Window Tinting

2003 Chevy Malibu
Late 2004 or early 2005 had all door windows and rear windshield tinted.
Front door tint is beginning to peel down from regular opening & closing.
Rear windshield tint forming separation bubbles.
Rear windshield has defrost wires.

What's the best way to remove all the tint without damaging the defrost wires and removing door panels?

Quote:

Originally Posted by City Guy997S 1. Check your paperwork for warranty. Some films have a lifetime warranty!

2. Fresh razor blade, patience and some skill will get the film off (bigger pieces are better). The glue is going to stink and you will probably have to buy a releasing agent to get that off.

3. The defrost will get wrecked for sure if you are scraping with a blade.

Windex is awesome when taking off Tint. That and a razor blade

While everybody mentions razor blades .

be aware that you don't have to use steel industrial (as opposed to shaving) razor blades.

You can use the hard plastic razor blades made for protecting surfaces, which are far less likely to scratch surfaces or cut through defroster wires. Of course, not totally foolproof, but better odds of not doing damage than with a steel blade.

I've had some success using ammonia and water to soak the tint film with a sponge and a heat gun to soften the adhesive of the wet film. Worthwhile to spend more time soaking all the film than starting to scrape it off, so get all the windows soaking before doing the next step.

Depending upon the quality of the original bonding, it may not be that daunting of a job. All of the window tint film I've been asked to remove was due to it bubbling away from the surface, and those failed areas were the places to start the removal.

I just bought a car that the previous owner had tinted and I am going to remove it all. I think I am going to take it to a shop and have it done, they tell me it is about $ 100-$150 to have it done professionally and it isn't worth me using a bunch of razor blades and time to get it done. My Sons have done it themselves and suggest I go the professional route because of the pain in the neck it is to do it yourself.

Don

1. They apparently did chitty job and likely used cheap film anyway
2. cheap film dissolves from ammonia. Get a strongest ammonia cleaner you can find and liberally spray it on several times. It dissolves film, not glue.
3. Glue is water activated. As a result, simply water/soap solution dissolves it.
4. problem with old film is - glue solidified. BUT! It's still a pliable material. So, instead of setting you vehicle in the sun, to warm it up (dahh, it's almost winter), take a heat gun to it. Paint stripper, aka.
5. Or, you can combine BOTH water and heat:

Easy Way to Remove Automotive Window Tint - YouTube