Any ideas how to remove horrific window tint film "residue"?

[RallyChamp]

My recent efforts were to remove all the tint film from my ST170 that I recently found on the cheap. The black tint just looked rubbish with age wrinkles and scratches etc. Not as difficult as I expected it to be.

Gentle warm up with a heat gun beforehand (hairdryer might do) - not if it's too cold/frosty though! Found a corner to start from and slowly pulled the film away from the glass while applying the heat gun hot air just ahead of the direction I was pulling (i.e. and not behind the pulled film). Some of the film would break but still carried on. In no time all the film was off. Some windows were too easy with no clean up necessary afterwards, whereas others needed the old dried up film adhesive/sticky to be removed. Tried white spirit and got fed up with that then amazingly found Viakal spray kitchen cleaner worked brilliantly - spray, leave a minute or so then wipe off!

HTH

[Origin Unknown]

Seems to be the most recent thread on this subject in GG.

I'm trying to remove the tints from the front windows but it is not going as planned! Watched a few tutorials, used a heat gun and for the most part, the tint and adhesive came off ok. However, I couldn't get heat to the glass that sits in the frame around the edge. Not sure if it's clear what I'm trying to explain but net-net is that the adhesive is still present on the glass and is grabbing at the frame rubber as the window goes up and down.

Any guidance how I even get at this adhesive?!

[Dr Interceptor]

Paint scraper, with a bit of thin cloth or kitchen towel wrapped over the end. Apply nail varnish remover (or similar) to cloth, and push in between the glass and rubber.

[Origin Unknown]

Ok, thanks. And nail varnish remover won't be detrimental to the rubber? Reason I ask is that the adhesive residue doesn't just come off on contact with the nail varnish remover, requires a bit of persuasion. Also swearing.

[anonymous-user]

You needs some of this. I've used it in the past to remove the residue from film.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mykal-Sticky-Stuff-Remover...

[Big Fat Fatty]

I found condensation and an old credit card worked best, sat in the car with a cup'o'tea for a few minutes to let the windows 'steam' up (other methods work well too...) and got scraping. Worked a treat.

Nail polish remover/acetone etc. just smeared the adhesive all over the place and gave the rubber a weird texture.

[Dr Interceptor]

Origin Unknown said:

Ok, thanks. And nail varnish remover won't be detrimental to the rubber? Reason I ask is that the adhesive residue doesn't just come off on contact with the nail varnish remover, requires a bit of persuasion. Also swearing.

To be safe, you can use the scraper to 'lift' the rubber off the glass, then clean the residue.

[Super Slo Mo]

Label Remover. This stuff: http://uk.farnell.com/pro-power/ppc108/label-remov...

If this can't shift it, not much will, although Flux Remover would be worth a shot as a last resort, be warned though, Flux Remover can get fossils off rocks, it's so powerful.

[Origin Unknown]

A few solutions there, thanks guys. I'll report back on what worked, if not a combination of all of the above.

Partially wishing I hadn't started this but fairly sure the tints weren't legal.

[e46acs]

Just had the same problem removing tints. I ended up using paint thinners. Horrible job that I wished I hadn't started, but glad I did it.

[3xpendable]

St John Smythe said:

You needs some of this. I've used it in the past to remove the residue from film.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mykal-Sticky-Stuff-Remover...

Was about to post this, so shall just say this x 2

[Rickyy]

I used a petrol soaked rag to remove the residue left from when I de-stickered my work van.

[JQ]

C.A.R. said:

Have had success with Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover on sticker glue in the past. Trick was to just use loads of it and soak the area as well as possible, leave it a few minutes then it just wiped away...

Has also been my go to product for sticky stuff, it's not let me down so far.

[SirSquidalot]

Angle grinder

[jhfozzy]

I remove a lot of stickers in my course of work.

I've tried loads of different sprays and the best I've found so far is electrical cleaner. It doesn't harm paintwork or glass and dissolves the little bubbles of glue that just normally spread around under the rag.

The brand we're currently using is SAS10 electrical cleaner, but most should work.

[Origin Unknown]

3xpendable said:

St John Smythe said:

You needs some of this. I've used it in the past to remove the residue from film.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mykal-Sticky-Stuff-Remover...

Was about to post this, so shall just say this x 2

Went for this stuff on the basis that it was stocked at my local homebase. Great recommendation chaps as it does a good job of dissolving the adhesive, thanks. The parts of the glass around the frame were a pig. Looks much better!

[7/11]

Just picked up on this as need to remove film from car windows. Is there any danger using the methods and solutions suggested on heated rear window of Ford Focus?
I guess heating the window with a heat gun could affect the elements within the screen?

[RCBRG]

7/11 said:

Just picked up on this as need to remove film from car windows. Is there any danger using the methods and solutions suggested on heated rear window of Ford Focus?
I guess heating the window with a heat gun could affect the elements within the screen?

i ended up peeling some of the element off, breaking a few lines of the heating. it can be "fixed" with a special type of silver paint, but its not a perfect fix

[skyrover]

Vinegar

[Gilbertd]

Got an imported car that has to go in for the IVA test with tint film on the front windows so that has to come off. The weather was so hot there was no need for the hot air gun or hair dryer, it just peeled off but left the stickiest sticky stuff I've ever known on the windows. Tried nail varnish remover and brake cleaner but all they did was smear it around a bit. Decided to see what the collective brains of Pistonheads could suggest and found this thread. Tried WD40 and that wouldn't touch it so had a look in the garage to see what I might have in there. Cracked it. Nitromores may have been Elf n Safetied so no longer strips paint, but it does remove window tint film glue. Wiped it on with a cloth, left it for a couple of minutes and then wiped it off with a cloth dampened with warm water. Had to finish the edges with a Stanley knife blade but what came off was a sort of rubbery gloop that had lost most of it's stickiness. Sorted.

I put a strip of masking tape along the top of the inner door card to protect that but all I've got left to do now is swap the headlights for ones that dip the correct way.