OEM glass or "dealer glass"?

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Dorzak

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If you look at Auto parts a lot of places say “meets OEM specs” or “meets manufacturers specs” it doesn’t mean it is Ford Glass.
 

Going_Going_Gone

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We stopped using Safelite around fifteen years ago. Got tired of dealing with several optically distorted and/or warped windshields that the wiper blades would skip over. We use a small independent company and they've been outstanding. They've been using Pilkington glass. Even replaced a windshield that developed a stress crack a couple weeks after install at no charge.
 

Daniel Drew

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Just had my 18 limited windshield tinted with ceramic 70% for the wife, my tint guy said these newer ones are harder to get to the tint to stick on the edges. Said the black on the edges is different than on older vehicles. He did say if I ever replaced it to come to his shop for the replacement and he would tint the windshield before they put it in.
 

rjdelp7

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Most dealers 'farm out' the glass repairs. Can someone explain what ceramic tint does. In NY it's illegal to tint a windshield. The cars I see with side tint, are usually young guys with lowered Civics
 

flying68

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Most dealers 'farm out' the glass repairs. Can someone explain what ceramic tint does. In NY it's illegal to tint a windshield. The cars I see with side tint, are usually young guys with lowered Civics
There are only a couple of states where it is legal to put any tiny on a windshield below the AS1 line (or some fixed measurement). Most states also limit the tint on side windows as well but the laws are much more varied.
 
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DenSanAZ

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Most dealers 'farm out' the glass repairs. Can someone explain what ceramic tint does. In NY it's illegal to tint a windshield. The cars I see with side tint, are usually young guys with lowered Civics
Ceramic tint is better than regular tinted film (and much more expensive). It has a lifetime warranty against fading, cracking, bubbling. It blocks something like 90% of UV rays and the majority of heat (which tinted film does not). For front windshield, it does come in 0% tint so there is no visible light change but it's still providing the UV and heat reduction. Since mine was put in (same application as regular tinted film) the heat reduction is incredible, I can actually get into the car after it's been sitting in the Arizona sun for hours and it's not a roasting blast furnace, takes the A/C minutes to cool down instead of 20 min like before the ceramic. Clear tint in windshields is allowed in AZ, 15% tint for front windows, no limit on back. My tint is 20% on privacy glass in rear, 35% on front windows (illegal but from outside the windows all look the same shade). I just drove at night for first time with the tint and the 35% in front is actually a bit too dark. If I get pulled over, I'll have to remember to lower the front windows before the office walks up!
 

flying68

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Ceramic tint is better than regular tinted film (and much more expensive). It has a lifetime warranty against fading, cracking, bubbling. It blocks something like 90% of UV rays and the majority of heat (which tinted film does not). For front windshield, it does come in 0% tint so there is no visible light change but it's still providing the UV and heat reduction. Since mine was put in (same application as regular tinted film) the heat reduction is incredible, I can actually get into the car after it's been sitting in the Arizona sun for hours and it's not a roasting blast furnace, takes the A/C minutes to cool down instead of 20 min like before the ceramic. Clear tint in windshields is allowed in AZ, 15% tint for front windows, no limit on back. My tint is 20% on privacy glass in rear, 35% on front windows (illegal but from outside the windows all look the same shade). I just drove at night for first time with the tint and the 35% in front is actually a bit too dark. If I get pulled over, I'll have to remember to lower the front windows before the office walks up!
Most tint is in terms of visible light transmissivity, so 0% would be opaque, 100% is clear. Also to be legal the total transmissivity must be measured so if you add a tint film to a factory tinted glass the total is the film % times the factory %.
 

lobsenza

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I have clear on my windshield and it is invisible. No way to tell unless you didn't tint the entire thing (I did this once to leave a corner for the inspection sticker, fortunately, not an issue with the new TX stickers).
 
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