I am looking into getting my windows tinted on my C230K. Just wondering if there is anyone out there, who has had this done that could let know what to expect regarding pricing and what all is involved. I have read some posts indicating that there is a rubber liner that needs to be replaced for a different kind of liner or else the tint job will get scratched. Is this a big job labour wise??? what all exactlyneeds to be removed and re-installed to change this liner? All advice greatly appriciated.

 

Well, if you tint it without doing anything you will definitely scratch the tints - the inside of the window has a seal. I don't know what the cost or method is though. I would also advise against tinting the rear window. I tinted mine, and it ended up costing me $$$$$$$. It's very easy for the remote and radio antennae to get cut when installing and fixing that means replacing the rear window... Any metallic tint will also interfere with the radio signal and the key remote.

Tinting costed me $120 at first, but ended up costing much more later... I'm guessing replacing the inner liner wouldn't cost more than $100 or so... I imagine the liner is cheap, and removing the door panels isn't very hard.

 

I posted quite a bit about this some time ago, so that might be my post you are referring to. Maybe not. But.....here's the deal on tinting your windows. There are lots of different window films used for this job. When I say different, I mean what they are made of, and of course, there are different "shades" of tint. Not just darkness, but the actual color itself when you see it on a car. The job for your car to do all the windows can range from a hundred and something to six hundred or more dollars. The less expensive films are the most popular, as you can imagine. The most expensive are the new nanotechnology films which are also called "ceramic" and stop HEAT as well as light. Some of the brand names you can research there are: Huper Optik, 3M crystalline, etc. They are very expensive due to the construction of the film. But they do stop heat and are amazing in that department. There are also metallic films which do present a problem with cell phones, radar detectors, antennas, etc. I myself wouldn't use one. If it's UV rays you are concerned about, I think almost every window film has protection against that. That's a good thing.

Now, the weatherstrips. Mercedes Benz decided to use a fairly hard rubber strip on the inside of the door panel up against the glass. This is also known as a "belt line weatherstrip". They clip on the door panel. This is not a seal. It simply rests on the inside of the doorglass for support as the window goes up and down. BMW has this type as well, so
I am told. SOME window films are more sensitive to being scratched than others. And these rather hard rubber-like
strips can do it to some films. Not to others. On my C230K, it did scratch the window film. When I went back to them and showed them, they said basically the same thing.....and that there was a "kit" to change them to a softer material. That "kit" turned out to be a sticky-backed felt-like material that goes on the existing piece after removing the door panels to install it. They quoted me $150 to do all four doors. That's just the "kit". Being a glass installer
among other things in my life, I passed on that deal and went home to take the door panels off and look for myself.
I bought some felt with a sticky back and did the job myself. So far, after about 50K miles, the felt is still holding up and hasn't peeled off.

Now>>>>do you need to do this and go through all that trouble, time, and expense??? Maybe not. Again, it depends on the nature of the film they are going to use. My advice would be this: Talk to the people who tint cars and ask them which films are easily scratched and which ones are not. Ask them about the weatherstrips. They know about it.
Then decide if you want to spend the money to have that done. Go to a reputable shop or they usually have a guy at the dealership who does MB cars. You could talk to him. He does it all day long. I'm not suggesting you have it done there or any other place in particular, but at least you would get a first hand opinion from a pro. Hope this clears it up.

 

Oh, I forgot to mention something.....some states have restrictions on how dark the film can be on certain windows.
Most states allow "limo" tint (the darkest) on the backglass and the rear windows but something a lot lighter on the
driver's and passenger's dooglasses. They are rated in percentages of light transmittance........30%, 60%, etc. or
whatever they are....I can never remember them exactly. If you want to keep it "legal", you have to comply with the
tint that the shop doing it will call "legal". Just something to keep in mind. They may or may not agree to do them a darker-
than-legal tint. Some will, some won't. Some won't give a receipt for darker than legal, but will do it.

Also, keep this in mind>>>>>darker is worse vision for you at night.
Some people have a real problem with this, some don't.
Try backing up your car with limo tint on the backglass at night in the dark.

 

Thanks for all the great replies on this. I did read mrcoyote's original posting on this and the additional info you've posted is great. I am in Ontario,andhave been looking into some reputable places to have this done. I will defiantly make sure I get the full story from them and choose the one I feel will do the best job. I am always of the thinking with everything in life that it's probably more worth it to pay more up front and have it done right. I now know there is a lot more to research I need to do on what kind of film I should get etc. Bottom line is I don't like messing with this car too much, because I don't want to wreck it! Used to have'92Golf and I ripped that apart like it didnt matter... this car tho... not AS comfortable... Maybe I'll get there. Right now tho I'll get er done right from a pro forsure...Thanks again for all the great advice.

 

I'm in the same boat as you...

 

Just had my windows tinted and they are phenominal. SO, I thought...I'd share. The tint on my windows is the kind that blocks light and heat. I had the entire front windsheild tinted in 35% (anything other than a strip on the front is illegal) and the rest of the car done in 5%. My light measures in at 3% b/c of the front being tinted as well. B/C of the quality of the tint, you can't see in but I can see out. =) At night as well. I have had my tint for 6 weeks now and b/c of the thickness of the premium tint, the scratches caused by the "inner workings" of the window really are a moot point. If you get the cheap crap, just be ready to replace it. Or just save your self the headache and go ahead and spend a little more and get it done right the first time. My C240 is white and the total black contrast makes it look like eye candy.