How to tint the front and rear lights with a film, varnish with your own hands
Content
Headlight tinting is applied using vinyl or polyurethane films and varnish. These options have been around for a long time. But drivers began not only varnishing or gluing a protective film on the headlights, but also treating them with liquid rubber.
Different types of tuning are popular among car owners. Many of them change the look of the headlights. The easiest way to transform them is toning. Therefore, motorists are interested in how to tint headlights.
Is it necessary to tint the headlights
If the tinting of the headlights is not very common, then it is used more often for the rear lights. Toning has no practical purpose. This is done to transform the appearance of the car.
Even though dimming is not practically necessary, many car owners see it as the simplest type of tuning. This job is easy to do on your own. And the result can almost always be deleted.
Headlight tinting materials: comparison, pros and cons
Headlight tinting is applied using vinyl or polyurethane films and varnish. These options have been around for a long time. But drivers began not only varnishing or gluing a protective film on the headlights, but also treating them with liquid rubber.
The new technique has shown good efficiency. It allows you to make an unusual design of the car. The coating is easy to apply and remove. But so far this method has not received wide distribution, unlike the two previous ones.
Film materials, unlike coloring materials, are not polished. Therefore, their damage can be repaired only by regluing. Films rarely attract the attention of traffic cops, unlike painted lighting fixtures.
Advantages and disadvantages of tinting
Having decided to tint the headlights with a film or in any other way, it is important to know that such tuning has not only advantages, but also disadvantages. The main advantages of gluing and other toning are:
- changing the appearance of the car;
- ease of implementation;
- low cost;
- protection of glass headlights from scratches and chips.
headlight tint film colors
The coating slightly protects this part from damage. But few motorists are going to tint their rear or headlights for this reason. Most drivers do this for aesthetic reasons.
The disadvantages of this improvement include:
- when using varnish, there is a chance to permanently ruin the glass;
- the coating may deteriorate (both paint or varnish, and the film lose their appearance under the influence of environmental factors);
- a fine is possible if the rules of tinting are not observed;
- high cost of some materials for gluing.
To use this type of tuning or not - each car owner decides for himself, weighing all the advantages and disadvantages for himself.
How to tint headlights with film
The idea to tint the headlights with film appeared a long time ago. The procedure allows you to quickly change the design of external automotive lighting devices. This toning is completely reversible. There are many different types of films sold in car dealerships. Therefore, tinting the front or rear headlights with a film gives them the desired shade. These colors are chameleon, neon, cherry (for the rear lights), yellow (for the front), and black or gray for the rear lights. Some owners apply a sticker to match the body color. More often it is not installed on the entire surface, but in the form of a border, “cilia”.
Knowing how to tint headlights with a sticker, you can do it yourself.
Materials and Tools
To tint the headlights or taillights with your own hands, you will need the following tools and materials:
- film;
- construction (preferably) or household hair dryer;
- squeegee;
- stationery knife and scissors;
- spray container;
- soapy water (a solution of remnants or washing powder) or window cleaner.
Everything you need to prepare in advance so as not to be distracted during the main work.
Do-it-yourself headlight tinting
Order of work
Tinting your headlights or taillights is easy. Work instructions:
- Wash and dry headlights.
- Apply the material to the surface to cut the sticker to the desired size. You can leave a small excess film.
- Spray the surface of the headlights with soapy water.
- Remove the protective layer from the sticker and attach it to the headlight.
- Flatten the film with your hands from the center to the edges.
- Heat the glass of the lantern and the sticker with a hair dryer. Periodically heating, smooth the film material with a squeegee. When gluing, it is important to ensure that there are no air bubbles under the film, and that it lies evenly and tightly.
- Trim off excess film material.
You can use the car immediately after the work is completed. But it is not recommended to wash it on the same day, it is better to wait 2-3 days.
Nuances of care, service life
To make the car look attractive, it is important not only to understand how to tint the headlights, but also to properly care for them. The surface with a film does not need leaving. But while washing and wiping the car, you need to be careful not to damage the sticker.
Self-tinting headlights varnish
You can also tint headlights or lanterns with varnish at home. Typically, such tinting is used from behind, as it can reduce the light transmission of optics. The paint is usually black or grey.
Such tuning is very simple. It will require a minimum of materials and time for preparation. To paint the glass of headlights or lanterns, you need to purchase varnish in a can of the desired shade, sandpaper, prepare a soap solution and rags.
Before painting, the surface must be thoroughly washed and dried, and also sanded with sandpaper. After that, it remains only to gently apply the dye to the surface in several layers. The more layers, the richer the color will be. You can operate the car after the coating has completely dried. Usually in the summer or in a warm garage, this takes no more than a day.
headlight tinting varnish
The lacquer finish lasts a very long time. Good material practically does not fade in the sun and does not peel off from the impact of stones. But the main disadvantage of such staining is the inability to remove the product without damaging the glasses. If you need to remove the coating, the lights will most likely have to be replaced. In addition, the coating can greatly impair the visibility of the road and raise questions from traffic inspectors.
Is it legal to tint your headlights in 2020?
Tinted headlights and taillights in Russia in 2020 is not officially prohibited. But traffic rules require that the car has a white-yellow or yellow light in front, and a red or red-orange and white-yellow or yellow light in the back. At the same time, lighting devices should be clearly visible to other road users at any time of the day.
If these conditions are met when applying tinting materials, then there should be no problems with traffic inspectors. But strong tinting, especially of the rear lights, impairs their visibility and distorts the colors of the bulbs. The driver may be fined for installing inappropriate lighting. True, it is small - only 500 rubles. More often this happens with those who cover the headlights with varnish.
Trouble can come in the event of an accident if it is proven that the vehicle's lights were not visible or were misunderstood due to the coating applied.
