DIY film tinting of headlights! Instructions and tips

You can give your car more individuality not only by significantly changing the appearance, but also by tuning individual small elements.

One of the simplest and most affordable ways is to tint the headlights. Recently, some car models already have tinted headlights in their original design.

They can also be purchased separately in specialized stores. However, it is not possible to find suitable tuned headlights for every car, or their price can be too high.

If you have a desire to add uniqueness to your car without special expenses, you can tint the headlights with film yourself, with your own hands

This can be done in two ways:

Varnish (paint) coating;
Film tinting.

Most car enthusiasts prefer the second method when restyling headlights.

Depending on your preferences, you can tint the headlights not only with black film, but also to match the color of the car, or choose a film of bright non-standard colors.

As an option, you can combine two colors or tint only part of the headlight.

Advantages of film tinting

Using film coating for headlights has a number of noticeable advantages:

The film not only performs a decorative function, but also protects the car headlights from various minor damages.
For example, it will help prevent the appearance of small chips and scratches from gravel or other parts of the road surface;
It is much easier for a non-specialist to carefully apply the film than to evenly coat the headlight with varnish;
A special film for tinting headlights has good light transmittance, which reduces the risk of accidents and the likelihood of conflicts with traffic police officers.
If necessary, removing the film will not be difficult; just pry it by the tip and pull.
In this case, no damage will be caused to the original appearance of the headlights, unlike removing the varnish, after which the headlights become cloudy from exposure to the solvent.
Does not deteriorate and does not change its properties under the influence of the sun, precipitation or temperature changes.

Tinting headlights with varnish

A couple of years ago, when films for tinting optics were not yet so common, they used varnish to tint headlights. Even now there are people who like to tint headlights and lanterns using it, since it is the cheapest way.

Tinting headlights with varnish VAZ 2112

To do this, buy a can of “special tinting” varnish, which is applied to the optics in several layers. The more layers, the darker the coating. And, if few people think of tinting the headlights, then every second fan of this kind of tuning treats the rear lights. In most cases, they use cans of varnish purchased on the market for 1-2 dollars.

Headlight tinting varnish

To tint headlights and taillights using varnish, you must first cover the paintwork directly next to the lights with polyethylene or paper. It’s even better to do this by removing them completely. Then carefully apply one coat of varnish to the optics. Wait until it dries. Apply one or two more coats if necessary. Repeat on the other side. And you can drive.

Choosing a film for tinting car headlights

Obtaining a good final result depends not only on skills and abilities, but also largely on the properties of the material used. When choosing a tint film, there are three main points to consider:

Film thickness.
The optimal option would be a thickness of 0.6-1.2 mm. But in any case, it must have sufficient density and a strong surface, not allow moisture to pass through and not crumble under the influence of gasoline, oils or detergents.
Film stretchability.
Most often, films are made of fairly elastic polyvinyl chloride, which are easy to apply and do not tear from minor impacts.
Light transmittance.
A very important parameter on which road safety depends. It doesn't matter what color of film you prefer, as long as it transmits 85-100% of the emitted light.

It is believed that the following manufacturers produce the highest quality tinting films: Oracal, 3M, LLumar, Johnson, SolarGuard, SunSolar

Sufficiently high-quality films can be purchased on average at a price of 350-500 rubles per linear meter. Of course, cheaper products from Chinese manufacturers are widely available for 200-250 rubles.

However, problems with them begin already at the gluing stage, and their service life is not very long.

How to tint the front and rear headlights with film yourself?

To carry out the work of gluing the tint film, there is no need to dismantle the headlights.

If there are raised inscriptions on the car's optics, they should be carefully removed with a grinding machine and the area polished to ensure the film is applied as evenly as possible.

According to the shape and size of the headlight, cut out the appropriate piece of tint film, adding an additional 5 cm on all sides.

Before pasting, the headlights must be thoroughly washed with a special detergent and wiped with a microfiber cloth.

Degrease the surface with alcohol. Isopropyl is best suited for these purposes, but you can get by with regular ethyl.

We wipe the surface of the headlight with a lint-free cloth, making sure that no small particles remain.

Remove the protective paper layer from the film. It is recommended to spray the adhesive surface, as well as the headlight itself, from a spray bottle. Then place the film on the headlight and smooth it with your palms.

Leveling the film should start from the most even part, usually the center. During this operation, it is necessary to heat the film with a hairdryer. Remove any accumulations of water and air with a rubber spatula (squeegee) while continuing to heat.

Carefully, so as not to damage the car's paintwork, trim off the excess film with a sharp utility knife. After this, bend the edges inward along the entire perimeter, and after thoroughly warming them, tuck them in with a thin object.

Finally, wipe the film-covered headlights with a soft cloth.

We use film in our work

This is an excellent solution for car enthusiasts, since the film practically does not change the brightness of the headlights, which means that it will be possible to pass the technical inspection without any problems. The film reliably protects the headlights from negative impacts and minor scratches.

Advantages of the method:

You can tone your car very quickly and the headlight will not become cloudy or rough spots will appear on it.
The film has the necessary light transmittance.
If the film is of high quality, it can be polished periodically.

Minuses:

Complex gluing technology.
High cost compared to varnish.

In the event of a minor collision or if a stone hits the headlight, the dense film will not allow the headlight to crumble, thus the damage will be minimal.

Tinting of taillights can also be done using film. You can order the film if you have access to the Internet or by purchasing it in specialized stores. First you need to decide on the color and see how the chosen shade looks on the optics of other cars.

Preparing to tint the taillights

In order to carry out the headlight tinting procedure yourself, you need to prepare the following materials and tools:

Hair dryer.
Car glass cleaner.
A piece of lint-free rag.
Special rubber spatula.
A sharp knife to remove film residue.

The surface of the headlight that will be tinted must be thoroughly washed using a special glass cleaner. If the design of the headlight is such that it can be tuned without even removing it, there is no need to dismantle the headlight.

But it’s still better to remove the optics from the body, since working this way is much more convenient. When washing, you need to use as little detergent as possible and not overdo it. After this, the headlight must be completely dried.

spray painting headlights

In the meantime, you need to estimate how much film will be needed to tint the headlights and cut off the required piece. In this case, you can make a small margin of a few centimeters on all sides; the excess material at the end can simply be cut off (if possible, tuck it inside along the contour of the headlight). You can first give the cut piece the shape of a headlight.

The surface of the optics is slightly wetted (you can use a spray bottle for this). Some car owners prefer to stick the film on a dry, grease-free headlight because fewer air bubbles appear this way.

The choice of gluing method depends only on the desire of the master and his diligence, because a good result can be obtained in any case, regardless of the chosen technique.

The prepared film is applied to the headlight, then the backing is removed from it and the film is spread over the entire surface of the headlight using a spatula or roller.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cdNK4vrRMA

Carrying out this procedure yourself is quite problematic, so it is better to call an assistant in advance. It is necessary to smooth the film after it has been slightly heated with a hairdryer, in this way it will be possible to repeat all the curves of the headlight, because the material will become more pliable.

During the gluing process, you need to try to expel all liquid or accumulated air from under the film, because the quality of tinting will directly depend on how tightly the film adheres to the headlight.

The remaining film is removed using a sharp stationery knife. The headlight can then be slightly polished and reinstalled. Optics tuned in this way can easily withstand high-pressure washing and other loads.

Next article: Protecting the body and underbody of a car from corrosion: methods of protection against rust. Previous article: Polishing a car after painting it yourself.

Is there a fine for tinting headlights with film?

Some car owners mistakenly believe that any tinting of headlights is not illegal, since the technical regulations for vehicle safety do not specifically indicate a ban on tinting headlights.

However, in addition to the technical regulations, there is a list of vehicle malfunctions for which operation is prohibited.

Clause 3.6. restricts the use of lighting fixtures if they emit light other than white, yellow and orange in the front or red, yellow and orange in the rear

Theoretically, this means that a traffic police officer can apply paragraph 13 of Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses to you, and in the worst case, you face deprivation of your rights for a period of 6-12 months.

It is worth noting that this only applies to tinting the headlights. For tinting the rear, you can get off with a warning or a fine of 500 rubles.

But, as a rule, traffic police inspectors are loyal to tinting that does not exceed reasonable limits. If the headlights emit sufficient and uniform light, then there will be no complaints from the traffic police.

By the way, this is another positive quality of tinting using film, which has good light transmittance.

You should not overuse tinting, because... its excess can cause a traffic accident

If it does happen and the fact of tinting the headlights is indicated in the protocol, then this will not work in your favor. To apply tint without compromising brightness, it is recommended to replace the light bulbs with more powerful ones or install LEDs.

If a traffic police officer complains to you about the headlights of your car, and you are sure that the tinting is within the normal range, then it is quite possible to refute the inspector’s arguments.

After all, at the moment they do not have any brightness control devices. In addition, according to Orders of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 297 and No. 329, the technical condition of a car can be checked only if there is no inspection certificate.

Will I have problems with the traffic police?

You definitely won’t have problems with the traffic police if you install factory-tinted headlights that have passed special certification. As for tinting yourself, be prepared for the fact that there is no clear answer to the question of whether such headlight tinting is legal. The wording in the law is quite vague. Many car owners complain about problems when passing inspection. Know that there is a more favorable attitude towards tinting with film, since it, compared to paint, transmits more light and covers the headlight uniformly.

Possible problems with traffic policemen