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Factory Tint - No UV or Heat Protection?

16K views 23 replies 12 participants last post by  Dan JGC 
#1 ·
Aaargh! I just read that the factory tint on the rear windows provides no UV or heat protection and is for privacy only. I did not know this.

My Jeep sits outside for lengthy periods and I certainly want max UV protection at the high altitudes in CO (I live at 7000'). I just had the front windows tinted to match the rears and the tint shop mentioned nothing about this.

Can anyone confirm with certainty that there is no UV or heat protection from the factory tint, before I head back to the tint shop? Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Bob, I was told the same thing by an aftermarket tint installer and ended up getting sucked into buying the rear tint as well for UV/Heat protection.

That said, I was never able to confirm from another source that factory provided no protection. Where did you see this? Thanks.
 
#8 ·
Not to interject on this thread as I have no imperical proof but there must be some UV protection from darker glass as that is the stated reason most beer makers use dark brown glass instead of clear glass (Miller) for their beer.

I also tinted my dark glass (very light tint) for better UV protection but I'll bet it does provide some as it comes from the factory. Plus, the tint holds the glass together better from a shard perspective in an accident, or so I have noticed from my experience dealing with at least one or two auto accidents.
 
#9 ·
No UV protection? Nonsense. All glass cuts out quite a bit of UV rays, even non-tinted glass. I remember that from college physics. So to say NO UV protection is nonsense.

From a quick google search:

"To summarize briefly: some ultraviolet rays can pass through car window glass, although most of the burning (as opposed to tanning) rays can't. On the other hand, most sunlamps aren't made of ordinary glass--they're made of quartz or special UV-transparent glass.

Having thus confronted our ignorance, let us humbly endeavor to learn. Ultraviolet light, which causes both erythema (sunburn) and tanning, ranges in wavelength from 4,000 angstrom units (A) down to about 100 A. (Light with wavelength greater than 4,000 A lies in the visible spectrum.) The most potent rays for burning and tanning lie in the 2,900-3,050-A range, with radiation of 2,967 A supposedly being most effective of all.

Ordinary window glass, however, is pretty much opaque to wavelengths below 3,000 A. From this we deduce that the intervention of a window will significantly reduce but not halt the burning/tanning process.

In addition, UV rays above 3,200 A will cause tanning (but usually not burning) if administered in sufficiently massive doses, such as you get when you're driving across the desert. Your tan, therefore, was no hallucination. This business about your innate wisdom I'm not so sure about."
 
#10 ·
Here's another take I just found via Google:

"Glass, unfortunately, does not provide adequate protection against UV radiation. The reason transition lenses do not function in a car is because they react to light in the UVB range, which most types of glass do absorb. However, typical automotive glass does not have much of an effect on decreasing the amount of UVA transmission, and it is this range of radiation that is responsible for accelerated photoaging in addition to elevated levels of retained heat."

Still doesn't quite answer whether the factory "tint" does anything.
 
#11 ·
Correct bob. It's not any kind of tint on the windows, it's just darkened glass. No significant uv protection as Dan stated even though it offers some in comparison to clear glass.

Get it tinted, so you are 99% uv a and b free
 
#14 ·
The car glass, even clear, cuts out a lot of electromagnetic radiation. If you want a broader range cut out then use a rated tint. However, most interior materials have embedded UV protectants so it is the HEAT that causes damage, not UV. So, anyone causing alarms over UV or lack of UV or whatever is simply misplacing what the problem is. Factory tint does reduce the heat so it is effective to the degree it is tinted but you can always go darker.
 
#20 ·
Better get Lumar Tint. I have layers on top of layers.

 
#21 ·
I emailed Chrysler Customer Service and asked about the factory tint on the 2011 Jeep GC. Here is the reply I just received:

The tint on the rear side glass (side drop windows and quarter glass) provides a variety of functions. First and foremost it reduces the visible light transmission into the vehicle to approximately 18%.
Second, the entire UV spectrum is reduced such that less than 12% of the UV light passes through. This is 12% of a very small amount and virtually 0% transmission of UV light with wavelength less than 380 nm.
Also, this privacy glass blocks the IR (infrared) portion of the spectrum such that only 16% of the IR light passes through the glass.
This is the portion of the suns energy that contains the majority of the heat.'
 
#24 ·
Good to know.... Per my earlier reply on this thread topic, it seems that window tint people want to panic people into thinking that they absolutely need post-factory tinting and that the factory tint is worthless. As I said...nonsense.

Thanks for posting the Jeep info!
 
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#23 ·
Not really sure... I asked the question about "factory tinted glass" and the reply I posted above is the complete response I received and specifically only references the "side drop windows and quarter glass." I haven't been home all week, but if I recall correctly, the rear hatch has factory tint and the panoramic sunroof doesn't.

Just a guess, but it would seem the rear hatch should have the same characteristics as the sides that are factory tinted.
 
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