HI guys

i have just mot'd my vogue in france which has failed and one of the reasons is that the front side windows are tinted and does not let the required amount of light through which i think should be 70% ie 30% restriction on the meter, but mine read 47%, ie only allowing 53% !!

the test was carried out inside the workshop with a meter held against the glass, i had always thought that this tint was the actual glass , as when i bought the car in 2012 the spec showed that it had full privacy glass option, which i assumed was done at the factory ? but it turns out it is a window film,

my argument is that if it was applied by LR, would have thought they would keep to the required spec but more so do you think the test should be in the open and not in a already light lowered workshop which may produce a lower reading ?, i believe the uk regs for front window tint is the same level ie only 30% restricted ,? has anyone had a similar problem

bob

The factory tints don't touch there front sides at all - like the photo at the top of this site

It's also tinted glass and not film

Some people find the contrast too great & applied film to the fronts - which is what I assume happened in your case.

Hi Alistair

Ah ok, that would explain it, it's a pity having to take it off as it looks nice and is the same shade as rears and well done job too which is why i thought at factory; but i have no choice but to remove it,

thanks for your reply

bob

The law in the UK was fairly ambiguous for a while - it just referred to glass in front of the driver, so the side tints were arguable, but was eventually clarified to incliude the sides.

I agree on the looks - I've had dark side tints, then on my next car had a higher tint at the front - and now have given up & gone untainted on the front.

perhaps i will put the film back after the re test and take it off again on the next test which is two years down the road, but never done it before.. cant be too diff to do


bob

Easy enough to remove with a hair dryer & shape blade.

You’d then need new film applied.

Check your insurance too as some uk companies specifically ask - that’s what persuaded me in the end when I bought my L405 - the company I wanted to go with (and a few more) wouldn’t cover front tints at all - they asked the specific question about which windows were tinted.....

I have no idea about the French police but ours in the U.K. can and have pulled people over and tested the tints on front sides at the side of the road. My brother did exactly as you suggested, taking the tints off for MOT and putting them back on afterwards, he was pulled over 2 weeks post test and had his windows tested at the roadside and was told to take them off there and then or risk prosecution.

So your risk really, if the French coppers are as bad as ours then I wouldn’t take the risk..... ______________________________
Simon
______________________________

Range Rover Classic 3.5 efi - Gone
Range Rover Classic 3.9 efi - Gone
Range Rover Classic 4.2 LSE - Sadly gone
Land Rover 110 3.5 - Gone
Range Rover P38a 4.0 SE - Pleased it's gone
Range Rover P38a 2.5 DHSE - Just sold
Range Rover L322 4.4 v8 Petrol - Current

interesting, well i will have a think about it, probably more trouble than its worth, but regards to the police, im in the country as such, and doubt if i would get a pull but you never now really, so i think your right, and not risk it !!

thanks for the info guys

bob

Why would you want to have restricted visibility in the front door window glass? Because it looks good isn't really a very good reason when you're talking of knocking out 47% of the light. This isn't so bad on a nice sunny day, but at dusk on a foggy dull winters day it could well restrict vision enough to cause a collision, it really could. The importance of maximising visibility for the driver cannot be overstated.

Sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine. It's also the law. Drives:
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue - Stornoway Grey
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue SE - Zermatt Silver
1998 BMW E36 M3 GTII

well, although its tinted, i cant say that it is that restrictive when your looking out, not to the extent of causing a accident i would say; but thats just my opinion, but it i felt it was dangerous then yes of coarse i would have removed it 7 years ago;

bob

rvbush wrote:

Why would you want to have restricted visibility in the front door window glass? Because it looks good isn't really a very good reason when you're talking of knocking out 47% of the light. This isn't so bad on a nice sunny day, but at dusk on a foggy dull winters day it could well restrict vision enough to cause a collision, it really could. The importance of maximising visibility for the driver cannot be overstated.

Sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine. It's also the law.

hi guys; ok i fully get your views, but as i said, i had no reason to suspect this was not done by LR UK, so i just thought it was another of the many options you could have, but i now know different; but all the same i stand with my view that having all windows tinted does make for a rather nice look overall,!!

but it is coming off, so dont put me in front of the firing squad just yet aye folks


bob

We couldn’t put you in front of the firing squad.......we cannot see you through the tints

 David

Please let me know if my comments upset you, I may wish to upset you again.

ha ha