So I'm getting tint on my white 2010 528xi tomorrow. I've never had tint.

So I have a few issues to sort out:

1. What shade tint should I be getting? I've been told that if I get dark in the back and the lighter legal tint in the front I will have a "crappy looking" checkerboard effect. The consensus seems to be I should get the same tint on all five windows.
2. Should I be worried about getting a tint shade in the front driver and passenger windows that is illegal in CA? What's the chance I get pulled over for it? What's the punishment for getting pulled over with illegal tint?
   

It's been raining a ton in SF this week and it looks like it'll continue. The shop said the rain isn't an issue since I can't roll down my windows for 48 hours anyways, and even better if I wait longer. Sound about right?

Is there anything else I should know?

Thanks,
David

 

20% all around. It may or may not be 100% legal, but who cares, you "may" hafta take one or two tickets per year, just a small fine. Anything higher than 20% is too light, lower will be too dark (IMO).

 

20% all around -- that's pretty big departure from the 70% allowed on the front windows.

You think the checkerboard issue is legit?

 

I also live in the San Francisco and had the same reservations as you.

I had done at Auto Mall Tint in Freemont and they recommended 50% front, 30% rear and 20% back and I think it looks pretty good. 20% all around would look too gheto IMO, unless the car is black

But that installer said in the 9 months he's been doing it, nobody has gotten pulled over for a 50% tint, unless they were doing something else illegal.

As I understand it, it should be a fixer ticket, to you would have to pay to have the fronts removed if pulled over

 

Nothing ghetto about 20% at all, I've had it on all my cars, my alpine white e39, my silver gray metallic e60 and now my carbon black e60

 

And tickets??? :-)

I think he meant it might look ghetto on an Alpine White car...

 

nah, I had 20% on my alpine e39, looked fine.

 

I went with the Formula One Pinnacle 35% Ceramic Tint on my alpine white. I've had darker on previous cars and agree it makes a vehicle look ghetto imo (may be fine for a young kid), it also made it harder to see when backing up at night.

 

Ghetto? Pinnacle is too classy to look ghetto. Now if you do one of those black to silver fade deals, or the glitter/ sparkle tint..then yeah, ghetto for sure

Here is my old 550 with Pinnacle 15%



And my new M6 with the same Pinnacle 15%



I would say if you can get away with 20% or darker, go for it....although having lived in the Bay Area for a number of years, I know they'll get you sooner or later for it....but it would be a "fix it" ticket....or that is how they did it when I lived there

 

+1 on 20% ill be doing my car next month.. i had 20% on my e46 since i got it (5yrs) and had it in so cal and nor cal and never had a problem with police.. untill the last month b4 i sold it i got a ticket at my school by campus pd for my front tint..FML .. ticket was $190 OR 25$ if i fixed it (remove front tint) .. i "fixed it" and paid 25$ lol