Byran Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 I'm a brand new 2006 GS300 owner as of this past Tuesday, and am about to get the windows tinted. If I understand correctly, there are two things I need to concern myself with: The ambient light sensor The GPS Sensor Is this correct? Are these the only two issues I need to think about? I don't know where either of these are located, but I'm guessing it's that black "IR Receiver looking thing" at the lower part of the rear window. If someone knows the exact location, please let me know. Additionally- as far as window tint manufacturers go, which one do you guys recommend? And for that matter, if any of you know a good place in Orange County, CA, that doesn't charge an arm and a leg for tinting that does a great job, plz let me know as well. So far I have looked at the Formula One tint, and the Bekaert Solar Gard. Formula One carries a film "Pinnacle" that doesn't interfere with the GPS signal, but it's kinda pricey. Any thoughts/help? Thanks guys, Byran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloozeman Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 I just had my 2006 GS430 tinted by the dealer and so far so good. I believe the sensor under the brake light in the rear window is actually the sensor that the dashboard uses to react to ambient light for glare, etc. I am not sure where the GPS is. I am not sure what film the dealer used but it definitely does not seem to affect the GPS at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byran Posted March 4, 2006 Author Share Posted March 4, 2006 Ended up going with Formula One Pinnacle Series 15% all 5 windows. Car looks REALLY good. I called up the dealer as well, and it turns out they generally use a crappy dyed film- and charge up the wazoo. I'm not saying it's the norm everywhere, but all three dealers I called in the OC used dyed stuff, or hoped for the best with the metallic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloozeman Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Not sure what film they used at my dealer but I know it isn't the crappy dyed variety. I have 30 on the sides and 20 in the rear. Can't do anything greather than 30 on the driver and passenger windows here in AZ. :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rx330driver Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Back to the question about the sensors. If its the same as my two lexus cars, the headlight sensor is in the front corner, driver side, its like a round circle...but from what i hear, thats in the back now?. if the gps has the same antenna as my rx330, it is right under the front dash, or rather right under the windshield...so i hope this helps. If i were you, i would go back to the dealer...cant go wrong with the dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGISL3V0E0R06 Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 I just had my 2006 GS430 tinted by the dealer and so far so good. I believe the sensor under the brake light in the rear window is actually the sensor that the dashboard uses to react to ambient light for glare, etc. I am not sure where the GPS is. I am not sure what film the dealer used but it definitely does not seem to affect the GPS at all. Hi i want to tint my 06 gs300 too anyone know a good area in Los angeles area i live in glendale and work in marina del rey and what percentage tint should i use and what color if anyone has any input on this it would be greatly appreciated thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byran Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 So here's what I found out: Most dealers DO use standard dyed film, and they charge an arm and a leg for it. The step up from dyed is the metallicized/dyed film, but that can cause problems with your radio reception, cell phone signal, and GPS signal. The step up from that is full metallicized film- but that often causes interference because of its full metal properties. The best film to use (if you don't want the purple fading attributed to dyed film, and excellent UV and heat blocking properties) is ceramic film provided that you have electronics in the car that can be interfered with. Full ceramic film will NOT interfere with the reception of any electronic object. Additionally, the best shops will have a full line of a manufacturer's product, and not just a few lines. Beware of the ones that only have (for instance) 3 out of 5 lines of SolarGard- the good places carry all of them. Also- the best shops will NOT use more than one piece of tint for your back window. The best tint I have found is Formula One and Huper Optik as far as their ceramic line goes. And as far as percentage? The lower the number, the darker the tint. However, all tint percentages are not created equal. I used a 15% Formula One Pinnacle tint by Formula One, and because my car is the cashmere color on the inside, but black paint on the outside, the tint does not look nearly as dark as it might otherwise look with a black interior. Try to find a shop that will help you visualize your tint by putting pieces (large ones, if possible) up to the window so you can get a clear picture of the tint's look on your car. Remember, you just spent $50K+ on your car, so don't let them rush you into putting just anything on there. Oh- and as far as places to go? I called around, asked what kind of tint they used, and asked to see samples. I visited a few places, all of which I found by using the online yellow pages. If you feel like coming down to Orange County, I'll refer you to the place I used- they did an excellent job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGISL3V0E0R06 Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 So here's what I found out: Most dealers DO use standard dyed film, and they charge an arm and a leg for it. The step up from dyed is the metallicized/dyed film, but that can cause problems with your radio reception, cell phone signal, and GPS signal. The step up from that is full metallicized film- but that often causes interference because of its full metal properties. The best film to use (if you don't want the purple fading attributed to dyed film, and excellent UV and heat blocking properties) is ceramic film provided that you have electronics in the car that can be interfered with. Full ceramic film will NOT interfere with the reception of any electronic object. Additionally, the best shops will have a full line of a manufacturer's product, and not just a few lines. Beware of the ones that only have (for instance) 3 out of 5 lines of SolarGard- the good places carry all of them. Also- the best shops will NOT use more than one piece of tint for your back window. The best tint I have found is Formula One and Huper Optik as far as their ceramic line goes. And as far as percentage? The lower the number, the darker the tint. However, all tint percentages are not created equal. I used a 15% Formula One Pinnacle tint by Formula One, and because my car is the cashmere color on the inside, but black paint on the outside, the tint does not look nearly as dark as it might otherwise look with a black interior. Try to find a shop that will help you visualize your tint by putting pieces (large ones, if possible) up to the window so you can get a clear picture of the tint's look on your car. Remember, you just spent $50K+ on your car, so don't let them rush you into putting just anything on there. Oh- and as far as places to go? I called around, asked what kind of tint they used, and asked to see samples. I visited a few places, all of which I found by using the online yellow pages. If you feel like coming down to Orange County, I'll refer you to the place I used- they did an excellent job. Thanks a lot bro your input shed some light into what to get when tinting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloozeman Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 Thanks a lot bro your input shed some light into what to get when tinting I agree... thanks for the info. If anything starts even looking sqirly with my tint over the next year or so I will make the dealer redo it with ceramic tint. One of the biggest reasons I had it done at the dealer was because on top of the $4400 I got off of MSRP on my fully loaded 430 I also negotiated any "after market" options at their cost. :D I had my 98 GS400 serviced with them for the past 8 years so I know I will not have any issues getting them to redo anything I am not satisfied with. Oh and when I said anything greater that 30 I did mean darker, i.e., 20, 15, etc. On my Flint Mica exterior with ash/black interior 30 looks pretty dark but I may have gone a little darker on the sides if it wasn't for the laws here in AZ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byran Posted March 10, 2006 Author Share Posted March 10, 2006 No problem at all- glad I could help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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