How to Tint Headlights: Tint Law, Pros, Cons & Cost
This is something many have always wondered. It is reasonable to tint the windows, but why do people tint the headlights?
Headlight tinting can be amusement and affordable way of modifying a car, and although it’s a tiny variation, it can easily change the look of the vehicle, making it look smart and glossy.
Well, there are different reasons behind tinting headlight, which includes the desire of a cooler look & protecting the headlight itself.
Also, the tinted headlight will separate the car from many other vehicles on the road.
Let’s have a look at some essential issues of a tinting car headlight, so you have a brief idea about the procedure to tint headlight and the rules & restrictions before doing it.
Headlights Tint Law
Due to the differences in state laws in the United States, tinting the headlight is not less complicated than tinting your car window. Some US states imposed a complete ban on headlight tints where the others follow a less extreme rule.
So in these luckier situations, tinted headlights must remain their genuine color, meaning that the headlights have to remain white or yellow, and rear lights are red. The lights on the car must be visible from a specific distance.
These rules are also followed in the UK because headlight tints are allowed by MOT—The Ministry of Transport in the UK. So following the rules that limit the modification of headlights may permit the car owner to tint it in the UK.
Canada is also a very restricted place for the modification of a vehicle. Although It does not impose a complete ban on headlight tinting, the limits & conditions applied to different headlights are complicated enough to discourage a car owner from tinting headlights.
Australia is pretty much straightforward about the legal limits of tinted headlights that made headlight tinting almost impossible to be legal. Headlight tints for motor vehicles that yield less than 85 percent luminous transmittance are prohibited from supplying in Australia.
Headlight Tint Pros And Cons
The affordable & swift option of headlight tinting has some pros & cons too.
The tint defends the headlights from damages, dents, and scratches from rocks and road debris. Tinting headlights with protective film can restrain this cost without affecting the visibility.
Tinting car headlights may enhance visibility in some cases. Fog lights tinted with Yellow color can results in clearer visibility in extreme weather conditions. Another option is tinting headlights with transparent film, which also maintains the original visibility.
Car lights become yellow, filthy & toneless. It is caused by dirt and UV rays. Tinting headlights with protective film can reduce this disadvantage. It keeps them bright & helps to preserve original visibility. Many of the headlight tints have superior UV and temperature resistance.
Headlight tints separate the car from the rest in the street with a diversity of colors. Tinting headlights give the car smart and catchy looks. Depending on the and film option
Depending on choice and film option, the headlight can be renovated with a macho, girly, genuine, gentle style.
Moreover, tinting your lights in a pointed-out color may reveal your viewpoint and opinion to an exceptional group.
Cons:
It is rightly risky and illegal in many places. So a car owner must check the regulations before install the headlight tint in his location. Tinting film has dominance on the light coming out from the headlight. So tinting car headlights may become unsafe because of that decrease the visibility. Moreover, tinting the tail lights with a dark film makes your car more invisible from the back, which is dangerous too. So, it is safer to select a carefully smoked color, which gives an attractive style & ensures sufficient safety level.
A bad choice of film color may end up with a bad looking car. So the color & style selection must be carefully made to get the best result.
Step By Step Procedure To Tint Headlights
A professional can tint the headlight efficiently. But the car owner himself also can complete the job with the help of some simple instructions & random materials.
Essential Tools
- Rapid Prep,
- Rapid Tac,
- Rapid Clear,
- Squeegee,
- Razor Blade,
- Heat Gun, or Hair Dryer.
Step 1: Preparation and Cleaning
The cleaning of the headlight is one of the most important parts of the whole process. It is mandatory to remove all dirt, dust & oil from the area in which you’ll be tinting, including the adjacent panels.
For proper implication, clean everything using a 2:1 mixture of water to isopropyl alcohol or Rapid Prep.
Step 2: and Lubricant Lenses
The sufficient amount of the Rapid Tac onto the light needs to be sprayed. That will help to reposition the film during the process.
Step 3: Remove Liner
Spray the Rapid Tac on the tint.
To peel off the tint from the liner, gingerly and gently lift a corner and begin to discover the liner. Spray all sides of the tint with application fluid. This will help you to reposition the film on the light as well as stopping the tint from sticking to itself.
Step 4: Alight and Apply Tint
Apply a dampish, sticky side of the tint film to the lens after spraying with application fluid on the light.
Reposition the film to group it to the bounding line.
Step 5: Spray Tint
The outer surface of the film will be Sprayed with Rapid Tac of the soap and water solution again. It will minimize scratching. Spray that area twice to smoothen repositioning.
Step 6: Squeegee on Tints
Apply force to one ending of the film For plane surfaces. Then It will begin to stick to one end of the area. Press down and squeegee the film with a soft sweeping pace using a squeegee. Water will exit from beneath the film if this is being done rightly. Do this crosswise the rest of the area.
Remove the film to that bounds and reapply if big bubbles are present. There are some films that remain wet for a long time. So that allows you to peel and apply many times again if dissatisfied with results before heating the film.
Step 7: Heat the Tint
Heat the tint using a heat gun to assist in shrinking and healing the film.
Step 8: Trim Away Excess
Remove excess vinyl, which may overhang the edges.
Step 9: Allow to fix & go off all Bubbles
Gently wipe off any excess solution & let the film has to be dried for half an hour. Some blurriness may occur if the wetness has not been totally removed from beneath the film. This is entirely normal. The film is breathable and full of holes– fog will vaporize within a few days, depending on film thickness and heat exposure. Any surface texture, scratches will also vanish during this curing process.
Step 10: Tint Complete
If there are any small bubbles after 24 hours, you may proceed to pop them with a sharp needle. Once all remaining bubbles are removed, it’s complete. Use Rapid Clear to burnish your headlight tints.
How Much Does It Cost To Tint Headlights?
The approximate cost of tinting headlights & taillights is variable. It depends on several factors such as the color, quality & brands of the tint related products. But since it is a fancy product, numerous offers & discounts are supposed to be disbursed throughout the year in different online & other marketplaces. So discovering such opportunities can cut the cost of accessories required for tinting headlights.
Top 3 Best Seller Headlight & Tail Light Tints
But the other major thing that may seriously change the total expenditure is the cost of manual help to install the tint film. There are many tutorials with photos & videos to learn tinting headlight available on the internet. But if the car owner can’t improve the skill or don’t want to, he may have to hire a professional expert to get his headlights tinted perfectly. That may increase the total cost up to twice the price of the tint films & other necessary items required for it.
But finally, the total project is not supposed to cost more than a couple of hundred dollars & that’s absolutely not going to be an unaffordable amount for a car owner at least, right?
More of our How-To Guides: