Window Tint

[Corban_White]

Sooooo.....my wife just went in to get her 99 accord inspected. It is 100% stock except for the tires, starter, windshield, brakes, etc. and the IDIOT tech fails her for having tint covering the 3rd brakelight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I quote from the state inspection manual:

6. Check center high mounted stop lamp. (Required on all passenger cars
after September 1985 and pickup trucks after September 1993.
49 CFR 571.108
a.​

​

REJECT when:
1) Center high mounted stop lamp is not present or does not
light.
2) If any after market tint has been applied over the center
high mounted stop lamp.
3) LED lights have less than 50% of diodes illuminated.​

*NOTE: Some passenger vans and SUV’s manufactured prior to 2003 may
have center brake lights mounted under AS-3 privacy glass. These
vehicles pass safety inspection as long as no aftermarket tint has​

been applied to the glass.


Having read the state inspection manual several times I wish I had taken it in so I could challenge the idiot who is so obviously illiterate as to not know or understand what AFTERMARKET means!!!!!!!!! Anyway, the question I have is when I go in to rail on this moron, is there any way I can PROVE that the extremely light tint on the rear window is stock? Can the dealer look it up from the vin? Is there a website showing options available by model year? I am afraid that when I go in and show them the rules FROM THEIR OWN COPY of the handbook that in order to try and save face he will argue with me as to the OEMness of the tint. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[Kiel]

Sounds like he was just doing his job. E/I guys get tons of sh!t and can lose their liscense very easily. Besides you can't expect him to know if tint came stock on your vehcile or not. I would just cut the tint over the 3rd light, not a big deal.

 

[SAMI]

I certainly wouldn't go in and "rail" on anyone.. They will not work with you if you act like that. Treat them respectfully, and they'll hopefully give you the same..

Good luck though..

 

[Brett]

I would just cut the tint over the 3rd light, not a big deal.

Factory tinted windows..........IE, tinted glass

 

[Corban_White]

Thanks brett

Sorry if I sound a little upset. It seams like every time I take a vehicle in to get inspected I have to pull out the manual and tell the guy how to do his job. This is not the first time nor I am sure will it be the last. If they are gonna inspect the car they should at least read the book. If they aren't sure about something then consult the book! The car is stock and for the past 8 years it has passed, proving that is is obvious to most techs that it is stock. so now the question still stands, how do I prove to him the OEMness of the tint?

 

[Milner]

Factory tinted windows..........IE, tinted glass

Like Brett said. OEM is tinted glass, not tint film on the glass....

 

[Corban_White]

So, without scratching the glass, how can I prove to the guy that it's oem?

 

[Brett]

So, without scratching the glass, how can I prove to the guy that it's oem?

Maybe just prove to them that there isn't any tint film on it? Pretty easy to do since you can see that on glad edges.....?

 

[Corban_White]

So I can just show him the edge of the rear window and since it is dark all the way to the edge that will prove it is factory? Sorry to be an idiot about this, I've never had any windows tinted aftermarket. What is "glad edges"? Thanks for the help.

 

[SAMI]

Pretty easy to do since you can see that on glad edges.....?

Ya, the mad edges are harder to see the film

 

[Brett]

So I can just show him the edge of the rear window and since it is dark all the way to the edge that will prove it is factory? Sorry to be an idiot about this, I've never had any windows tinted aftermarket. What is "glad edges"? Thanks for the help.

Oops, glass edges.

Factory tinted windows, the glass is tinted itself. Aftermarket, a film is laid down on the glass to provide the tint. Make sense?

 

[Brett]

Ya, the mad edges are harder to see the film

 

[Corban_White]

Oops, glass edges.

Factory tinted windows, the glass is tinted itself. Aftermarket, a film is laid down on the glass to provide the tint. Make sense?

I know this but with it being the rear window how will I be able to show the inspector the edges? Maybe this will all be clearer in a few hours when I can look closely at the car.

 

[zukgod1]

This guy thought my windows were to dark.

You be the judge, or maybe the guy wearing the black robe will be the judge on the 18th.

 

[Brett]

[IMGhttp://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w168/zukgod1/Ticket.jpg?t=1213307714[/IMG]



This guy thought my windows were to dark.

You be the judge, or maybe the guy wearing the black robe will be the judge on the 18th.

[IMGhttp://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w168/zukgod1/IMG00006.jpg[/IMG]

Front windows don't look legal to me........are they?

 

[zukgod1]

Umm I'm gonna go with no. They arnt legal thus the citation.

 

[Caleb]

Front windows don't look legal to me........are they?

Since the back can be as dark as you want, it would have to be the front that are in violation.

What percentage are your fronts? I know mine are illegal I'm just waiting till I get a ticket or till next year when I have to have it inspected

 

[Slangy]

Two weeks ago I am cruisin down the freeway in my Yukon with no passenger brake light or blinker and wouldn't you know a Highway Patrolman gets behind me, pulls up next to me than gets back behind me and pulls me over. Well I can't signal over so I just pull over and I am thinking this guy is gonna be pissed. He comes up and I apologize for not signaling. He says my license plate cover is illegal and my tint, but says thanks for mentioning the taillight. He measures my tint, it was about 10% supposed to be 43%. Not to far off right. He goes back to his car then comes back and says well you may wanna take that cover off your plate and maybe lighten these windows up someone may pull you over and give you a ticket for them but I will just give you a verbal warning. And he let's me go.
PARTY.
I was afraid I was gonna have to take it off, get it signed off then have it redone just a little darker because it is not quit dark enough for my liking.

 

[zukgod1]

Since the back can be as dark as you want, it would have to be the front that are in violation.

What percentage are your fronts? I know mine are illegal I'm just waiting till I get a ticket or till next year when I have to have it inspected

Correct, as long as you have 2 side rear view mirrors you can black out the rears, mine are tinted with 5% tint so they are @ about 2%.
The fronts had 20% on them and his meter read 15%
That was the second time I had been pulled over for tint so I got a citation.

I have another set of windows that are clear so I put those in that night.
I removed the 20% and applied some way lite 35%. Compaired to the rears @ 5% they look much lighter and I have another set of clears for inspection time to boot.

 

[lewis]

So, without scratching the glass, how can I prove to the guy that it's oem?

If the tint can be scratched at all with a knife than it is not factory. Running a knife over the glass won't scratch the glass but will scratch the aftermarket tint. I am willing to bet my left nut that if its covering the rear brake light its not factory. Not on a honda car. Lots of minivans did this but thats all I have ever seen.