Is it worthwhile using a clear ceramic tint on the windshield?

[KyleH]

My tint guy says that although people are not suppose to do it, it is a very common request by many people because of the hot Texas sun. My tint guy said he can tint my windshield with the same matching Solar Gard Ultra Premium (UP) 75 clear ceramic tint, but there are some minor warnings: state and registration stickers will have to be carefully removed, they will not be responsible for any tickets (but being 75%, he said it is unlikely because it is hardly noticeable compared to what other people are tinting), and cost.

So far, the tint on the side windows and rear are great. The tint suppose to reflect 99% of uv and 40% of the heat. I believe that coupled with the Volt's E1 windows, it is even more effective. I can barely feel any heat from tinted windows, but there is a slight noticeable heat under the windshield.

But considering that I don't drive that long, and when I park I will use the sun reflectors in the parking lot, I am reconsidering *not* getting the windshield tinted. The main reason is to avoid the hassle of risk ruining the tint each year when I have to get the inspection sticker replaced. Another reason is that the cost is near $200. (which is almost half of what I paid for tinting), and I do not think saving 1-2 mpg in a/c would be worth it (esp. considering, those majority-to-most may be ev miles).

(Note, when driving from Florida to Texas last week, I noticed about a 1-2 mpg difference between night/morning driving and day. I am attributing those factors to heat, but I could be wrong. Anyway, I average 41mpg with a/c on eco mode, but I think I was getting up to 42-43 at night.)

Anyone has an opinion to do it? I am currently sticking to "not"....

-KyleH

[Bob_Livonia]

I certainly would not spend the $200. The "they will not be responsible for any tickets" comment should be a clear (no pun intended) sign that this is not strictly legit. I would want to have the best vision I could have on a dark, rainy night. And night vision apparently gets worse with age.

The cabin pre-conditioning (a.k.a. "remote start") works well for me (it is 93 F in Michigan today). It also works from my Android smart phone (OnStar Remote Link app). I can start it from inside the restaurant when I am paying my check, and the car is nice and comfortable when I get to it; much more than by just using a sunshade and tinting, which I would never use.

Anyone want to do a business case for the payback period for the $200?

[AZ EV Driver]

There are way too many factors to lay all of the 1-2 mpg on cabin cooling (day vs. night driving). Living in Arizona I can tell you that the results of window tinting are more in the mind of the purchaser than in reality. Sort of one of those "I spent a lot of money for it, therefore it is working". It may slow down the rate of heat gain some, but if the car is parked for any length of time it will get to basically the same internal temperature with or without tinting. I really dislike the poor night vision that the tinting produces. You can see car headlights fine, but pedestrians at times can be nearly invisible.

I've owned several cars in my 30 years in Arizona. Installed tinting in one of them. I measured the cabin temperture with three thermocouples before and after tinting during an 8 hour parking lot soak and found very little difference. Live and learn.

VIN # B0985

[KyleH]

AZ EV Driver, I appreciate your comments and experiences, but I would have to disagree. Perhaps 8 hours at the end the day where high-noon sun is not baking your readings, or you may have higher end cars that use E1 glass. However, I have had an old oldsmobile that had navy cloth interior with the first year without tinting. When parking after 1 hour, you can notice a severe greenhouse effect at 2-3pm. Touching the plastic or leather components can literally sting. I suspect when it is 90-95 outside, the navy interior could be as high as 120 before the tint.

However, after installing a tint, the heat was not as overwhelming. The windows did get hotter than compared to before, however, at least the windows can release their heat back to the outside air.

If anything, I appreciate that consoles and steering wheels no longer sting to the touch for the first 5-10 minutes of driving the car.

-KyleH

....
I've owned several cars in my 30 years in Arizona. Installed tinting in one of them. I measured the cabin temperture with three thermocouples before and after tinting during an 8 hour parking lot soak and found very little difference. Live and learn.

VIN # B0985

[jbfalaska]

You kidding? In Texas, tint the front window with clear ceramic 70% or lighter. You'll never regret that. I used to boil in the Texas sun while in the Air Force. I'm tinting my front window with Huper Optik clear - distortion free, here in Colorado. Can't even tell Huper Optik is on the window, yet rejects that intense UV, IR, and cuts only a tiny amount of the visible spectrum. Worth it. Electric cars and AC have an inverse relation. If you want to try it without the windshield, be ready to park in the shade.

[Bob_Livonia]

Electric cars and AC have an inverse relation. If you want to try it without the windshield, be ready to park in the shade.

Not for me and my Volt. Yes, of course some energy is needed to cool down the interior; my AC and cabin pre-conditioning works fine with minimal impact on range, and owning an electric car doesn't mean I have to torture myself. With the Volt, I don't have to worry about range anxiety, and I'm already saving enough gas that I don't need to be an extremist about reducing energy consumption to an absolute minimum.

I would worry more about parking in the shade for the sake of the battery (and reducing the air conditioning system running while parked to cool down the battery if it is over 75% charged. (If my battery deserves A/C, don't I?) If you plan to keep your Volt for a while (like 10 years), you may notice a shorter lithium ion battery life than if you parked in the shade, or compared to us in Michigan.

[RoRo]

$200 for only the windshield? Go to a new tint shop.

I had all ceramic tint installed on every window for $200. This included the lightest available ceramic tint on the windshield with two shades below legal ceramic on all the other windows.

The tint on the windshield makes a huge difference in temperature in the cabin and I will do this on all future cars.

[daryllafferty]

I put up a windshield shade whenever I park in the sun. I've done that with all my cars in Arizona, and the dashes are all as good as new. Friends who didn't bother with the shades often have cracks and fading in their dash. It also helps keep the seats and steering wheel much cooler without the direct sunlight hitting them. At least I can touch them!

On the other hand, the IR that passes through the windshield and strikes the shade is probably re-radiated as heat, warming up the interior of the car. So some kind of IR block on the windshield would probably help keep the car cooler, both while parked and while driving. I am considering it.

[Mike McG]

I've got mine tinted. Love it.

[KyleH]

I forgot about the weird rainbow effects from polarized glasses...so, I'll hold off for now.

I read from another member commenting earlier about using polarized sunglasses, so I had to verify it. Sure enough, when I put on my sunglasses and look out through the side mirrors, everything had the funny rainbow tint to it.

I think I will avoid putting that tint on the windshield for now. I am not sure if I can get use to looking at the road in front of me with all of the color changing going on. (Or, maybe I can get some new sunglasses that do not use the polarizing tint.)

(thanks everyone for your comments).

-KyleH