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Window Tint WTF

bradow

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Florida
I decided to peel the old-starting to turn purple window tint out of my DD XJ yesterday. The front doors went great. Only took a couple minutes, everything came out as one piece. The middle doors took a little longer as the tint had started to peel into its three separate layers so I had to pull very very slowly on these windows to prevent the thin glass touching layer from tearing.

The problem is the rear (not hatch, havent touched that yet) glass. I was initially going to leave the rear tint intact as privacy glass since it looked blacker than the other more purple tinged windows, but I decided since it was starting to peel a tiny bit on the leading edge and had what looked to be a small bubble that it should come out too:doh:. I have now spent about four hours over two days fighting this stuff using heat, alochol, razor blade, tweezers, my fingers ect. and have managed to remove only most of one side.

What gives? Is this just the nature of the beast? Could I be trying to remove mopar factory tint? It looks as if the tint was applied to the window and then the window was installed. Any help would be appreciated (this is my first experience dealing with window tint of any kind, it was already installed and purpling when I bought the vehicle). Thanks

1999 cherokee classic, 4-door, electric windows, Llumar window film tag in the door jam-if that helps

edit; I do plan to eventually retint the windows, would it have been better to let the shop do the removal to start with?
 
I used to tint windows, and it was always a pain to remove old tint but if you use straight ammonia and let it sit and it should peel right off.
 
Llumar has a lifetime warrenty IIRC, you could have just taken it to any Llumar installer and had them re-do it for free.

Thats what I have on my XJ...Llumar...
 
My two cents is to use brake cleaner, I was told to use it... A stanley blade clamped in vise grips stripped the tint right off. Then use the brake cleaner on the sticky stuff, with a few shop rags and a lot of elbow grease I had my front side drivers doors done in 45 minutes. Make sure to not get the brake cleaner on the plastic door panels it will dis-color it badly. Like I said thats what I did and it all worked fine for me.
 
bcmaxx said:
50% water,50% ammonia. I used to tint

Is it safe to use ammonia on the rear defroster?

I just removed the tint from the front and rear door windows, used a razor blade to remove the film and most of the glue and windex for the rest. Easy.
 
falcon556 said:
Is it safe to use ammonia on the rear defroster?

I just removed the tint from the front and rear door windows, used a razor blade to remove the film and most of the glue and windex for the rest. Easy.

The ammonia won't hurt it, but keep that razor blade away from those defrost grids!!! :lecture:
 
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You can use good old cheap arasol (SP?) glass cleaner with amon. Works like a charm.
 
So Llumar has a lifetime warranty :gee: just great. What does the amonia do? Does it make the window film into something with the consistency of tape, or does it dissolve it all together?

My front drivers door took three minutes, the tint just peeled off like electrical tape. 70% rubbing alcahol and a paper towel removed any excess/leftover glue in a couple seconds. Its the rears that are killing me. I'm gonna leave the hatch and defrosters for a professional.

on a side note, i'm gonna be getting this puppy retinted sooner than later. That good ole Florida sunshine baked me today. I guess you don't know what youve got till its gone.

And whats a fair price for a reputable shop to do something like 5% all around/20% on drivers windows.

Thanks
 
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AMMONIA. it will work just like these guys have said. Have also been told to take a trash bag and basically tape it around the window where you want to remove the tint. instead of making the bottom flush have it sag and put the ammonia there and let it sit for a while, hopefully you get what I mean. the should help.
 
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