Tint Removal - Rear Defroster
 

My vehicle came with tint that’s too dark for my liking. Based on the internets recommendations, I called Larry for a quote and he could remove the tint. My only concern is if the rear defroster gets damaged and stops working. Anybody have any experience with this? Thanks.

I had tint professionally removed years ago by a tint shop and they were very aware of the rear defroster and what was needed to remove it properly. As long as it is a pro shop you shouldn't have any issues.

One of my previous vehicles had a rear tint, and because it was an out of province vehicle, needed to go through a vehicle inspection before it could be registered. Low and behold, the previous owner removed the tint (not sure how and I don't think it matters) and as a result, a large majority of the rear defroster did not work. It was a pain in the ass especially in the winter and spring when it rained or snowed.

The takeaway from this is that you understand the risks involved and to accept it in the event it does not work. :okay:

You can use a clothes iron to remove it. Simply fill it with water and place it close to the tint (really close) and use the steam function. It helps to use a razor just to get a little corner popped up so you can begin peeling the tint. This will heat the glue enough to break the bond with the glass but the glue will still stick to the tint and allow you to peel it. There will be little to no glue residue remaining so you will not need to use a razor blade, which in turn means you do not have to worry about damaging your rear defroster. I've done this many, many times through the years. The key to this is not rushing your work. Once you get the hang of how it heats the glue and how easily the tint peels off it is easy to start trying to rush to get the tint off. If you begin rushing to remove the tint (it comes off very easily) you'll risk leaving glue behind on the window. That in turn means a razor blade. Which again, on the rear window will destroy a defroster. So take your time, steam many times per spot and you should have it off within 5-10 minutes and hopefully you will not need to use any razor blades.

Get a portable steamer. Steam up tint and peel off. And then use Googone or bugntar remover to get rid of excess residue.

You will need plenty of elbow grease.

Larry has removed and retinted one of my previous car's rear windshields before, worked perfectly after so he knows what he's doing

+1 for a clothes steamer.

You steam the window, moisture is created between the window and tint film, and it peels off nice, easy and smooth.

Ive done this a couple times, takes 10 minutes to do the entire rear window.

thanks for this advice. I've been considering removing my windshield tint strip as in the summer it was only useful at certain times of the day(I found that I drove at times that the sun was too low) and the tint didn't quite adhere well where the dot matrix thing was.

Who is Larry? I have tints on my 911 that I'm desperate to remove.

This should be him
W&A Window Film Tinting

These guys made a pretty good video on tint removal if you're interested doing it yourself:

Surprised no one said Windex. It worked on my car with 20 year old tint.

1. Get a large plastic bag.
2. Cut it up to the shape of the window
3. Spray windex on the window (tinted layer side)
4. Apply the shaped plastic you cut up on the glass. It should stick.
5. Wait 2 hours.
6. The tint will be easy to peel off.