2 in 1 Post: Oil Change and Car Window Tinting

[kap]

1) San Gabriel Valley car shop charges $55 for an oil change with Mobile synthetic oil with the highest viscosity. Is that reasonable?
2) Car tinting shop charges $45 for tinting 2 front windows of Wife's 1996 Toyota Rav4. Is that a good deal? I learned something new today: the shopman said there is no such a thing as legal car window tint in CA!

[cbelt3]

1- Sounds about right.
2- Pretty cheap.
Tint front windows ? Going OUTLAW, Baby !

http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/answers.html
"Can I put after-market tinting on the windows of my vehicle?
The main requirements for legal window tinting in California are:


1.The windshield and front driver's side and passenger's side windows cannot receive any aftermarket tinting.
2.If the rear window of a vehicle is tinted, the vehicle must have outside rearview mirrors on both sides.

The law prohibits any person from driving any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upon the windshield or side or rear windows, with certain limited exceptions.

However, legislation signed into law effective January 1, 1999, exempts from the above prohibition specified clear, colorless, and transparent material that is installed, affixed, or applied to the front driver and passenger side windows for the specific purpose of reducing ultraviolet rays. If, as, or when this material becomes torn, bubbled or otherwise worn, it must be removed or replaced.

"

[onthedownlow]

1) Yes
2) Definitely yes.

[kap]

cbelt3 wrote:
1- Sounds about right.
2- Pretty cheap.
Tint front windows ? Going OUTLAW, Baby !

http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/answers.html
"Can I put after-market tinting on the windows of my vehicle?
The main requirements for legal window tinting in California are:


1.The windshield and front driver's side and passenger's side windows cannot receive any aftermarket tinting.
2.If the rear window of a vehicle is tinted, the vehicle must have outside rearview mirrors on both sides.

The law prohibits any person from driving any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upon the windshield or side or rear windows, with certain limited exceptions.

However, legislation signed into law effective January 1, 1999, exempts from the above prohibition specified clear, colorless, and transparent material that is installed, affixed, or applied to the front driver and passenger side windows for the specific purpose of reducing ultraviolet rays. If, as, or when this material becomes torn, bubbled or otherwise worn, it must be removed or replaced.

"

Re: 2) Wife has an terrible allergy to the sun, i.e. itchy burning rashes and flaky skins on the left side of her face and forearm. Is that sufficient in having her car's driver's side window tinted? She could ask for a dr. note if needed be.

[cbelt3]

Kap.. no idea. If she's going to the doc, I'd ask for one, then keep it in the car. So many cars have heavy window tinting in Cali that it's not a 'pull over' violation. Just another ticket they add onto the list when they bust you for something worth pulling you over. Or if they're bored.

Bummer about that. I assume she wears long sleeve clothing and some lovely sun hats.

[kap]

cbelt3 wrote:
Or if they're bored.

No, not bored; CA budget is busted 8-)

cbelt3 wrote:
Bummer about that. I assume she wears long sleeve clothing and some lovely sun hats.

Too crazy hot in the summer.

===
Just spoke with our long time mech. He said it'd be a waste of money to use synthetic oil in an old already worn out engine, i.e. Wife's car has 397,156 miles on it. He recommended to continue with the 20/50W standard oil at every 2,000 interval instead.

[macphanatic]

Draw an oil sample and send it to Blacksone Labs for analysis. Think of it as blood work for your car's engine. The report comes with an assessment of what's going on in the engine. IIRC, they also provide service recommendations.

[SDGuy]

macphanatic wrote:
Draw an oil sample and send it to Blacksone Labs for analysis. Think of it as blood work for your car's engine. The report comes with an assessment of what's going on in the engine. IIRC, they also provide service recommendations.

Hmmm...I think I'll try that next time I change the oil, and see what they come up with

[M A V I C]

1. Probably. Full synthetic or blend?

2. Not enough info provided. As far as legality, cbelt3 covered it. There are tons of cheap tint jobs out there. Some common issues with cheap tint offers are:
- No warranty
- Windows aren't cleaned and prepped properly, causing the film to never fully attach to the glass and will end up bubbling quickly
- Cheap tint. There are different qualities. Some will turn purple in a copule years
- Potential damage to interior
- Film isn't trimmed well, leaving gaps around the edges of the windows

Long sleeves - there's plenty of fabrics out there she can wear that will actually be cooler in long sleeves than in short sleeves with her skin exposed.

[testcase]

Mobil One retails around $6.50/qt. in case lots. $55 sounds good.

Re: window tinting, don't accept hearsay. Google the laws for where the car is registered and follow said laws. If the law allows tinting, print it out , get something on letterhead from the tint shop doing the work as to what level tint they applied. Let the shop know if you get a summons for too dark a tint, they will have to pay the fine and, re-tint the windows so that they are legal. If no extra tint is legal, accept that and have wifey wear sunglasses.


If I remember correctly, in NY tinting may not exceed 35% total light reflectance; in other words, 65% of light must be allowed to pass through a window. If a window had a 5% factory window tint, only 30% more tint could be applied.