Failed nct on security window tint

hellyeah

as above. have the car since 2004 with the said security film.
this is not ur usual boy racer stuff. cost about 450 euro.
anyway failed test tonight and really pis*ed that i have to remove it.
does anyone know if this is tested by a machine or does the tester just
throw the eye over it and say its to dark. ?
was gob smacked when he said it failed on the tint.
i know this law came into effect aprill 1st this year (how apt)
but come on my sunglasses are darker. its just there to stop someone
having a go with a hammer etc.
can i contest this?:(

r3nu4l

hellyeah wrote: »

but come on my sunglasses are darker. its just there to stop someone
having a go with a hammer etc.
can i contest this?:(

That's part of the reason for this law because some clowns wear their shades in the car with dark tints on their windows!!

Nothing you can do if it's against the law I'm afraid. What's to stop you getting a clear film instead of tinted film if it's just for 'security reasons'?

hellyeah

thanks for that.The fail figure is a light transmission of less than 65% .
thats what my test result says.
guess i dont have a leg to stand on then.
this tint has been on for 6 years. whats the best way to remove it?
know what i will be doing sat morning!!!:mad:

hellyeah

r3nu4l wrote: »

That's part of the reason for this law because some clowns wear their shades in the car with dark tints on their windows!!

Nothing you can do if it's against the law I'm afraid. What's to stop you getting a clear film instead of tinted film if it's just for 'security reasons'?

the cost. 450 euro 6 years ago. only imagine how much it would be now.
but seriously i knew about the law but the tints are so light did not even
consider this being a problem.

peasant

If you have factory tinted windows in your car (i.e coloured glass, not film) pretty much any film that you stick on them will put them under the limit

CR 7

hellyeah wrote: »

this is not ur usual boy racer stuff. cost about 450 euro.

It's the same stuff, the "boy racer stuff" costs the same, unless you're talking about the roll of self applied tint you get in lidl. Don't think I've ever seen a car actually with this.

hellyeah wrote: »

does anyone know if this is tested by a machine or does the tester just
throw the eye over it and say its to dark. ?

Tested with a machine, but they'll only bother testing it if it's clearly darker than it should be, they won't test every window on every car.

Matt Simis

OP, post a photo of the car with the tint up so we can see.
Also, I would try a totally different NCT centre, its at the testers discretion, if it really is as mild as you claim, then another tester may not care.

Someone who claimed to know everything about passing the NCT suggested you could just send in the Car to the NCT with the Windows down, the NCT are not allowed to change anything on the car in the test. Sounded like BS to me? On the otherhand, are having side windows a legal requirement at all? If not, they could be rolled down then the electric motor fuse pulled.

5500

Its easy to remove yourself, peel and clean basically, its only your front 2 windows that need it removed.

This may help you though, removal and replacement with tint that will pass for €110 - http://www.visionfx.ie/index.php?loc=13

Shewhomustbe...

It's not quite as easy as peel and clean as I had to remove the tint from my front windows after failing the NCT, and no it is not up to the tester as I also argued the point that she'd passed before with it, new law so case of grin and groan!
Anyway here's a video that helped me,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpm7v2VJeoM

I only had a general household steamer so I would advise you to take your time, start at the top and peel back slowly. Any glue that's left over can be removed using a paint scraper like this, spray some watered down vinegar on it first and wipe off with a cloth.
http://www.die4laser.com/toaster/TOSC2.jpg

hellyeah

thanks for all the replys. had the windows down when it went in for the test as it was a nice evening but the operator just put them up.
will post a picture of the car later.
cheers.

mullingar

r3nu4l wrote: »

Nothing you can do if it's against the law I'm afraid.

Actually its not illegal, its only for the NCT test.

There is nothing in the statute book about tinting percentages! (I did an extensive search on www.irishstatutebook.ie)

The only legal argument that the AGS can use is if the tint is causing a visual impairment to your "veehhh"icle.

Im just waiting to be pulled by a AGS moaning about the tint on my car, saying I must remove it. I will just ask under what section (SI) number of the "road traffic act" states the tint is illegal (Its not limo black, its a very mild 30% tint)

For the 65%, most car windows have a natural tint of 70-75% opacity, so adding any security film/tint will bring this below 65% = fail.

Fishtits

Im just waiting to be pulled by a AGS moaning about the tint on my car, saying I must remove it. I will just ask under what section (SI) number of the "road traffic act" states the tint is illegal (Its not limo black, its a very mild 30% tint)

You've answered this one yourself:

The only legal argument that the AGS can use is if the tint is causing a visual impairment to your "veehhh"icle.

I've seen the PSNI checking window tint on the roadside, looked like two small handheld devices, one heald each side of the glass.

testicle

hellyeah wrote: »

but come on my sunglasses are darker.

Do you wear your sunglasses at night?

ronaneire

What make of car is it? Maybe you could replace the two front windows to get it passed the test?

gurramok

Mine which had tints installed in 2003 will probabbly fail the NCT when its up next year. I'll just take off the small tint strip on the front window and take off the tints on the front sides. I'll still have a bit of privacy with the rest of the windows tinted.

Shewhomustbe...

mullingar wrote: »

Actually its not illegal, its only for the NCT test.

Of course it is illegal, you are not allowed drive an unNCTed vehicle

http://www.ncts.ie/pdf/nctmanual.pdf

hellyeah

pictures of the offending windows.

mullingar

Shewhomustbe... wrote: »

Of course it is illegal, you are not allowed drive an unNCTed vehicle

http://www.ncts.ie/pdf/nctmanual.pdf

A NCT test is only valid on the day it passes.

Outside that day the statute book is law, and there is NO mention of tint in the SI statue book

Nonoperational

They look grand to me what a stupid thing to fail on. Hard luck.

Slunk

they look light enough. My car passed with similar or maybe darker tints than that last year

cabrwab

Jesus they look very light.

If they used the machine to measure them id say they are barely over hard luck OP.

mullingar

Slunk wrote: »

they look light enough. My car passed with similar or maybe darker tints than that last year

If it looks the same or even lighter than those pics, it will fail next year.

that tint from the OP looks like 35% opacity to me as that was the level measured on my car and looks identical to the tint As th OP before I pulled it off

hellyeah

thanks for all the replys. am really annoyed about this. agree with limo black windows being outlawed as they are down right dangerous.
thinking of going back to the company were the tint was fitted and ask for
an independant call on this/ then go back to the test centre and ask for a supervisor. get him to test this in front of me.

Dazzy

I fully expected my car to fail the NCT this year because of the tints. I think they are dark but to my surprise it passed. My advice would be to not remove the tints if you are worried about it for the NCT as the testing/results do not seem to be consistent based on what I've read in the motoring forum.

My tints, although its hard to tell from a photo:

hellyeah

Dazzy wrote: »

I fully expected my car to fail the NCT this year because of the tints. I think they are dark but to my surprise it passed. My advice would be to not remove the tints if you are worried about it for the NCT as the testing/results do not seem to be consistent based on what I've read in the motoring forum.

My tints, although its hard to tell from a photo:

was your car done before the 1st of aprill? changes brought in after this date.

Dazzy

I did the NCT in May after the changes, thats why I was expecting it to fail.

hellyeah

^ cheers for that. going to go further with this. will keep you all up to date.

everyday taxi

hellyeah wrote: »

pictures of the offending windows.

Jaysus, they dont look that bad!

CarrickMcJoe

They are not bad at all, I was expecting it to be totally blacked out. Theres cars come off the production line with windows darker than that. Id appeal though the testers dont really listen cause its more than their jobs worth.

bbam

You could try a re-test in a different centre... I did this over a different problem I was in dispute over... Second centre passed no bother.

Having said that I dislike the tints and think they look skangary

Nonoperational

His don't look skangary in fairness.

The Big Red Button

mullingar wrote: »

A NCT test is only valid on the day it passes.

I was actually wondering about this recently ... say if you failed your NCT on a visual fault - we'll say, only because of having the wrong number plates on. If you came back for the retest with a car that had obviously been crashed in the meantime, but that had the correct plates on - you'd get your NCT disc?!

gurramok

You were hard done by Hellyeah, mine are slightly darker than that. I was re-assured they were the 65% rule when they were installed but after seeing yours and a work colleagues who also failed with lighter windows than mine, I just wonder is the testing equipment adequate?

Esel

chatterpillar wrote: »

I was actually wondering about this recently ... say if you failed your NCT on a visual fault - we'll say, only because of having the wrong number plates on. If you came back for the retest with a car that had obviously been crashed in the meantime, but that had the correct plates on - you'd get your NCT disc?!

Afaik, they can only recheck the failed items.

5500

Did you see the car being tested? did the tester use the device that measures the light transmission? If they did I cant see much point in arguing, even if you go to a different centre it's going to read the same % on their machine.

daRobot

What center was this that they failed you?

Absolutely no point trying to argue with them over this. The tester failed you because he tested them properly. The others who you heard passing the test weren't tested properly. The testers most likely looked and thought they weren't dark enough.

The only tint that will officially pass is a 70% film and you can put that on your windscreen aswell if you fancy.

I personally think that 35% is safe at night, having had cars with this tint on the fronts, but it's not legit as far as NCT rules go.

hellyeah

daRobot wrote: »

What center was this that they failed you?

Absolutely no point trying to argue with them over this. The tester failed you because he tested them properly. The others who you heard passing the test weren't tested properly. The testers most likely looked and thought they weren't dark enough.

The only tint that will officially pass is a 70% film and you can put that on your windscreen aswell if you fancy.

I personally think that 35% is safe at night, having had cars with this tint on the fronts, but it's not legit as far as NCT rules go.

deansgrange. did not pay much attention to the guy doing the test.

PaulieC

I failed the test yesterday due to the window tints (and also not having my hubcaps removed) and I was really dreading having to go through the hassle of removing them. However, while sitting in traffic on the way home from work yesterday, I started to pick at the tint to see what the damage would be like. It came off no problem - no heatguns, hairdryers, acetone, WD-40, nothing. In fact, the tint on the passenger window came off all in one piece and neither window had any adhesive residue. I was illogically pleased!

Matt Simis

cambo_gueno wrote: »

I failed the test yesterday due to the window tints (and also not having my hubcaps removed) and I was really dreading having to go through the hassle of removing them. However, while sitting in traffic on the way home from work yesterday, I started to pick at the tint to see what the damage would be like. It came off no problem - no heatguns, hairdryers, acetone, WD-40, nothing. In fact, the tint on the passenger window came off all in one piece and neither window had any adhesive residue. I was illogically pleased!

That doesnt sound like a very good tint job though does it!?

Gregor Samsa

Matt Simis wrote: »

Someone who claimed to know everything about passing the NCT suggested you could just send in the Car to the NCT with the Windows down, the NCT are not allowed to change anything on the car in the test. Sounded like BS to me? On the otherhand, are having side windows a legal requirement at all? If not, they could be rolled down then the electric motor fuse pulled.

I don't think this person knew as much as they were claiming.

First off, they can fail you if they can't test something that they are supposed to test. So if they can't check your glass for whatever reason, then they can fail you just based on the fact that they can't run the test.

Point 6 in the Glass testing section of the NCT Manual is:

http://www.ncts.ie/pdf/nctmanual.pdf wrote:

6. Check that the driver’s window operating mechanism is functioning properly.

So it's clear that it's within their rights to roll up at least this window if necessary. Also, if you removed the fuse, you'd fail on this operating mechanism test.

As for whether you actually have to have side windows, the manual doesn't say. Maybe you'd get away with it if you removed the glass entirely. But that's probably going a bit too far just to "stick it to the man", as the kids say.

Bits_n_Bobs

Odd - my father failed on one of the back seat electric windows not working properly last week, and reading this thread I thought to check the NCT manual - it makes no mention of these windows from what I can see?

He got a quote in excess of €300 from BMW for just the parts to fix this. From what he said to me think he would be happy to jam it closed to be honest, no-one ever in the back seat of the car anyway. Anyone know what the story is?

PaulieC

Matt Simis wrote: »

That doesnt sound like a very good tint job though does it!?

hehe, no it doesn't indeed, but it was on the car for 4 years with no problems...

Esel

Bits_n_Bobs wrote: »

Odd - my father failed on one of the back seat electric windows not working properly last week, and reading this thread I thought to check the NCT manual - it makes no mention of these windows from what I can see?

If you've checked the manual carefully and it's definitely not there, he should go back to the centre, point this fact out (assertively), and demand his certificate.

Lex Luthor

Matt Simis wrote: »

Also, I would try a totally different NCT centre, its at the testers discretion, if it really is as mild as you claim, then another tester may not care.

Its not supposed to be at the testers discretion...how can someone make a judgement call on whether a window is 64% VLT or 65% VLT.

They have equipment to measure the VLT on the windows in the NCT test, well they are supposed to.

If it was me and I had a doubt then I would ask for the value that the instrument read. I would also ask for it to be zeroed before the car was tested. I wouldn't accept for a decision to be made without that especially if it was just on discretion.

derv60

Bits_n_Bobs wrote: »

Odd - my father failed on one of the back seat electric windows not working properly last week, and reading this thread I thought to check the NCT manual - it makes no mention of these windows from what I can see?

He got a quote in excess of €300 from BMW for just the parts to fix this. From what he said to me think he would be happy to jam it closed to be honest, no-one ever in the back seat of the car anyway. Anyone know what the story is?

My car is booked in for the nct tomorrow, and I have the same problem. The passenger side rear window does not work. You are right, it doesn't mention it on the nct manual, it just says that the drivers window opening mechanism is operating.