Tinting Headlights on my SG E90 - BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum

Menno11 · 02-03-2009, 08:11 AM

I was looking all over for a product to use to tint my headlights to give an all over blacked out look.

I finally stumbled upon the following product imported by Autostyle

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Name: LaminX.jpg
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I purchased the gun smoke tint 35% same as my windows. I will be installing mine over the weekend, pics to follow. Really excited about this mod!

mike_b · 02-03-2009, 08:42 AM

Nice one Menno. Did you order online? The owner of Autostyle is a mate of mine. I look forward to seeing the results!

Menno11 · 02-04-2009, 11:00 AM

OK, so the instructions say that I need to squeegee out all water from under the laminate with a squeegee, what is it and where do I get it? Will a credit card work?

mommet · 02-06-2009, 04:52 AM

Menno11 · 02-07-2009, 04:03 AM

Ha Ha!! I thinks its different to the window washer's squeegee, but 10 points for the thought!!

mommet · 02-09-2009, 04:51 AM

So Did You Come Right?

Post The Pics

Menno11 · 02-09-2009, 10:12 AM

Right, after prepping the car and the tools, I set out on the hottest Saturday afternoon of this summer and put the tint on in my garage.

After finishing the first light, it looked quite alright in the garage, I backed the car out to have a look at the progress in the light. Imagine my disappointment when I saw that it had come out reddish!!
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Needless to say, I immediately stopped the installation. Very disappointed following the picture on the add showing it as a gray tint

I'm hoping the shop will take back the other roll!!

wrickem · 02-09-2009, 02:14 PM

Good call stopping the install. It doesn't look as good it sounded it should. One question though. What does it do to your night visibility?

Menno11 · 02-10-2009, 01:18 AM

The specs say there is a 12% absorption of light. I had already replaced my normal halogens with Silver stars that give an extra 50% light, so I wasn't worried that they would dull out too much light. Anyways, the project is canned! Now just waiting for my carbon vinyl to cover the chrome grill bits! Hope that goes better!

mike_b · 02-10-2009, 01:45 AM

Eish Menno, sorry that it didn't turn out so lekka. Can you get that off the headlight?

335isilver · 02-10-2009, 11:49 AM

Man, i was looking forward to a positive result. Wanted to black out the rear lights. Not sure anymore. no matter how one looks at the "gun smoke" colour it is red. so black will probably come out blue! damn. thanks for sharing the experience.

Menno11 · 02-17-2009, 10:23 AM

A bit of an update on my headlight tint drama-series:
I took the remaining tint plus pictures of my ride back to Autostyle and explained that it looked ... well... RED. They brought in the supplier and he agreed, so they gave me a refund on the remaining tint, and then replaced it with the lighter shade (tint 9%) at a greatly reduced price!

We checked with a test price in the sunlight, and the gunsmoke is definately red, and when you look at the 9% tint, it looks MUCH better, almost like cool steel. So... hopefully this coming weekend I will be putting on the lighter tint.

Keeping fingers crossed!!!

335isilver · 02-19-2009, 03:32 PM

Ok Menno

I am in if it works

Menno11 · 02-24-2009, 06:25 AM

Right, so took the time this weekend to put on the new tint. IMO it looks styling!
check it out!
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Revo Performance · 02-24-2009, 06:39 AM

Menno
is mine the same shade or lighter?

335isilver · 02-24-2009, 01:56 PM

Wow!
Thats what I want. Well done! The car looks aggressive and "ominous"
So, what is the exact spec tint?

Menno11 · 02-25-2009, 01:28 AM

Revo, you got a shade darker, but looks better than the original gunsmoke. You can have a look when you pick it up, I've got pieces left from my lights and compare.

Thanks for the compliment 335Silver! The tint on my car is the "Lamin-X Tint"

335isilver · 02-25-2009, 11:32 AM

thanks. will order soon and share the result

335isilver · 03-02-2009, 01:28 PM

Menno
The tint is on my desk. thanks for the lead. Jislaaik man the instructions are overwhelming. scared i am going to mess it up. waiting for a nice hot day in cape town. will post a pic soon.

335isilver · 03-02-2009, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revo Performance

Menno
is mine the same shade or lighter?

Revo - Howzit man. haven't spoken to you in a very long time. all ok with the 335 baby?

Was just wondering - have anyone tried to double tint since the tint is only 7 or 9%? placing TWO tint sheets over each other to give a real mean "black out" look?

Lights might be blocked out at night? or is it the "see out" but not "see in" type? wondering what next mess i can do!!!

Menno11 · 03-03-2009, 10:24 AM

Hi 335Silver, i will try and place 2 off-cut pieces over each other and see what it looks like, but I think if you want darker, check if Lamin-X cant supply a darker one.

The instructions sound scary, but its pretty straight forward, just dont try and rush. Handy tip - keep your hands wet at all times and if you find a bubble, lift up and re-adjust. I also found that when you curve it over lamp by the main beam, its handy to use a hair dryer and heat up the film to stretch a bit more.
The Squeegee I made by wrapping a credit card in a wet cloth and use that to chase out all the bubbles.

335isilver · 03-03-2009, 11:05 AM

Nice advice Menno! Thanks for taking the trouble.
Will do.

02-03-2009, 08:11 AM	#1
Menno11 Member Drives: 320d Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cape Town Posts: 261 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 320d [0.00]	Tinting Headlights on my SG E90 I was looking all over for a product to use to tint my headlights to give an all over blacked out look. I finally stumbled upon the following product imported by Autostyle I purchased the gun smoke tint 35% same as my windows. I will be installing mine over the weekend, pics to follow. Really excited about this mod!
	Tweet

02-06-2009, 04:52 AM	#4
mommet New Member Drives: E90 325 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Africa Posts: 17 iTrader: (0)	__________________ 07 E90 325 sports pack - Silver Ex's 05 Golf 5 Gti - Silver 04 Jag X-type 3litre - Silver 00 Corolla RXi - Silver

02-09-2009, 04:51 AM	#6
mommet New Member Drives: E90 325 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Africa Posts: 17 iTrader: (0)	So Did You Come Right? Post The Pics __________________ 07 E90 325 sports pack - Silver Ex's 05 Golf 5 Gti - Silver 04 Jag X-type 3litre - Silver 00 Corolla RXi - Silver

02-09-2009, 10:12 AM	#7
Menno11 Member Drives: 320d Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cape Town Posts: 261 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 320d [0.00]	Right, after prepping the car and the tools, I set out on the hottest Saturday afternoon of this summer and put the tint on in my garage. After finishing the first light, it looked quite alright in the garage, I backed the car out to have a look at the progress in the light. Imagine my disappointment when I saw that it had come out reddish!! Needless to say, I immediately stopped the installation. Very disappointed following the picture on the add showing it as a gray tint I'm hoping the shop will take back the other roll!!

02-09-2009, 02:14 PM	#8
wrickem doesn't really care Drives: what he wants to Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: lambertville nj Posts: 1,847 iTrader: (0)	Good call stopping the install. It doesn't look as good it sounded it should. One question though. What does it do to your night visibility? __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ '11 e92 335-xi m-sport - daily driver/winter beater, '06 Boxster - for fun, '07 M6- for special

02-03-2009, 08:42 AM	#2
mike_b Private Drives: 2005 E90 323i M-sport Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Johannesburg Posts: 67 iTrader: (0)	Nice one Menno. Did you order online? The owner of Autostyle is a mate of mine. I look forward to seeing the results!

02-04-2009, 11:00 AM	#3
Menno11 Member Drives: 320d Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cape Town Posts: 261 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 320d [0.00]	OK, so the instructions say that I need to squeegee out all water from under the laminate with a squeegee, what is it and where do I get it? Will a credit card work?

02-07-2009, 04:03 AM	#5
Menno11 Member Drives: 320d Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cape Town Posts: 261 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 320d [0.00]	Ha Ha!! I thinks its different to the window washer's squeegee, but 10 points for the thought!!

02-10-2009, 01:18 AM	#9
Menno11 Member Drives: 320d Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cape Town Posts: 261 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 320d [0.00]	The specs say there is a 12% absorption of light. I had already replaced my normal halogens with Silver stars that give an extra 50% light, so I wasn't worried that they would dull out too much light. Anyways, the project is canned! Now just waiting for my carbon vinyl to cover the chrome grill bits! Hope that goes better!

02-10-2009, 01:45 AM	#10
mike_b Private Drives: 2005 E90 323i M-sport Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Johannesburg Posts: 67 iTrader: (0)	Eish Menno, sorry that it didn't turn out so lekka. Can you get that off the headlight?

02-10-2009, 11:49 AM	#11
335isilver Enlisted Member Drives: BMW Join Date: May 2008 Location: nomad Posts: 38 iTrader: (0)	Man, i was looking forward to a positive result. Wanted to black out the rear lights. Not sure anymore. no matter how one looks at the "gun smoke" colour it is red. so black will probably come out blue! damn. thanks for sharing the experience.

02-17-2009, 10:23 AM	#12
Menno11 Member Drives: 320d Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cape Town Posts: 261 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 320d [0.00]	A bit of an update on my headlight tint drama-series: I took the remaining tint plus pictures of my ride back to Autostyle and explained that it looked ... well... RED. They brought in the supplier and he agreed, so they gave me a refund on the remaining tint, and then replaced it with the lighter shade (tint 9%) at a greatly reduced price! We checked with a test price in the sunlight, and the gunsmoke is definately red, and when you look at the 9% tint, it looks MUCH better, almost like cool steel. So... hopefully this coming weekend I will be putting on the lighter tint. Keeping fingers crossed!!!

02-19-2009, 03:32 PM	#13
335isilver Enlisted Member Drives: BMW Join Date: May 2008 Location: nomad Posts: 38 iTrader: (0)	Ok Menno I am in if it works

02-24-2009, 06:25 AM	#14
Menno11 Member Drives: 320d Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cape Town Posts: 261 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 320d [0.00]	Right, so took the time this weekend to put on the new tint. IMO it looks styling! check it out!

02-24-2009, 06:39 AM	#15
Revo Performance Second Lieutenant Drives: bmw Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Earth Posts: 206 iTrader: (0)	Menno is mine the same shade or lighter?

02-24-2009, 01:56 PM	#16
335isilver Enlisted Member Drives: BMW Join Date: May 2008 Location: nomad Posts: 38 iTrader: (0)	Wow! Thats what I want. Well done! The car looks aggressive and "ominous" So, what is the exact spec tint?

02-25-2009, 01:28 AM	#17
Menno11 Member Drives: 320d Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cape Town Posts: 261 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 320d [0.00]	Revo, you got a shade darker, but looks better than the original gunsmoke. You can have a look when you pick it up, I've got pieces left from my lights and compare. Thanks for the compliment 335Silver! The tint on my car is the "Lamin-X Tint"

02-25-2009, 11:32 AM	#18
335isilver Enlisted Member Drives: BMW Join Date: May 2008 Location: nomad Posts: 38 iTrader: (0)	thanks. will order soon and share the result

03-02-2009, 01:28 PM	#19
335isilver Enlisted Member Drives: BMW Join Date: May 2008 Location: nomad Posts: 38 iTrader: (0)	Menno The tint is on my desk. thanks for the lead. Jislaaik man the instructions are overwhelming. scared i am going to mess it up. waiting for a nice hot day in cape town. will post a pic soon.

03-03-2009, 10:24 AM	#21
Menno11 Member Drives: 320d Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cape Town Posts: 261 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 320d [0.00]	Hi 335Silver, i will try and place 2 off-cut pieces over each other and see what it looks like, but I think if you want darker, check if Lamin-X cant supply a darker one. The instructions sound scary, but its pretty straight forward, just dont try and rush. Handy tip - keep your hands wet at all times and if you find a bubble, lift up and re-adjust. I also found that when you curve it over lamp by the main beam, its handy to use a hair dryer and heat up the film to stretch a bit more. The Squeegee I made by wrapping a credit card in a wet cloth and use that to chase out all the bubbles.

03-03-2009, 11:05 AM	#22
335isilver Enlisted Member Drives: BMW Join Date: May 2008 Location: nomad Posts: 38 iTrader: (0)	Nice advice Menno! Thanks for taking the trouble. Will do.