[zazzau]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

Many shops only carry certain tint %'s so they don't have to keep that much inventory on hand.

Yes

[Fulqrum]

"Right...... SITREP....."

So, after being super scared about going ahead with my plan to get 3M Ceramic IR tint, decided to throw caution to the wind and just do it...


The result....


No dimming at all.

Did 35% back window and 50% sides. Noticeably cooler, and I love the look. It's just weird that so many have experienced this dimming phenomenon. Guess I just got lucky...

[clone1008]

Originally Posted by Fulqrum

"Right...... SITREP....."

So, after being super scared about going ahead with my plan to get 3M Ceramic IR tint, decided to throw caution to the wind and just do it...


The result....


No dimming at all.

Did 35% back window and 50% sides. Noticeably cooler, and I love the look. It's just weird that so many have experienced this dimming phenomenon. Guess I just got lucky...

You didn't get lucky you just didn't go very dark on your tint. Doesn't even look tinted to be honest.

[Fulqrum]

Originally Posted by clone1008

You didn't get lucky you just didn't go very dark on your tint. Doesn't even look tinted to be honest.

The premise of the thread being, that those who choose to get the ceramic tint with IR block would likely see the dimming issue.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by Fulqrum

The premise of the thread being, that those who choose to get the ceramic tint with IR block would likely see the dimming issue.

Not exactly. It's a combination...if you go ceramic but lighter VLT, you have a better chance of not having issues. The sensor reacts to IR light but also visible light.

[wolvesatthedoor]

Originally Posted by Mynoles1

I have not taken the plunge and purged my current tint. I am waiting on a solution that is being created by another X5 forum member. Once I test this out I will know what to do.

I would certainly love to hear from your experience if you decide to work with the dyed tint, or anyone else that has done so.

More to follow.

Picking up the car at the dealer on Wednesday, and have a tint apt set up for Friday afternoon. Ordered 30% all around (I didn't order any on for windshield but may eventually do a 5% strip across the top for sun in the future) and specifically requested dyed tint. I'll follow up with how it goes. I've never ordered non-ceramic before but I really don't care as the main reasons I get it is for aesthetics and privacy. It was half the cost of the ceramic I have on my current Golf R so that's a plus already lol.

[tangonauta99]

There have to be other factors in addition to the tint affecting the brightness of the instrument panel. I've seen a few cars with NO tint at all experiencing the same issue. In addition, my car started to develop the dimming issue after about 15K miles. Of course, "It is operating as designed". Who, in the right mind, would buy a car with such issue from the start?

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by tangonauta99

There have to be other factors in addition to the tint affecting the brightness of the instrument panel. I've seen a few cars with NO tint at all experiencing the same issue. In addition, my car started to develop the dimming issue after about 15K miles. Of course, "It is operating as designed". Who, in the right mind, would buy a car with such issue from the start?

There definitely are other factors on a completely stock vehicle (if you have factory rear tint on the back windows like any of the SUV models, direction/intensity of the sun, etc). Window tint, on some vehicles (for whatever reason), only exasperates the problem. Especially tint with high IR rejection and/or combined with a low VLT. It sucks and to anyone who hasn't experienced, be thankful.

I just traded in my RS5 and was one of the conflicts I had when thinking about a new BMW (was seriously contemplation the G80 M3 Competition). Sounds crazy but it really took away from my ownership experience with the M340i on an otherwise fantastic car.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

There definitely are other factors on a completely stock vehicle (if you have factory rear tint on the back windows like any of the SUV models, direction/intensity of the sun, etc). Window tint, on some vehicles (for whatever reason), only exasperates the problem. Especially tint with high IR rejection and/or combined with a low VLT. It sucks and to anyone who hasn't experienced, be thankful.

I just traded in my RS5 and was one of the conflicts I had when thinking about a new BMW (was seriously contemplation the G80 M3 Competition). Sounds crazy but it really took away from my ownership experience with the M340i on an otherwise fantastic car.

Wait, what? You just traded in your RS5? So what are you getting this time? Lol. I have to admit, the dimming issue does sound crazy to me if you're passing on getting a BMW because of that.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Wait, what? You just traded in your RS5? So what are you getting this time? Lol. I have to admit, the dimming issue does sound crazy to me if you're passing on getting a BMW because of that.

I'm not passing on a BMW because of the dimming issues, but I've experienced it pretty bad (along with many others on here), so I can't say it didn't enter my mind as a negative when weighing the pros and cons vs other vehicles.

Annnyway lol so I had an opportunity to sell the RS5 for more than I paid for it back in October. I couldn't pass on it, and can wait for a new car to be built even with some delays. It was pretty much between an xDrive version of the G80 M3 Comp or a 2022 RS5 Sportback in almost the same spec as my 2019. For a bunch of reasons I decided to just stick with the RS5 that I know (I also have winter wheels and tires for it and a bunch of other crap). My dealer is also giving me a Range Rover Velar to drive until it's ready so that's pretty nice lol.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

I'm not passing on a BMW because of the dimming issues, but I've experienced it pretty bad (along with many others on here), so I can't say it didn't enter my mind as a negative when weighing the pros and cons vs other vehicles.

Annnyway lol so I had an opportunity to sell the RS5 for more than I paid for it back in October. I couldn't pass on it, and can wait for a new car to be built even with some delays. It was pretty much between an xDrive version of the G80 M3 Comp or a 2022 RS5 Sportback in almost the same spec as my 2019. For a bunch of reasons I decided to just stick with the RS5 that I know (I also have winter wheels and tires for it and a bunch of other crap). My dealer is also giving me a Range Rover Velar to drive until it's ready so that's pretty nice lol.

Lol oooookay then. Must've been a tidy profit in this case. Will there be any changes for the '22 model of the RS5? Oh and I hope your Velar doesn't take a shit on you but I guess it won't be out of pocket anyway, lol. I almost wish you would've gone with the G80 because I know you'd at least drop in and provide thoughts on it.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Lol oooookay then. Must've been a tidy profit in this case. Will there be any changes for the '22 model of the RS5? Oh and I hope your Velar doesn't take a shit on you but I guess it won't be out of pocket anyway, lol. I almost wish you would've gone with the G80 because I know you'd at least drop in and provide thoughts on it.

I definitely profited on this one, but that's just how the used market is these days. I got a decent discount on the new RS5 and I won't have car payments for the next 4 months while still driving a luxury vehicle (win-win in my books). The biggest change to the RS5 came in the 2021 LCI with the lights (front and back) and bumpers all being revised. Interior got some nicer bits but the got rid of the MMI controller (iDrive wheel in BMW talk) much to my dismay but at least it's a bigger, higher res screen with wireless Carplay. I considered the G80, a Macan GTS, and a few others but ultimately came back to the RS5. I'm kind of looking at it as a continuation of my original ownership experience since I only had it for 8 months.

[TurtleBoy]

chrisnack has started shipping some BimmerLights, could be a solution for those who are bugged by the dimming issue.

https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1806820

[Socosurf]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

chrisnack has started shipping some BimmerLights, could be a solution for those who are bugged by the dimming issue.

https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1806820

Lmao, all of that just to put a less conspicuous light near the sensor to trick the display into not dimming? Yeah I'll pass. Tbh, I've been dealing with the dimming issue with my car (15% tint) and it really doesn't bother me anymore.

But yeah all that work to just put a wire sticking out with a light diode to trick the sensor isn't worth it for me.

[chrisnack]

Originally Posted by Socosurf

Lmao, all of that just to put a less conspicuous light near the sensor to trick the display into not dimming? Yeah I'll pass. Tbh, I've been dealing with the dimming issue with my car (15% tint) and it really doesn't bother me anymore.

But yeah all that work to just put a wire sticking out with a light diode to trick the sensor isn't worth it for me.

No one is forcing you to buy anything. If it doesn't bother you, great, glad it's not an issue, but as stated by many people, it is a major issue for a large number of us. There wasn't a solution via programming best I could tell and doing research and my dimming was REALLY bad, so i made a solution.

It's a little more than just a light as there is programming behind it to respond to the light level outside.

If you don't have any issues and are happy with how it's working, that's great, some people are a-ok.

I plan to rework the dash mount to completely hide the wire at some point, but i just haven't been able to come up with something i'm happy with yet. It's very complicated to get that piece correct, it was hard to get the piece you see in the video correct, it snaps in perfectly and doesn't block any of the dash lights, that took 50+ iterations to get the right fit.

[Socosurf]

Originally Posted by chrisnack

No one is forcing you to buy anything. If it doesn't bother you, great, glad it's not an issue, but as stated by many people, it is a major issue for a large number of us. There wasn't a solution via programming best I could tell and doing research and my dimming was REALLY bad, so i made a solution.

It's a little more than just a light as there is programming behind it to respond to the light level outside.

If you don't have any issues and are happy with how it's working, that's great, some people are a-ok.

I plan to rework the dash mount to completely hide the wire at some point, but i just haven't been able to come up with something i'm happy with yet. It's very complicated to get that piece correct, it was hard to get the piece you see in the video correct, it snaps in perfectly and doesn't block any of the dash lights, that took 50+ iterations to get the right fit.

Oh trust me. You have a market for this product. People will want this. But the set up and installation process for the end product of brightening up the screen seems a little over designed and developed in my personal opinion, and that's totally ok. Not a product for me, but absolutely for someone else who finds value in it.

[chrisnack]

Originally Posted by Socosurf

Oh trust me. You have a market for this product. People will want this. But the set up and installation process for the end product of brightening up the screen seems a little over designed and developed in my personal opinion, and that's totally ok. Not a product for me, but absolutely for someone else who finds value in it.

Fair enough, i can respect that

[wolvesatthedoor]

Originally Posted by Mynoles1

I have not taken the plunge and purged my current tint. I am waiting on a solution that is being created by another X5 forum member. Once I test this out I will know what to do.

I would certainly love to hear from your experience if you decide to work with the dyed tint, or anyone else that has done so.

More to follow.

So I got it tinted yesterday. 30% dyed all around, nothing on the windshield. Drove it last evening for quite a bit and no dimming issues or problems even at twilight. Drove it for over an hour today running errands in mixed sunny, overcast, and a brief rain downpour (were having some wild weather today in eastern Pennsylvania). I also live in an urban area with many tall building that cast a lot of shadows on the car when I drive with no noticeable dimming abnormalities to mention at this time since tinted.

[niloch]

Is there anyway to test if a car is impacted by this before tinting? I tried blocking the sensor in the dash, and even put my sunglasses in front of it and I didn't experience any dimming.

[oonowindoo]

u sure you were blocking the right sensor? if you were and it is not dimming, then something is wrong.

The brightness is supposed to adjust automatically based on the environment via the sensor... if your sensor is not working, then that is another issue all together.. actually you might be the lucky one. I wish my sensor was not working.

[Almaretto]

Originally Posted by niloch

Is there anyway to test if a car is impacted by this before tinting? I tried blocking the sensor in the dash, and even put my sunglasses in front of it and I didn't experience any dimming.

Dark garage?

[chrisnack]

Originally Posted by niloch

Is there anyway to test if a car is impacted by this before tinting? I tried blocking the sensor in the dash, and even put my sunglasses in front of it and I didn't experience any dimming.

Blocking doesn't usually work as well as shining a light on it to get it to brighten it up. So try that, use your flashlight on your phone and hit the left or right side of the dash, the sensor is right about where the 3/4 tank indicator is.