto-precut.com

    signwarehouse

    martinmetalwork.com

    tinttek

    filmvinyldesigns

  • Activity Stream

    1. 12

      How to shrink film on windshield?

      Start by applying heat evenly across the film with a heat gun or hairdryer. Move the heat source back and forth over the film, keeping it about 6-8 inches away to prevent overheating. As the film heats up, use a squeegee to push out any air bubbles towards the edges. Be gentle near the edges to avoid creases or melting. If the film curls up on the edge, try using a heat gun to soften it and then press it flat with a squeegee. Practice patience and keep practicing to improve your technique.
      gregorymorgan in Window Tinting - General Discussion
    2. 0

      Paint Protection Film (PPF) is it needed or worth it?

      I've never had PPF done before and never had issues with the paint on the car looking bad. I usually park in the garage and have had Kia Casa White - Solid on my Sportage since 2015 and no noticeable issues with the paintwork. The new car is Glacier White - Solid I've been told that PPF is beneficial, but very few people I know have actually opted to get it for their cars. I've been told there are many benefits such as: No need to ever wax or use sealant after the coat is applied Stops the paint fading Makes cars super easy to wash Prevents Acid Etching from animal contaminants, hard water spots, tree sap UV Rays Acid Rain (although I don't think I've ever seen acid rain) Repels Water & Grime Saves Water Will not wash off, crack or peel Non-abrasive Self-Healing Properties: repair minor surface scratches and swirl marks on their own when exposed to heat. So is this all simply marketing spin to provide another product to the market without any noticeable benefits? Does the average family car really need PPF or is this more the reserve of the show car, tuner set, car aficionado niche? Brands SystemX Australia Johnson Paint Protection 3M Cleargard Paint Protection Pro Series Film OMNI Nano-Ceramic Surface Coating 3M Scotchgard Paint Protection Film Pro Series Ceramic Coating Package Graphene Coating Package SunTek PPF OZ Paint Protection Film OZ Paint Protection Films GTechniq Ceramic Coatings Tint Haus 10H Ceramic Coating XPEL Ultimate Fusion Swissvax handmade wax range. Opticoat Pro Ceramic Pro 9H CQuartz Finest Pompanazzi Gtechniq Crystal Serum
      MVOZ in Paint Protection Film, Clear Bra Forum
    3. 4

      Cracked glass

      Follow up: Attached is the performance data for Johnson's Resi/Comm window films and if you look to the bottom you'll see DN50 has a solar absorption of 39%, which is well below the threshold of concern which is generally accepted as 50% absorption (with no shadow). With a straight line shading from the roof this does increase the risk, which is usually low for straight line shading compared to other types. I've also attached a pdf of Johnson's film-to-glass chart which is used to determine how safe a film is. The thicker the glass the higher the risk; you say 6mm tempered and 4mm is the cracked one (interior pane). The question now is what compass direction do these panels face? In the end, I'll just suggest you hook back up with the person that installed it and get his input. He had to have been comfortable suggesting that film. I still believe it's a one off cracked panel and the rest will be fine. It takes 2 seasonal cycles to know for sure. Truly your call as to whether or not to replace with something lighter such as DN60. Here's more helpful info that helps you question the glass type on the interior; is it plate or is it heat-strengthened (HS). I believe it is plate and not tempered or HS. Why? Plate glass with suffer thermal shock if the edge temperature is different than the center of the glass by 50 degrees F. Heat strengthened requires 100 degree F difference, and Tempered requires 200 degree F difference. Ryker chimed in and that stimulated further review. Good Luck with this. johnsonFilmToGlass_2021.pdf
      Tintguy1980 in Window Tinting - General Discussion
    4. 4

      Cracked glass

      Whatever that glass is that cracked it is NOT tempered. DN 50 is pretty high solar absorption and your saying shadows too so you probably need a more reflective film.
      Ryker in Window Tinting - General Discussion
    5. 4

      Cracked glass

      Hey, thank you for taking the time to reply. It's greatly appreciated!
      Geyser in Window Tinting - General Discussion
    6. 3

      Automotive Tint Comparison

      1) Why avoid Suntek? I thought they resolved that issued with the easy scratching and that they are one of the market leaders in Australia? Also, it seems most of the well established Tint businesses use Suntek 2) I've heard mixed things about Rayno, with some installers raving about it and others disparaging it. Makes it difficult for the consumer to know the truth, given vested interests exist. 3) Is Ultragard a Australian exclusive product? The IP seems to be owned by GTS FILMS PTY LTD. How's the quality as it seems to have limited installers. 4) Is the MEP Films CNP that apparently are Manufactured by LLumar of the same quality as the LLumar tints (such as Llumar Formula One Stratos; Llumar Formula One Pinnacle; Llumar CTX)? 5)
      MVOZ in Window Tinting - General Discussion
    7. 4

      Cracked glass

      The crack indicates thermal stress, however, the edge of the glass may have an imperfection (bur or clam shell chip). The crack does run 90 degrees out from the edge and curves as it follows any weaknesses in the pane itself. I have attached a pictured of what tempered glass looks like when it breaks and alongside it what a plate (or float) and heat-strengthened glass looks like when it breaks. The outer panel my be tempered should indicate so by a stamp etched on the glass surface in one corner. It should indicate tempered. Plate glass has no indicators, however, heat-strengthened glass will crack in the same manner as plate glass. I'm an unsure whether heat-strengthened glass requires a stamp. Tempered glass is 4 times stronger than plate and heat-strengthened is 2 times stronger than plate. 1 in 24 is indicative of edge imperfection. I could not find the solar absorption rate of DN 50, but if it is similar to competitive films, there should be no issue with that installation setting (including a straight line shadow). This, too, points back to edge imperfection as the cause. And finally, I spy drapes in a close position, correct? If so, it would be helpful to crack open during sun exposure; this to assist in allowing trapped heat between the glass and drapes to dissipate.
      Tintguy1980 in Window Tinting - General Discussion
    8. 4

      Cracked glass

      Hello. I recently installed Johnson Daylight Natural DN 50 on a couple of windows. Solar energy rejection is 39%. The windows are double pane and the glass is supposed to be tempered 4mm + tempered 6mm. The roof overhang shades the top 1/3 - 1/2 of the windows. However, a few days after installation I noticed that one of the glass has cracked, presumably due to thermal stress. Should I remove the film from the rest of the windows? I installed the film on 24 of these windows (6 tiny houses) so now 1 out of 24 is broken. Or is it more likely that I just got unlucky and the glass had a defect? Is shading from the roof overhang such a big factor? The glass cracked. Is it really tempered? I thought tempered glass would shatter, but not crack. Thanks!
      Geyser in Window Tinting - General Discussion
    9. 6

      Residential Window Tint - Suntek SYDS vs. Solar Gard Slate vs. Madico Optivision

      Did you get this taken care of? What were the results and are you pleased?
      LeadfootCJ7 in Window Tinting - General Discussion
    10. 1

      Residential Film without blue hue?

      Take a look at 3M's Nightvision or LLumar's Dual Reflective series, they both have a warm tone to them.
      Tintguy1980 in Window Tinting - General Discussion
×
×
  • Create New...