mobiledynamics

Batch production aside as in a bad roll. Take 2 films. Xpel XR Plus 70% vs 50% I had 50% installed on the same windshield. I have zero issues with clarity since it was done a month ago.... I was expecting some cloudiness depending on sunlight, LAH, etc until it finally cured On the original 70%, that was my issue. I was experience cloudiness Which led me to the four and you guys taught me about LAH LAH etc in certain lighting conditions and this lasted for 5 months until 1 day it all disappeared. For my own Wiki, was it because the 70% might have had too much water on the install . I was expecting the same experience of 5 months of bleh visibility with the new 50% install but I don't have any of it since day 1 of install It's still late winter but I've yet to even encounter LAH Same tinter- install shop. He's got 3 guys tinting so it could have been a different tinter but on most cars, I've often seen 2 of them working in tandem. How is there so much a different in -experience- between these 2 installs.

Calling Pro's ......can this be achieved without having to add a border. PPF is pretty tenacious - I know heat can remove it with ease and I do have access to a steamer but I know the glue may be left and some scraping + chems may be required....which I would like to avoid both due to messing up the WS tint and the rake of the dash/glass Will *fresh* cling that is not 3-4 years old and not oversized do the trick ? A quick google image search as a example of the style of registration sticker we use - adhesive edges and the center where the info is priced is 1 play additional to the stick paper as the base.

I'm just glad at least it doesn't look like amateur hour and for now, I will live with the oversize border....

I have success today with new cling film: clear vinyl & new sticker today But I did a oversize of 3/4 Border I just pulled it out of the garage and in direct sun, I can see the border but it's probably just the OCD.....looking for the border. I can swing by one one of my guys shop for some scrap PPF..but the vinyl is doing it, and staying flat when it's oversized I might cut it off and trim the overside border again....but semi-concerned if I cut too much, I will end up in the same pickle of whatever tension is pulling the edges away from the glass * It's a slight feed for a new sticker but the time going to the DMV and waiting in the line , ugh

Hair Gel . Is that a trick of the trades ? Is there any issue 2 year later when I dissolve it with water to remove/clean it.....aka, the scratch coat I bit the bullet. I hate the look as it looks like cheap scotch tape that you see often with tinted windshields but more perfect as it's perfectly cut square. I hate how it looks from both the outside and inside. Not sure if it will drive me just as crazy as the edges curled and not laying flat...but probably just as most. Fashion vs function right 🤣 I added extra 3/4 extra border of the cling to the overall registration sticker and applied it Tacky and most laying flat on the glass as expected on all edges. It has to be just some weird tension if I cut square of the edge of the sticker to film and apply as such.

Off to DMV I go tomorrow to get a fresh sticker Our registration sticker - it's basically paper in the main area with all the info....and then a 1/4 Border paper that has glue on it. I dunno....maybe the DMV has created this *2 ply piece* that isn't really flat When I remove my cling wrap stickered registration, I can see the middle is not flat but has a bubble pocket.....it was definitely applied flat onto the cling wrap though. Been scratching me head, it looks like crap. Time for a new sticker and I plan to cut/overhand the registration border with 1/4 of cling ontop as overhand to see if this will do the trick on the entire thing laying flat. I'm semi stumped as this only started due to the new tint install in the windshield (it was laying flat with the 70%) on it. Had the 70% changed to 50% and I opened Pandora's box on whatever reason it won't lay flat

Cling is -new and fresh applied to a new reg sticker. Everything appears flat when applied and cut -square- on a rotary type paper cutter. The center/top horizontals are not curling. Just the 2 sides. I guess I'll remove it and lay something heavy and reapply after a few days but I'm only struggling with the 2 vert sides of the sticker A thought came to me. While noting is ever -finite-, is there a shelf life to these sort of things ? And if there was a shelf life, I presume it would be somewhat obvious The static cling is 8 1/2 sheets in a box stored in my file cabinet.... It seems fiat. I applied new reg sticker, cut on roto trimmer, cleaned car glass and then -peeled off the white cap sheet of the static cling- (I may be using cap sheet terminology wrong, not in the trades) and stuck directly to the WS Off to do a baseline test this weekend. Cut new cling and just stick it on the WS and see if it continues to lay flat

Getting Antsy as this rolling curling edges look like sch###. Dare I just go pick up Elmers Glue Stick with it's low tack, glue the edges and just -pray- that when it comes time 12 month later for new sticker, the glue will be easy to remove with glass cleaner and some slight scrubbing and not *damage* the hardcoat on the tint /

A short google on Amazon....the US version of aliexpress these days. I see Sticker Shields. It is quoted as dscribed *Has a specially designed, releasable adhesive that easily and cleanly peels off* I dunno if this is marketing vs regular static cling - clear vinyl

It is static cling I am using. Vinyl was wrong wording but I suppose - I did say clear vinyl ? Instant static cling -clear vinyl- Scratching my head on this one. I get that dust or not clean surface can prohibit the static cling to not want to stick well... It's just the edges on the long side that won't lay flat. The top and bottom horizontal is adhering well. Just for the helluva it, I removed it for the 3rd time and alcohol cleaned the application area + cling again.... Same thing. Seems to stick but the once you press it down and leave it alone, the 2 edges just lift off a bit.

New tinted windshield....registration sticker with Vinyl was re-applied back on. One corner was lifting so I splurged. Went to the DMV...paid for a new sticker. Applied new vinyl to new sticker. Cleaned area, Applied New Clear Vinyl Sticker to the Glass. Edges still don't want to stay down Interesting enough, the previous inspection sticker that was removed and reapplied is nice and flat new tint. Is there some sort of mix-tack I can make to spritz the vinyl so that the edges will hopefully lay flat on the Windshield Since the new sticker wasn't laying flat again Blew out dash with compressor so minimal debris ... Removed (new vinyl sticker) Re cleaned Application Area Cleaned vinyl sticker with alcohol Reapplied back to WS. Just the long edges don't won't to stay down and slowly curl out

I've always approached the -inside portion- of the tint like walking on glass. Have have multiple retints done throughout the years. Rear hatch scratches from just being a utility trunk. Sides replaced due to scratches from #@! fingers, etc. Even currently, when I clean the interior glass, I take the compressor, blow out the crevice clean before I clean the glass... You Pro's make it sound like the scratchcoat/hardcoat, whatever you want to call it on the inside of the tint film is a bit more durable than I think it is.

Detailing Nerd Here. I have 2 cans on my shelf - haven't touched them in years....i If I'm reading this right, micro-macro polish the inside of the film ? Is the scratch coat on it *that* durable. I've had tint scratched and replaced over the years

Different Installer - Same vehicle. It was at the shop getting PPF done. Shop did the tint. Do note as the OP was not clear - the period of 70% was circa Aug-Sept 2022 installed and it -disappeared- Somewhere around Jan-February of 2023. I recall this as I magically there was no more LAH and I said to myself it must have been some weird moisture I was not seeing that took that look to fully dry out ? I found some older threads over at TD - I can't recall if it was ceramic tint on boats or something to that effect , but it was a reply that said in some cases, it takes -forever- to dry out. I just had it redone in 50 from my OG tinter I've used forever. I was expecting to see the -same- bearing haze bearing my previous issue with -fresh tint- looking through the same

Went from Xpel XR Plus 70 to + 50.

1st time ever having WS tinted. Previous cars with comfort, solar, etc film on it - never a issue visually. I originally had 70% Xpel done. I came to to forum to ask what I was seeing, and LAH become a topic... The film was installed circa Late August-September and I feel like LAH was always here and there depending on the exterior lighting and after about 5-6 months later, it just disappeared. I dunno if it was moisture , etc, but LAH was just gone in all lighting conditions. Fast forward today. Had the WS done 2 days ago, and while it's not enough driving time, it's been optically clear to me at all times. Here I was think it's going to have some moisture, it may not look clear until 5-6 months from now.... I knew at least with the darker film, it would be better in the glare dept. What am I amiss.

Thx. My preferred shop was a Llumar dealer before he switched to Xpel. I know there has been lotsa talk about 3M for the front WS and it's performance vs other brands if I recall when I brought up the LAH thing It's been eon's since I've used 3M was I was never a fan of the coloration on them.

Going to visit the local 3m / Llumar shops to see but their current lineup at 50%, what coloration hue is it. Some brands tend to sway on a bit on the brown, green, etc to it. Have had Xpel 30, 20 and 70% primarily in the last few years and it's always perfect in a charcoals tone. The 50% in XR and Plus - wasn't too crazed about the slight blueish hue.

Well, I suppose TG got the stock glass measurements with one of the IR/uve glass readers and such......now that I typed it out and thought more on my reply.

Going to need to do a search on older threads. How did you come up with the 60-65 on the SE rejection ? I always thought on my SUV that came with your standard 20% privacy on all rears and back, it was just privacy in just chemically treated glass from the factory with no SE rejection. I generally opt for 70% on these

Maybe I'm just getting old.....last eye dr visit was about 9 months ago, still healthy... 70% Xpel XR Plus upfront. Heavy fog, overcast, raindriven water on windshield@ speed, etc.... Interior glass is clean. I was just having overall -decent clarity- issues. It was a bit of a struggle at times seeing what I believe should be better clarity through the glass Is it me or the dang tint.

If it's really needing to pull info from the plate 🤨 Same bridges/tunnels that have plate readers - half of them want the transponders even though it can read plates... So the logic of the -mid tier- rate is the thing.....off to test, but I'm hunching if I put it in by the rearview camera as instructed, it will -read proper- the next time I pass by. No spot to do it on the back of the mirror as there is sensors and #3 Any questions on the standard VHB - Velco Setup when the -windshield- is tinted. If I change my mind and remove the velcro, it will remove the -scratch coat- of the tint right ?

I have to test ....... I'm thinking my transponders *work fine* Everything that requires a toll already has cameras that can read license plates and bill my mail if no EZ Pass :license plate on file. I'm thinking it's just some dumb policy and money grab The camera's already have the tech to read the plates. It should in principal just bill the EZ Pass since it already recognized the plate # and it having a EZ Pass account But I am being charged a -mid tier rate- that is not full rate or the discounted rate with the transponder but somewhere in between because -supposedly- the system did not read my transponder while pass through The transponder is the middle of the dash versus the *recommended* location of up top to the right of the center of the mirror. Maybe the system is designed now that if it does not see the transponder on said location....it defaults to mid tier rate... Even in previous cars, I've thrown it on the center dash with no problem, even on loaners, rentals, etc.

Back in the days ......when my cars had comfort film in it, there was cutout up top and Botton in the middle of the windshield to accommodate for this. So far, in my experience, I don't think my toll pass transponder is working behind Xpel Plus Windshield. For those more familiar, are the EZ Pass readers working behind Ceramic Tinted Windshields ? Out here we have many readers that are based on camera reads. But the ones that are reading the physical transponder, this is where it appears to not be working

Whoopsie. I totally mistook you for the headlight OP For me, it's not even about the film as 1st decision. It's all about the installer for me... If the car is a daily or a weekend queen If it's a daily, I go to the Xpel preferred shop. If it's a garage queen, I go the Stek Shop Then the film is part of that decision. There are tradeoffs. Due to -regional- dealer locks, some installers may not carry one film over another simply just due to they can get in the dealer network cause another participating dealer is too. close by. I suppose this same argument applies in the tint world. I like Stek for clarity, but I like Xpel for protection (thicker, more OP though). Pros , might as well ask to revisit my own WiKi. I was looking at Premium Shield awhile back . This stuff seemed even more clearer than Stek