dumb question: first winter after car got tinted. car feels colder under the sun?

DavyNM · 01-25-2025, 10:45 AM

yes, I know this is a dumb question because it probably is.

I got my new BMW two years ago.(early 2023) I didn't get it tinted until August 2024. the tint that I got was the xpel "xr plus" with 35% all around except the windshield. I also had the panoramic glass roof tinted with same 35% tint. The windshield just has a 5% strip on the top, also xpel xr plus.

This week was the first really cold winter experience since then. I'm trying to figure out if it's my imagination that the car feels colder even under full bright sunlight? outside temperature was about 32 degrees. The seats felt really cold when I got inside. Before I had any tint, the car felt somewhat warm when parked outside under the same conditions. Is the tint just basically doing what it's supposed to be doing by blocking out the sun's heat, even in the middle of winter?

e92tincan · 01-25-2025, 11:06 AM

must be some pretty good tints, but yeah tints help keep the inner temps low

BMWbiker · 01-25-2025, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavyNM

yes, I know this is a dumb question because it probably is.

I got my new BMW two years ago.(early 2023) I didn't get it tinted until August 2024. the tint that I got was the xpel "xr plus" with 35% all around except the windshield. I also had the panoramic glass roof tinted with same 35% tint. The windshield just has a 5% strip on the top, also xpel xr plus.

This week was the first really cold winter experience since then. I'm trying to figure out if it's my imagination that the car feels colder even under full bright sunlight? outside temperature was about 32 degrees. The seats felt really cold when I got inside. Before I had any tint, the car felt somewhat warm when parked outside under the same conditions. Is the tint just basically doing what it's supposed to be doing by blocking out the sun's heat, even in the middle of winter?

Yes.

tturedraider · 01-26-2025, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavyNM

yes, I know this is a dumb question because it probably is.

I got my new BMW two years ago.(early 2023) I didn't get it tinted until August 2024. the tint that I got was the xpel "xr plus" with 35% all around except the windshield. I also had the panoramic glass roof tinted with same 35% tint. The windshield just has a 5% strip on the top, also xpel xr plus.

This week was the first really cold winter experience since then. I'm trying to figure out if it's my imagination that the car feels colder even under full bright sunlight? outside temperature was about 32 degrees. The seats felt really cold when I got inside. Before I had any tint, the car felt somewhat warm when parked outside under the same conditions. Is the tint just basically doing what it's supposed to be doing by blocking out the sun's heat, even in the middle of winter?

That’s how tint works. Did you think the inanimate tint was going to somehow know what the season was and work a different way? I don’t normally say things like this, but your initial assessment of your question is correct.

shawnhayes · 01-26-2025, 02:10 PM

This is why tint exits. Reducing transfer of solar energy into the car reduces brightness in your eyes, and damage to the interior of the car from the energy.

Not really a dumb question, but tint would be useless if it didn't do this.

Unless somebody only wanted it to reduce visible light and not UV and went out of their way to make a tint that didn't do that.

Shawn

thebmw · 01-26-2025, 02:19 PM

I recently put oil in my car and the engine runs soother, even when idling. Is this a coincidence?

Sorry OP, I had to. Tints not only reduce UV, they reduce heat transmission. That is actually their primary purpose. The fact that they look better is a nice side benefit.

No one · 01-27-2025, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tturedraider

That’s how tint works. Did you think the inanimate tint was going to somehow know what the season was and work a different way? I don’t normally say things like this, but your initial assessment of your question is correct.

Do you know inanimate one-way (mirror) tint works "effectively" differently day and night? It does not need to know what's the time as it works in a uniform way actually, making the brighter side visible to the dimmer, but still.

They say dark colours accumulate heat (besides restricting visibility when tinting).

If you presume your tinted windows "seize" all the sunlight heat emitting nothing inside, you could allow they would keep your cabin heat inside too.

The difference between UV and IR seems so subtle

that I still struggle to remember which of them is reportedly converted from sunlight into heat by a Japanese (Mitsubishi?) technology padding in my Porsche Design vest: as IR is emitted by heated objects converting heat to heat would look a joke/cheating, so it must be UV then.

My first car reportedly had UV seizing glass all around (I did not have my polarized sunglasses to make sure then yet

). It wasn't that garbage dark

but it seemed to work: I never drove with windows opened (to keep dust outside

) but it was tolerable in summer despite no cabin air cooling function.

rlampare · 01-27-2025, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shawnhayes

This is why tint exits. Reducing transfer of solar energy into the car reduces brightness in your eyes, and damage to the interior of the car from the energy.

Not really a dumb question, but tint would be useless if it didn't do this.

Unless somebody only wanted it to reduce visible light and not UV and went out of their way to make a tint that didn't do that.

Shawn

So tint does all that? I just had it installed because it looks bitchen… Who knew? 😳

shawnhayes · 01-28-2025, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlampare

So tint does all that? I just had it installed because it looks bitchen… Who knew? 😳

Just like “who knew healthcare was so complicated”.

EVERYONE

Shawn

rlampare · 01-29-2025, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shawnhayes

Just like “who knew healthcare was so complicated”.

EVERYONE

Shawn

Good Trump quote from the first term.

jzeiler4 · 02-01-2025, 11:08 AM

I'll bet it felt 35% colder.

DavyNM · 02-12-2025, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jzeiler4

I'll bet it felt 35% colder.

the window tint installer told me that he would be happy to fix the problem and make my car feel nice and warm again under the sunlight. he would even do it for free(in exhange for money, $15 per window)

well... it does involve removing all the window tint film.

01-25-2025, 10:45 AM	#1
DavyNM Private 42 Rep 79 Posts Drives: Acura + BMW Join Date: Jan 2025 Location: NM iTrader: (0)	dumb question: first winter after car got tinted. car feels colder under the sun? yes, I know this is a dumb question because it probably is. I got my new BMW two years ago.(early 2023) I didn't get it tinted until August 2024. the tint that I got was the xpel "xr plus" with 35% all around except the windshield. I also had the panoramic glass roof tinted with same 35% tint. The windshield just has a 5% strip on the top, also xpel xr plus. This week was the first really cold winter experience since then. I'm trying to figure out if it's my imagination that the car feels colder even under full bright sunlight? outside temperature was about 32 degrees. The seats felt really cold when I got inside. Before I had any tint, the car felt somewhat warm when parked outside under the same conditions. Is the tint just basically doing what it's supposed to be doing by blocking out the sun's heat, even in the middle of winter?
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01-25-2025, 11:06 AM	#2
e92tincan Kevin 3 Rep 7 Posts Drives: BMW 335xi & F15 X5 Join Date: Dec 2024 Location: New york iTrader: (0)	must be some pretty good tints, but yeah tints help keep the inner temps low
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01-26-2025, 02:10 PM	#5
shawnhayes Lieutenant Colonel 2106 Rep 1,567 Posts Drives: 24XM,24M3 CS,24 i4, 25 M4 CS Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	This is why tint exits. Reducing transfer of solar energy into the car reduces brightness in your eyes, and damage to the interior of the car from the energy. Not really a dumb question, but tint would be useless if it didn't do this. Unless somebody only wanted it to reduce visible light and not UV and went out of their way to make a tint that didn't do that. Shawn
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01-26-2025, 02:19 PM	#6
thebmw Post Advisor 1982 Rep 1,854 Posts Drives: More Manuals than Automatics Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Illinois iTrader: (10)	I recently put oil in my car and the engine runs soother, even when idling. Is this a coincidence? Sorry OP, I had to. Tints not only reduce UV, they reduce heat transmission. That is actually their primary purpose. The fact that they look better is a nice side benefit.
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02-01-2025, 11:08 AM	#11
jzeiler4 Captain 363 Rep 610 Posts Drives: 2021 M240i xDrive vert Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Hazel Green, AL iTrader: (0)	I'll bet it felt 35% colder.
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