SW15LS

Just wanted to update you guys. I took it to another shop and they passed it. His meter didn't have a reading to the tenths and it just read 35 where the other guys was reading 34.7. He couldn't believe the first shop wouldn't pass it, he said MD doesn't require a reading to the tenths...

So, I suppose all is well that ends well! The shop is still surprised they metered that low when the same brand and line 30 metered 28, but such is life.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Hey guys, hopefully you can help me even though I'm just a lowly tint consumer ;)

So, I have 2017 Lexus LS460L. I had installed Formula One Stratos 30%. Last week I got stopped by MD state police for tint being too dark, didn't get a ticket but got a repair order which said I had to have the tint metered and signed off on by a MD inspection station. Based on my research Starts 30 has a VLT of 32%. I took it to a shop that I've had work done at before who happened to be an inspection station, he checked it with his light meter, it read .28. So, mathematically that should mean that the tint in the factory glass is 87.5%.

So, took it back to the shop and discussed it with them, they recommended Stratos 40 which should meter at 35% or above. Based on my math, this made sense. Had it redone.

Today (2 days after install), took it back to the same inspection station and it measured 34.6% on the same meter the other tint measured 28%. He wouldn't pass it. Mathematically that doesn't make sense, if we took 42 x 87.5 we should get 36.75%. 

So, questions for you:

1. Does the VLT lighten as the tint cures? 

2. In your experience, is it typical for them to be so rigid that a reading like 34.6% would fail when the limit is 35%. You would figure that there would be a margin of error or variance between readers...

Any guidance would be much appreciated, thanks!

-Steve