Even an inexperienced motorist can remove the tint film. This will require improvised means, patience and accuracy.
There are many reasons why it is necessary to remove the tint film. Replacing an old or damaged tint with a new one, unwillingness to pay fines for the low throughput of tinted glass, the inconvenience of driving a car - these are the main ones.
Preparatory work
Before starting work on removing the tint film, carefully examine the window module and, if necessary, dismantle the seals and various decorative trims.
Carefully memorize or write down the order of their installation and placement in order to avoid difficulties in installing them in place after the glass has been tinted.
The way for the patient
Auxiliary tools are not needed, with the exception of a sharp knife.
Pry the edge of the tint film at the top of the glass with the tip of a knife and begin to slowly pull it diagonally downwards and towards you.
When tinting the side windows, the work will go better if these glasses are slightly lowered (drown).
Keep the film “stretched”, it should be stretched evenly across the entire width of the tear-off from the glass. With patience and noticeable physical effort, you can remove the film from the glass in one piece.
An important pattern - the slower the film is removed, the less glue will remain on the glass.
To facilitate the removal process, some motorists cut the film into strips from 5 to 15 cm wide. With this approach, special physical efforts are not required when tinting the glass, the film is separated slowly but surely.
Detergent
Prepare an aqueous solution of any detergent. Add 30 ml of product to 1 liter of water, mix thoroughly and pour into the sprayer.
Use a spray bottle to apply the detergent solution to the top of the glass so that the liquid reaches the top edge of the tint film.
After waiting about a minute for the product to get into the tiny gap between the film and the car glass, pry the top corner of the film with a sharp knife and slowly pull the film towards you and down.
After separating a small section of the film from the glass, wipe off the tear strip between the glass and the film with detergent from a spray bottle. After waiting from a few seconds to a minute, pull the film again, separating it from the glass.
So that the tint film does not tear, it is very important to evenly distribute the pulling force over the entire peeling plane. By repeating the described sequence of actions several times, you will imperceptibly get to the bottom of the glass, separating the final segment of the film from the glass.
hair dryer
A high-temperature building hair dryer is best suited for this procedure, but if this is not available, it does not matter - an ordinary home hair dryer will do.
Set the building hair dryer to minimum temperature, in the household appliance, set the maximum temperature.
After warming up the corner of the glass, with a sharp knife, separate the edge of the tint film from it. Gently and slowly pull the film towards you and down. Pause, heat up the peel-off strip with a hair dryer and pull the film again. And so - to the very bottom of the window.
It is much more convenient to remove the film with a hair dryer together, when one of them, observing the uniform tension of the film, pulls it, and the second hair dryer evenly heats the peeling area.
The main thing at the same time is not to overheat the glass, otherwise it will. And be careful with plastic parts- from high temperature they are easily deformed.
Ammonia
Ammonia, it is also a solution of ammonia, it is also ammonium hydroxide, apply to the surface of the tint film.
Cover it with a piece polyethylene film, V last resort A few plastic trash bags will do.
After an hour and a half, the tint film under the influence of chemically active substances will soften and shrink, peeling off the glass.
You will finally have to separate it from the window surface without any special physical effort.
Water
As in the previous staining method, moisten the surface of the film with warm soapy water, but cover it not with polyethylene, but glue newspaper sheets over the entire plane of the window.
Moisten the surface of newspapers periodically with soapy water for an hour.
After the specified time, the tint film will soften and easily separate from the glass surface.
Soapy water can be replaced with window cleaner. The cheapest and angriest option is to use the usual one, without any additives.
Removing adhesive residue from glass
Rarely enough, it is possible to remove the tint film from the glass so that there is no glue left on it.
Minor traces of glue can be easily washed off with glass cleaners using a soft sponge or rag.
In more complex cases, glue stains from the tint film will have to be washed off the glass with a scraper, after wetting the glass surface with detergent.
In especially severe cases, you will have to use medical alcohol, acetone, solvents, or a mixture of gasoline and vinegar. Avoid getting these aggressive substances on the upholstery and interior panels.
Good luck to you! May you succeed!
For some reason, there is a need for glasses. The service is offered by a car service, but if there is very little time, it is quite possible to do this in the garage. The costs are penny, and the quality depends only on you.
1 Toning - reasons to get rid of glass tinting
Desire from the glass comes by itself different reasons. The rules of the road allow you to tint windows, adhering to certain standards. The rear window can be tinted as you like, provided that the car is equipped with side mirrors on both sides. Restrictions also do not apply to the side rear windows. On the windshield, you can stick a strip with a width of no more than 14 cm of any transparency. The light transmission capacity of other tinted glasses is at least 70%.
Most drivers are not afraid of traffic police fines for incorrect tinting - only 500 rubles. But some people think it's better to remove the wrong toning than once again communicate with the inspector and pay a fine. It is also necessary to tint when the film coating becomes unusable. It exfoliates, bubbles appear, which does not paint the car, impairs visibility. When the glass is damaged, but its restoration is possible, the film is also removed. You can also change the design by changing the film.
2 Removal without heating - a knife and water to help
It's not that hard on your own. You should arm yourself with a razor blade or a clerical knife, a hard kitchen sponge, glass cleaner. A knife or blade as the main working tool is suitable if the tint film is pasted recently. For the process to go smoothly, there is no need to rush. We pry the edge of the film with a knife, trying not to scratch the glass. Pull down, keeping a slight angle in relation to the glass.
If you're lucky, the film will come off intact, there will be glue in some places. But not always luck accompanies, it often happens that the film is torn and pieces of it remain on the glass. We take rubber spatula and scrape off the remaining pieces with it, moving from top to bottom. We pour glass with any household detergent and wash it. Then wipe dry. Avoid getting liquid on the rubber seals. The method is simple: close them with a rag. The liquid will not come into contact with the rubber, the seals will not lose their properties. It will not get under the door trim either: a simple rag will protect the wiring from a short circuit, and the metal from corrosion.
3 Dismantling the tint - using a hair dryer to heat
It often happens that the film does not want to leave the glass as a whole: the edges move away easily, and the center is torn. We'll have to do it differently: you need a building hair dryer - you can use a regular one to dry your hair - and an assistant. We turn on the device to the minimum heating temperature. One person heats the glass from the outside, the second is in the cabin. The main thing for this technology is not to overheat, so that the film does not float or, God forbid, the glass does not burst.
Adhering to simple rules, it will be possible to easily and accurately remove the tint from the glasses:
- The man in the cabin pry the edge of the film with a knife and hold it with his fingers, pulling it a little. The worker, who is outside, directs the air flow onto the glass.
- It is heated in a place where the film has come off on one side, and the other is still on the glass. Constant tension allows you to smoothly separate it from the surface.
- Significant heating of rubber and plastic parts should be avoided. A building hair dryer can heat up the surface very much, which will harm rubber and plastic.
If it is possible to use a steam generator, then you should use it. It works more efficiently than a hair dryer. Hot steam is supplied under pressure, heating the glass. The film lends itself easily, in addition to it, the steam generator will help get rid of traces of glue. Be careful: hot steam can easily burn you.
To dismantle the tint using a hair dryer or a steam generator should only be at a positive temperature. At big difference between the temperature of heated glass and air, it can crack.
4 Rear window - features of removing tinting
The tint film on the rear window is more difficult to remove than on the side windows. Heating filaments are placed on it in the form of thin strips of metallized paste, varnished. They are not always strong enough to withstand mechanical stress. Their quality depends on the paste itself, the age of the car, the time elapsed after tinting, and the brand of the film. It is impossible to determine the state of the threads under the film in any way. No one can guarantee that some thread will not break.
Only heating with a hair dryer or steam generator is used. You should act as carefully as possible, without making sharp jerks. Requires coordinated work of two people. One should feel good where and how much to warm up, the second - when and with what force to pull. If you work carefully and smoothly, then the film will move away from the rear window without pulling the heating threads with it. If they still break in some place, you will have to change the heated glass or repair the threads with conductive glue. The view will not be great.
5 Problem film - ammonia solution will help
It happens that the film clings to the glass with a stranglehold: they tried it with a knife and a hairdryer - to no avail. This happens more often when tinted in a car service. Instead of expensive automotive glue, workers use cheap construction adhesive, from which the film cannot be torn off. But there is always a way out of even the most hopeless situation. Ammonia solution will help or, simply, ordinary ammonia bought at a pharmacy.
We carefully treat the entire surface of the tinting with a solution. We take a piece of transparent cellophane and fix it on the film. It does not allow ammonia to evaporate, it reacts with the tint film, is absorbed into it, turns the glue into a semi-liquid state. After 10 minutes, it becomes noticeable that the film shrinks and softens. Now we remove it, wash off the remnants with water, wipe dry and wipe with ordinary alcohol. When using ammonia, do not forget about the protection of other surfaces.
6 Rinse off the adhesive – act without delay
The adhesive remaining on the glass is erased immediately, immediately after removing the tint. If you leave the work for later, the glue will become cloudy, dry, and attract dust. Usually it is washed off easily: a sponge and a soapy solution turn it into spools that fall off the glass. But it happens that it is not possible to cope in this way - it is glued to the conscience. They grab onto the solvent, it will really wash the glue off the glass. But the smell from it in the cabin is unbearable, drops that have fallen on rubber, plastic, spoil them. If we use a solvent, close the casing, seal the seals with adhesive tape.
When the glue does not lend itself to a scraper, water, we try other means: gasoline, alcohol, stain remover, glass cleaners, including those special for cars. We apply any agent on the glass, rub it with a rag. Repeat several times until all the glue is washed off. You can use old newspapers or rags. We apply detergent to the glass, glue newspapers or rags. Moisturize as it dries. After a few hours, moistening for the last time, remove, remove the glue and wash the glass. The advantage of the method is that it is possible to work with all glasses at the same time.
Removing unwanted tinting is easy and quite possible at home. Difficulties are possible when removing the film from the rear window and with glue, but some method will still work.
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For modern drivers, the issue of tinting is one of the most relevant. With the ever-increasing penalties for tinted windows, motorists have to take action. Otherwise, they face a considerable fine and a spoiled mood. However, the removal of tinting does not always occur under pain of administrative punishment. Someone bought, but does not see either beauty or convenience in tinting; for someone it has become damaged over time and needs to be replaced; and someone is forced to get rid of it by selling the car to a new owner, who categorically does not like dimming windows.
Modern car services have felt the "gold mine", widely advertising their services for removing tint film from car windows. But you will have to pay for the services of professionals. How to avoid it? Very simple - remove the tint yourself. Doing this manipulation with your own hands will allow the owner of the car to save not only cash, but also time - there will be no need to drive the car to the service and stand in lines.
If you just pry and pull off the tint from the glass, the result is unlikely to please you.
At first, the process of removing the tint film will not seem simple to an inexperienced car owner, but this is only at first glance. Anyone can cope with this work, but before starting it, you need to familiarize yourself with some of the nuances, take into account the mistakes often made in this matter.
Wrong are those who believe that to remove tinting, you just need to gently pry off its edges with a sharp object - a thin blade or a sharpened knife, and then slowly pull it off the glass surface. Many people use this artisanal method, but later they notice it on glass mechanical damage, glue residue, knife cuts, etc. It is almost impossible to avoid them, and it can be quite difficult to correct the situation.
Let's open a little secret: for a professional result, there is a special technology. Having carefully studied and understood the theory of how to remove old tint from glass, it is not difficult to put it into practice.
Four easy steps
The heated film is removed from the glass much easier
First, we are looking for an assistant. Together, this process will be easier, faster and much better. One of the craftsmen heats the glass with a building hair dryer, while the second one carefully removes the film. If a building hair dryer is not at hand, a regular, hairdressing hair dryer or heat gun. The main condition is to heat the glass surface evenly, eliminating the possibility of hot air getting on the plastic parts around it. If you neglect this advice, you will have to face an unpleasant surprise - the plastic will lose its shape when it melts.
Secondly, we choose suitable premises for work. Since we have to remove the tint from the glass using a heating device, cold garages and low-temperature boxes are absolutely not suitable. If they heat the glass, there will be a sharp temperature difference. The reaction to it will not keep you waiting - the glass surface will be covered with cracks, or even burst.
Thirdly, we heat the glass correctly. The ideal heating temperature is 40 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the adhesive on which the film “sits” will soften properly, and the film will not yet begin to melt. Together, this will ensure ease of removal of tinting.
Fourth, we still use a knife, but only to slightly pry off the edge of the film. Under no circumstances should you scrape the surface of the glass!
finishing touches
To facilitate the process of removing the film, you can use a special tool
If all the steps of the above technology are followed correctly, the result will pleasantly surprise you. The tint film can be easily and effortlessly removed along with the adhesive. The glass surface does not have to be processed subsequently, removing sticky traces. But, as they say, the first pancake is lumpy, and if it didn’t work out the first time to carefully remove the tint from the glass without traces of glue, then you can get rid of it with special means. If you do not want to spend money, then ordinary water with a detergent diluted in it will do. However, this cleaning method will take more time - after wetting the glass with water, you will have to wait 15 - 20 minutes, and then carefully remove the adhesive traces with a scraper.
Given the tightening of requirements for the light transmission ability of tint films, especially for windshield and front windows and lighting fixtures, some users need to remove them. Besides old film must be removed if replaced. This article discusses how to remove tint from the glass and headlights of a car yourself at home in two ways.
Relevance
The service in question is offered in car services, however, after the introduction of more stringent requirements for the light transmission ability of car tint film, the cost per removal this material increased somewhat. The same requirements forced many users to get rid of glass tinting, especially the windshield and front side and headlights. Therefore, in order to save money, they began to carry out these works on their own.
Many carried out the removal of the tint film in the simplest way, that is, they picked up the edge of the material with a sharp object and pulled it together. However, after that, fragments of the film and glue remain on the glass. To completely clean the glass of a car, you can use any of the technologies described below: material removal with or without heating. Visual tutorials for removing tint film can be found on the Internet in video format.
Removal with heat
To remove the film from the glass and headlights of the car in this way yourself, you need to get some tools. First of all, you will need an industrial hair dryer, although similar devices will work, for example, you can use a household hair dryer or steamer. In addition, you will need a small amount of water and a few rags. In addition, it is desirable to find an assistant for the implementation of the work in question, as this will speed up and simplify their implementation.
Removal of tinting using heating method should be carried out only at positive ambient temperatures, otherwise heating can lead to glass cracking.
Tinting begins with the fact that one of the performers heats the glass of the car with an industrial hair dryer or other similar tool. Some recommend starting heating from the rear side windows. When processing car glass from the passenger compartment, do not allow hot air to act on rubber and plastic parts for a long time.
The heating temperature should not exceed 40°C, as this value is enough for the adhesive to melt, and more heating can lead to melting of the tint.
During glass processing, the hair dryer should be kept at a distance of up to 5 cm from working surface for about a minute over one area of the glass. After heating the film fragment, the second performer pulls together the material softened as a result of this, folding it into a tube so that it does not stick back. To do this, you need to pry its edge with a knife or some similar sharp object and slowly pull the material.
It is important not to apply too much force or try to peel off the film quickly, as this may cause it to break, and the material will have to be pry off again, or the adhesive will remain on the surface of the glass or headlights. If, after removing the film, glue remains on the work surface, you need to wipe it immediately, since the heated glue is easy to remove even with a rag.
Film removal without heating
The first stage of this technology for removing tinting from the glass and headlights of a car is identical to the second stage of the method discussed above, that is, the work begins with the fact that the film is immediately pryed off with a sharp object and pulled off the car glass. Immediately after that, the glass cleaned of the material is poured with detergent and treated with a rubber scraper.
In the course of these works, glue and tinting residues are removed from its surface. Scraping is carried out from top to bottom across the entire width of the glass. If there is still glue left on the glass after such cleaning, then GT 154 glass cleaner should be applied to it. The glue also quickly dissolves with acetone and thinner 646. After cleaning, the glass is wiped dry with a soft cloth.
Before application detergents it is advisable to put rags over the door seals to prevent liquid from getting under the skin, which can lead to a short circuit in the wiring and corrosion of the metal. In addition, this will maintain the elasticity and elasticity of the seals.
Removing tint from the rear window
Separately, you should consider how to remove the tint from the rear window of the car yourself. The fact is that its shading requires taking into account some nuances. As with the removal of the film from the other glasses, it is important not to damage it and the adjacent elements of the interior and bodywork. But besides this, it must be borne in mind that in many cars the rear window is equipped with heating in the form of threads, and an antenna strip passes through it, therefore, in the process of dismantling the tinting material, these elements may be damaged.
In view of this, it is necessary to remove the film from the rear window of the car very carefully, without sharp jerks. In this case, it is recommended to carry out work using heating technology.
This will soften the adhesive, allowing you to carefully remove the material without damaging the heating filament and antenna strip. In case of damage, such strips can be purchased in liquid form.
conclusions
So, from the information above, it is clear that tinting the windows and lighting fixtures of a car is very simple and quick to do with your own hands, so many users can do it. For the successful completion of these works, it is necessary to follow the given sequence of the chosen method of removing material, accuracy in relation to the glasses and the elements of the body and interior of the car adjacent to them and located near the headlights. There is no need to exert excessive effort and rush. To see the implementation of the considered works visually, you can watch the video.
This article shows only two main ways to remove tint, in fact there are many more. Other methods can also be found on the Internet. In any case, if the described methods seem difficult in order to remove the tint with your own hands in accordance with them, you can not do this at home, but contact the service.
Car window tinting is carried out by the owners for various reasons - someone does not like to drive in an "aquarium" in which there is no hiding from prying eyes, someone wants to give their car an aggressive appearance. Plus, it's sunny.
The reasons why you have to remove the tint film from the windows of a car can also be different - from the requirement of a traffic police inspector to the desire of the owner to “refresh” the appearance of the car by sticking a different tint.
How to remove tint film from car glass? Is it possible to do this on my own or is it better to immediately ask the nearest car service - how much does it cost to remove the tint from them?
Removing tint with a hair dryer
No special tools are required to remove the old tint.
No special tools are required for this. A bucket with warm soapy water, a stationery knife, possibly a sharp, narrow (8-10 cm) spatula. Ideally, if there is a hair dryer - why we need it, we will tell later.
How to remove window tint yourself
High-quality American-made films are removed quite simply. How to quickly remove such a tint?
The side glass needs to be lowered a little - not flush with the edge of the glass, but with a slight deviation from it - by a few millimeters. It is enough to pry off the edge of the film with the blade of a clerical knife.
Next, tear off the film along the entire width of the glass so that its edge can be comfortably grasped with the fingers of both hands. Pull down and tear off, at the right time raising the glass.
If the glass is pressed tightly enough against the sealing gum, it can be removed by first lowering the glass to the stop - so the film does not subsequently come off at the edges.
But tinting films made in China are of poor quality. To their main disadvantage - they quickly fade - are added the difficulties associated with peeling off the film. As a rule, the film does not separate from the glass in a wide layer, but is torn off from it in narrow strips.
How to remove the old Chinese tint
Immediately before removing the film, it is necessary to heat the glass with a hairdryer - this will soften the adhesive layer. Prying off the edge of the film, you should gently pull it down, it is advisable to moisten the area of the glass freed from tinting with warm soapy water. In order not to suffer later, tearing off small patches of the remaining glued film, do not make sharp jerks and warm the glass with a hairdryer. If you heat the film, it will stretch and will not tear.
After the film is removed from the glass, the remaining glue should be removed from it.
How to remove tint from rear window
Removing the tint from the heated rear window
Remove the tint from the heated rear window very carefully so as not to damage the glass heating filaments.
Basically, the procedure is the same as when removing tint from the side windows. The only difference is that you need to work very carefully so as not to damage the glass heating filaments. Of course, there are compounds for their restoration on sale, but usually their use does not bring results - either the product is mostly of poor quality, or the repair technology is not followed.
Therefore, it is better not to take risks and, when peeling off the film, heat the glass with a hairdryer. In addition, it would be useful to turn on the heating itself - at least the adhesive layer will be softened along the threads.
When removing adhesive residue, do not use excessive force or move your hand along the threads.
How to remove glue from tinting
Glue remover after tint removal
You can remove the glue after removing the tint and simple means for washing windows.
Usually, after the owner of the car has removed the tint, glue remains on the glass. How to erase it?
The knife will scratch the glass, it is better to use a coarse cloth dipped in soapy water. If the aqueous solution does not "take" the glue, you can try to remove it with a solvent. The solvent can stain the plastic sheathing, so be careful. Different manufacturers may use different adhesives, so it's worth experimenting which solvent is best. Commercially available solvents can be divided into two groups - petroleum (white spirit, solvent) and xylene (646 -650).
To remove the tint, while leaving the glass clean, you can also use a special liquid for removing the tint film. Typically, these products are available in aerosol packaging. But do not rush to buy means for removing the tint film from glass - "home" methods are also quite effective.
In any case, removing tinting with your own hands is a simple task. If you still sometimes need to hide what is in the cabin from prying eyes, or for some other reason, then, as an option, you can purchase a removable tint for the front windows - it costs much more, but you can use it repeatedly.
