[2827]

Hi, new to the forum and enjoying all the information and camaraderie. I was wondering if anyone knows much about the factory tinted glass. Does it provide any UV and heat protection? I found when I was considering a Tesla Model Y...that Tesla glass is just dyed and does not provide any sort of protection. It may be the same with the e-tron? If it is also basically just dyed...then I can install the lightest tint possible over it. That way I can benefit from the heat and UV protection a film can provide. I live in Texas and the heat can really bake an interior! I love the current opacity so I don’t want to darken it much more. Thanks for any help!

 

[blue_sign]

Factory tint does not reject UV and IR; it only lowers visible light. Glass will reject a lot of UV by itself. Your best bet would be to use a clear tint that rejects IR, like Llumar AIR tint. It is popular to use clear tint on the back door glass as well as the rear hatch glass; some even put clear on their windshield.

Specs for Llumar tints (PDF)

 

[2827]

Oh, awesome, thank you for confirming. I have used Llumar before, but not familiar with the air tint. I will do that for the back passenger and hatch area. Thanks too for the Llumar specs sheet.

 

[blue_sign]

Oh, awesome, thank you for confirming. I have used Llumar before, but not familiar with the air tint. I will do that for the back passenger and hatch area. Thanks too for the Llumar specs sheet.

One slight word of caution: some tints may show a rainbow pattern if viewed through polarized sunglasses. Of course, if you are using polarized sunglasses while driving the eTron and you have the HUD, well, you will find it difficult to see the HUD because of the lens polarization. Ask your preferred tint installer to allow you to view a sample of the tint through polarized sunglasses and make your final decision. It's extremely minor, but it something you should be aware of.

 

[2827]

Oh, I had not heard that before...I was familiar with the polarized sunglasses and how they render the HUD unviewable. Do you have a recommendation on the best tint to prevent the rainbow? I like Llumar...but open to others of course!

 

[blue_sign]

You might look at non-ceramic films, but I am not 100% sure about what brands are different or not. I suspect it affects all brands of tint. Llumar is one of the best in the industry.

 

[azlkk]

We have the clear windshield tint on two cars so far. It helps with the Arizona sun, but haven't done it with the e-tron with the HUD. No problems with the two and polarized sunglasses.

 

[2827]

Thanks for responding! I was curious about the front too. I am also on another forum AudiWorld...there I saw a big discussion about clear tint on the front. Everyone seem to agree from their experience in the Audi S5...that the film on front did not affect the HUD. So that’s kinda cool...

 

[blue_sign]

Thanks for responding! I was curious about the front too. I am also on another forum AudiWorld...there I saw a big discussion about clear tint on the front. Everyone seem to agree from their experience in the Audi S5...that the film on front did not affect the HUD. So that’s kinda cool...

I will say that glass is a MUCH smoother surface than window tinting film, regardless of manufacturer. I would think that some of the graininess that is present in tinting would affect the sharpness of the HUD display at least slightly. Obviously it's your choice, but perhaps trying to park such that the dash isn't in the sun or using a windshield sunshade would be better. When moving, the heat load from the windshield in the sun should be controlled easily by the car's heat pump.

 

[JNealCox]

I am using polarizing glasses with my E-tron withe HUD. What I find is that, if I want to view the HUD, I just have to **** my head a little at an angle. Also, I think the front windshield has a special treatment on the INSIDE of the window to boost the reflectivity for the HUD image. I would talk to AUDI about doing any treatment to the inside of the window.

 

[omegafiler]

Vehicles with a HUD have a special reflective windshield so you can see the reflection of the projector "floating" in front of you. Polarized glasses are specifically designed to block glare and reflective surfaces. Hence why the two don't mix.

Windshield tint may or may not negatively impact the HUD, depending on how it affects said reflection. Your tint professional should know, depending on the type of tint they use.