Side Glass Tint

BlackSilver · July 16, 2008

I have a 2008 3500HD LTZ. Son-in-law has a 2008 2500HD LTZ. Both are crew cabs. Mine is white, his granite. I bought my truck in AZ, his in MN.

On my 3500HD the tint on both front and rear doors is the same, rather dark.

On his the rear door glass is dark like mine, but the front door glass is somewhat lighter tint.

On the build sheets neither truck says anything special about tint, so we assume it's contained in the "LTZ" trim package.

Why would there be a difference? Do they ship different tint to different states?

Kodiak450 · July 16, 2008

They might use a darker tint because AZ is known for it's heat. Most auto makers use 20% on the rear windows. The 20% means the visible light transmission. I never heard of new vehilces coming with the front windows tinted. Unless AZ doesn't restrict having tint on the front windows?

BrianW · July 16, 2008

I have a 2008 3500HD LTZ. Son-in-law has a 2008 2500HD LTZ. Both are crew cabs. Mine is white, his granite. I bought my truck in AZ, his in MN.

On my 3500HD the tint on both front and rear doors is the same, rather dark.

On his the rear door glass is dark like mine, but the front door glass is somewhat lighter tint.

On the build sheets neither truck says anything special about tint, so we assume it's contained in the "LTZ" trim package.

Why would there be a difference? Do they ship different tint to different states?

Wondering the same thing. My 2500HD LTZ crew, diesel also has a fairly dark tint on both the front and rear side glass. No mention on the build sheet. I bet this is 20%, as at night it does really darken the view a bit. I'm in Ontario Canada, but the truck was built in the Flint, Michigan plant.

Maybe is your son-in-law's a a gas and your 3500 a diesel, possibly meaning different plants of origin? If so, I'll be curious to know too.

2000DV4.8 · July 17, 2008

Maybe the individual dealers added it to the truck post delivery?

Zembonez · July 17, 2008

No such thing as dark tinted front windows from GM. In order to qualify as a 48 states legal vehicle they can't tint the fronts because it isn't legal in all states. The factory tint is rear doors and back glass only. If you have tinted fronts, the dealer might have had them tinted before you got the truck but it isn't factory.

EDIT: There is of course a light tinting on most all windows. I'm talking about the dark tint in your pic.

BlackSilver · July 17, 2008

Maybe the individual dealers added it to the truck post delivery?

The dealer didn't do it. I saw the truck arrive on top a transport, and it was tinted then. Had already signed the deal, and picked up the truck then next morning after dealer prep.

Maybe the transport driver did it.

98silvz71 · July 17, 2008

Maybe it was sent out to a conversion facility. They could have been the ones to do it. They are independent so they could do something like that. I'm just speculating because you do have those decals on the doors and I wasn't sure if you added them or not.

Zembonez · July 17, 2008

Maybe it was sent out to a conversion facility. They could have been the ones to do it. They are independent so they could do something like that. I'm just speculating because you do have those decals on the doors and I wasn't sure if you added them or not.

Yeah. It was added on somewhere.

BlackSilver · July 17, 2008

Maybe it was sent out to a conversion facility. They could have been the ones to do it. They are independent so they could do something like that. I'm just speculating because you do have those decals on the doors and I wasn't sure if you added them or not.

I did the pinstripe, door graphics, running boards, bed cover, and bedliner after delivery. When I bought the truck it was "enroute" from the factory. I saw it arrive at the dealer on a factory transport with several other new Chev vehicles. When I took delivery the truck was bone stock, with no upcharges for "conversion". I can't imagine how those windows were tinted enroute.

Zembonez · July 17, 2008

well since they don't make a dark tint OEM side window, I'd bet something happened. Maybe it was a stow-away window tinter on the transport.

2000DV4.8 · July 17, 2008

Magic?

I'm out of ideas.

Kodiak450 · July 17, 2008

Let me ask you a question, are all the trucks they sell at that particular dealer have the front windows tinted?

BlackSilver · July 17, 2008

Let me ask you a question, are all the trucks they sell at that particular dealer have the front windows tinted?

I couldn't tell you --- the dealer is in Arizona and I'm back home in Minnesota so I can't inspect his inventory --- I didn't even notice this until I got back home and my truck was parked next to my son-in-laws, then the difference just jumped out at you. Both trucks are '08 LTZ trim DMax/Allison, both came out of the Flint plant.

Is there any way to tell by looking at the windows if it didn't come from the factory? Since you've all said "it's not factory" I went out and tried to find a difference between the front and rear and I don't see any obvious difference.

2000DV4.8 · July 17, 2008

Let me ask you a question, are all the trucks they sell at that particular dealer have the front windows tinted?

I couldn't tell you --- the dealer is in Arizona and I'm back home in Minnesota so I can't inspect his inventory --- I didn't even notice this until I got back home and my truck was parked next to my son-in-laws, then the difference just jumped out at you. Both trucks are '08 LTZ trim DMax/Allison, both came out of the Flint plant.

Is there any way to tell by looking at the windows if it didn't come from the factory? Since you've all said "it's not factory" I went out and tried to find a difference between the front and rear and I don't see any obvious difference.

I could be remembering this completely wrong, but didn't you say that your wife added the graphics? Maybe the place that did the vinyls also tinted the windows?

BlackSilver · July 17, 2008

I could be remembering this completely wrong, but didn't you say that your wife added the graphics? Maybe the place that did the vinyls also tinted the windows?

She was the one who said we needed graphics ("That big white truck of yours looks boring.") The graphics were done by a guy in Mesa, while I stood and watched. He didn't sneak any tint on the windows, at least while I was watching!