R56 Window tinting
6th Gear
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,187
Likes: 0
From: On the Oregon 5
Yes, I had it done earlier this month. I went with the 20 percent tint so it would cut the sun but not eliminate it completely. I'm very happy with it.
2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX
I used heat-rejecting film all-around: 30% on driver/passenger windows, 5% (limo) on the rest, reflective 25% on sunroof. Legal limit in Texas is 25% on driver/pass windows. Since the factory windows come with some tinting, using 30% film allows for the total light transmission within legal limits.
Also, the dealer wanted $900 to tint all windows w/ heat-rejecting film, $300 for regular film. There's no way I'd pay $900 for window tinting, so I went to a place near my home. Turns out they also do the tinting for the dealer. I had the same tinting installed for $249. Yee Ha!
2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX
The shop that did mine told me he wouldn't do limo tint on the sunroof because the dark color absorbed too much heat and could cause the glass to crack. Instead, he installed reflective tint. I don't know if his concerns are valid or not. I've never heard of anything like that happening, nevertheless, I deferred to his judgement to avoid any warranty issues.
6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 15,966
Likes: 1
This is bull. There has never been a confirmed case of a sunroof cracking due to tint. It's an urban legend. I searched high and low before I got the tint done. As with all such legends, it's always someone who knew someone, etc. When I posted a thread asking, not one person on NAM said they had that experience themselves. Nor did I find any on the internet. The place I had mine installed has been there at least 10 years and had never once had such a failure. It simply does not make sense. There is no logic to the belief that, because the glass is on the roof, it will be subject to much greater heat than the rest of your glass.
2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX
I searched briefly and all I found was several posts like this discussing similar incidents although with different manufacturers:
I'd never heard of anything like that happening either, but on the spot I had no info to contradict the installer's assertion. It certainly seems many in this forum (and others) have tinted their sunroof without encountering any heat related cracking or exploding sunroofs 
Perhaps they are isolated incidents related to scratches or other defects in the glass. Anyway, I certainly recommend some type of sunroof tinting, whatever one is comfortable with, for heat rejection. Otherwise, it's just too hot, at least where I live.
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Whilst travelling at 70 mph on the motorway for absolutely no obvious reason the sunroof imploded inwards with some glass exploding outwards. The two main were buckled and ended up in the car. On later inspection there were no signs of any debris from the road such as stones which could explain the accident. The explosion in the car was so loud I thought my eardrums had burst. Luckily no one was badly hurt other than some slight scratches and bruising.
General comments?
official line is that it was a stone or some other missile and I must therefore seek repair costs through my insurance company. This runs in direct contradiction to what Renault's own technical inspector said to me at the when he catagorically stated it could not have been a stone as the projection of such a missile from the road would have hit the windscreen or bodywork. I would love to hear from any one who has had any similar accident or from a technical expert who might cast some light on wether the extremely loud exposion could be caused throug a cracking of the sun shield. I believe there was a build up of pressure which caused the struts to buckle and then brake creating the implosion / explosion. This thereby a result of a design flaw. This accident could have easily killed me and my family and yet Renault are not interested in investigating things further. Disgraceful when they sell their cars on the attention they pay to safety.
20th Mar 2005, 10:14
I also have had an exploding sunroof - 70 mile an hour. Car has only 2000 miles. Disgraceful customer services, and poor feedback from renault. Have not even opened sunroof since delivery!!!
Would welcome any other comments from other drivers as this is clearly a manufacturing issue, yet they do not widh to now. I am now faced with the full cost or claiming against my insurance - ironically also with renault - who asked me to called back tomorrow after the 7th call!! email john.painter@ntlworld.com.
21st Jul 2005, 19:43
I own a 2004 Jaguar. While I was driving down the highway at 65 mph with the windows open my sunroof just exploded. Believe it or not denied any responsibility and suggested that I am lying and that I should go through my insurance for any claim.
21st Jul 2005, 20:56
The shattering of the sunroof can happen if the glass is already scratched or chipped. You might not have noticed a tiny chip that was already there.
When subject to a little extra stress from heat, vibration or aerodynamic loads the tempered glass of the sunroof can shatter.
Side windows and rear screen are also made of tempered glass.
The windshield is made from laminated glass which can crack, but never shatters.
The sunroof should really be made from laminated glass for safety reasons, a shattering sunroof could so shock a driver that he might have an accident, but as it's a cost issue the manufacturers will not do that unless they are legislated into it.
The rear screen of my wife's car shattered when it was parked in our garage! No possibility for vandalism there. Insurance paid up.
These things do happen, but rarely.
Bonded windshield/backlights can crack or shatter from corrosion of the frame where water has found a section improperly bonded and paint is missing. It only takes a tiny scratch exposing bare metal to facilitate corrosion. Metal expands with rusting and stresses the glass locally. The glass around the corroded area can't move so the glass is subject to very high stresses and breaks.
Renault could sensibly argue that the glass could have already been damaged by a stone chip so it's not unreasonable of them to refuse liability and after all, this is why you have insurance.
I would like all glass in a to be of the laminated type.
It would be much tougher to break into such a car.
Scariest time of my life was when an angry mob stoned my car in Indonesia.
The front windshield of the Toyota Crown was laminated and this prevented a big rock from penetrating the windshield.
window shattered from a small stone and I got a few small cuts.
Pity I had removed the solarfilm from the window only a few days earlier to improve nighttime visibility as this would have helped contain flying glass shards.
A safety reason for not having side windows laminated could be that in the event of a crash and the doors are not openable, the occupants or rescuers could break the glass and climb out.
This would be very difficult to do if the glass were laminated.
My present 10-year-old car has double-glazing on the side and back windows.
This gives some degree of protection as it's highly unlikely both layers would be shattered by a flying stone.
Sunroof is metal, but I'd prefer a glass one.
Whilst travelling at 70 mph on the motorway for absolutely no obvious reason the sunroof imploded inwards with some glass exploding outwards. The two main were buckled and ended up in the car. On later inspection there were no signs of any debris from the road such as stones which could explain the accident. The explosion in the car was so loud I thought my eardrums had burst. Luckily no one was badly hurt other than some slight scratches and bruising.
General comments?
official line is that it was a stone or some other missile and I must therefore seek repair costs through my insurance company. This runs in direct contradiction to what Renault's own technical inspector said to me at the when he catagorically stated it could not have been a stone as the projection of such a missile from the road would have hit the windscreen or bodywork. I would love to hear from any one who has had any similar accident or from a technical expert who might cast some light on wether the extremely loud exposion could be caused throug a cracking of the sun shield. I believe there was a build up of pressure which caused the struts to buckle and then brake creating the implosion / explosion. This thereby a result of a design flaw. This accident could have easily killed me and my family and yet Renault are not interested in investigating things further. Disgraceful when they sell their cars on the attention they pay to safety.
20th Mar 2005, 10:14
I also have had an exploding sunroof - 70 mile an hour. Car has only 2000 miles. Disgraceful customer services, and poor feedback from renault. Have not even opened sunroof since delivery!!!
Would welcome any other comments from other drivers as this is clearly a manufacturing issue, yet they do not widh to now. I am now faced with the full cost or claiming against my insurance - ironically also with renault - who asked me to called back tomorrow after the 7th call!! email john.painter@ntlworld.com.
21st Jul 2005, 19:43
I own a 2004 Jaguar. While I was driving down the highway at 65 mph with the windows open my sunroof just exploded. Believe it or not denied any responsibility and suggested that I am lying and that I should go through my insurance for any claim.
21st Jul 2005, 20:56
The shattering of the sunroof can happen if the glass is already scratched or chipped. You might not have noticed a tiny chip that was already there.
When subject to a little extra stress from heat, vibration or aerodynamic loads the tempered glass of the sunroof can shatter.
Side windows and rear screen are also made of tempered glass.
The windshield is made from laminated glass which can crack, but never shatters.
The sunroof should really be made from laminated glass for safety reasons, a shattering sunroof could so shock a driver that he might have an accident, but as it's a cost issue the manufacturers will not do that unless they are legislated into it.
The rear screen of my wife's car shattered when it was parked in our garage! No possibility for vandalism there. Insurance paid up.
These things do happen, but rarely.
Bonded windshield/backlights can crack or shatter from corrosion of the frame where water has found a section improperly bonded and paint is missing. It only takes a tiny scratch exposing bare metal to facilitate corrosion. Metal expands with rusting and stresses the glass locally. The glass around the corroded area can't move so the glass is subject to very high stresses and breaks.
Renault could sensibly argue that the glass could have already been damaged by a stone chip so it's not unreasonable of them to refuse liability and after all, this is why you have insurance.
I would like all glass in a to be of the laminated type.
It would be much tougher to break into such a car.
Scariest time of my life was when an angry mob stoned my car in Indonesia.
The front windshield of the Toyota Crown was laminated and this prevented a big rock from penetrating the windshield.
window shattered from a small stone and I got a few small cuts.
Pity I had removed the solarfilm from the window only a few days earlier to improve nighttime visibility as this would have helped contain flying glass shards.
A safety reason for not having side windows laminated could be that in the event of a crash and the doors are not openable, the occupants or rescuers could break the glass and climb out.
This would be very difficult to do if the glass were laminated.
My present 10-year-old car has double-glazing on the side and back windows.
This gives some degree of protection as it's highly unlikely both layers would be shattered by a flying stone.
Sunroof is metal, but I'd prefer a glass one.
Perhaps they are isolated incidents related to scratches or other defects in the glass. Anyway, I certainly recommend some type of sunroof tinting, whatever one is comfortable with, for heat rejection. Otherwise, it's just too hot, at least where I live.
Last edited by chickenplucker; Aug 28, 2007 at 08:58 AM. Reason: sp, pronoun clarification
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