Why would you want to tint your car windows? Because tint can accomplish a number of things:

1) Protect your skin from UV (ultraviolet) rays of the sun. That same protection will also protect your upholstery and other interior components from fading. Almost all quality tints reflect (don't allow in) 99+% of UV radiation. If you've ever gone on a long trip and gotten a bad sunburn on your arm closest to the window, you'll know why this is important.

2) Reduce heat inside the vehicle in the summer sun. Heat mostly comes from the infrared portion of the light spectrum. The number you'd really want to see is the IR rejection percentage. Many tint manufacturers don't provide that information, using instead some measure like "total solar energy rejection," which is not the same thing. Tint can be optimized to reject more of the IR portion of the spectrum, but in the absence of specific IR data, it's better to have higher total rejection numbers.

3) Reduce glare. Glare comes from the visible portion of the light spectrum. Visual light transmittance is the measure of this -- in other words, how much light is allowed to pass through the tint. 100% would mean that all light passes through. 0% means that no light passes through. Tint manufacturers often label their products with this number, but look at the spec sheets carefully. Llumar 50 lets 55% of the light through. Huper Optik 30 lets 34% of the light through. Sometimes the product numbers are exact, sometimes they're just rough approximations. The lower the transmittance number, the less glare. However, lower transmittance makes it harder for older people to see out, especially at night. That's why most state codes don't permit any tinting of the front windshield except for a strip along the top.

4) Provide daytime privacy. The darker the tint, or the more mirror-like it is (mirror type tint has a high reflectance of light), the less other people can see into your vehicle. The problem is that not being able to see into the vehicle is a safety issue for police making traffic stops. State codes require certain transmittance numbers and regulate reflectance for just that reason. It's often the case that states have different allowable levels of tint for front driver's and passenger's side windows than the rear and back side windows. You can see the laws for each state in several places on the net:

International Window Film Association

TintDude.com (with passages from the various state codes)

Having tint in excess of state code provisions can result in a failure on state inspection and/or a police citation/ticket. For example, Rhode Island allows only tint with a transmittance of 70% or more. If you had 50% or 35% applied, you would have to remove it to pass state inspection. It's worth reading your state code carefully to see what documentation is required either to be carried with you or posted on the windows in some set location.

5) Provide greater resistance to shattering. While any tint film will have that effect to some degree, there are also special tints made for this purpose.

6) Some people just think tint looks cool. You can think that, but you probably should use one of the reasons above to justify having it done.

Other considerations for tint:

Tint film is dyed (i.e. colored), metallic, or ceramic, with the latter two being of the highest quality. Some metallic tints may interfere with radio antennas in the windows or the reception of fixed or portable electronic devices inside the vehicle. Ask the manufacturer for advice or check your device in another vehicle in which the installer has installed that type of tint.

Tint should come with a lifetime warranty against fading and color change. Inexpensive dyed tints may only come with a three-year warranty and may turn purple over time. Your tint warranty should also cover you against bubbling, cracking, crazing, delaminating, and adhesive failure.

There are many tint film manufacturers. Llumar, Huper Optik, and 3M are some of the better tint films, but you should always research the specs on the brand and "model" of the tint you're considering.

A good installer is key to a good tint job. Check references! Large chains, such as LA Tint, may or may not be better than small individual operations. Tint is not hugely difficult to install, but there are enough tricks to the trade that you're better off not trying to do it yourself, particularly if you're using an expensive metallic or ceramic film.

Generally, an A4 B5 can be tinted for $200-250. The better the quality of the film you use, the more likely you are to go over those amounts.

Follow your installer's instructions carefully for care of the tint for the first week after installation and for cleaning. Generally, you can't use ammonia-based cleaners on tint film.

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2001 A4TQM
GIAC X-Chip
710N BPV
APR catback exhaust
H-Sport front and rear anti-sways
Koni Adjustable Yellows
A8 big brake kit
Carbotech Bobcat pads
Kumho Ecsta Sports
AWE Tuning Center Vent Boost Gauge
VW Taschenlampe

Link to the A4 B5 FAQ