Tint failure.

[Mr Shiny]

Geez, how incompetent can WOF inspectors be? I've had the tints on my SW for some 12+ years now & they have just failed, too dark. Maybe I should go back & 'fail' all previous inspectors? Even cops haven't had a problem with them & as one has pointed out that if I had the back window tinted then it would be an issue. Went to a VTNZ station for a second opinion & she tested them, too dark. But as she explained even she doesn't understand how tinted windows can be an issue. Fair enough if you can't see through them at all, but mine aren't that bad. Then a chrome wrapped R35 pulled in & she said THAT should fail dur to the chrome blinding other drivers, but its fine. Maybe the rules need an overhaul to start looking at newer things like wraps, because what colour is the car registered as if you change it with a wrap? Well that's my rant, still pissed off!

[Swampy]

Pays to go to someone you know who isn't just doing the job to get extra $$$. It may just be that the car has a very light tint from the factory over some of its glass, and then when it's been tinted with our legal 35% VLT - it actually makes it darker than 35% - and thus illegal on cars. I don't see anything wrong with 35% on the back window. It must be helpful because I get sick of other cars lights blinding me.

They're just plonkers

[Benckj]

I always wanted to tint my rear side and back glass but was worried about failing inspections. Like you experienced they can fail even though are stated as being 35%.

[Mr Shiny]

Yeah Jim, even the girl is confused as to why the rear side windows would be an issue since there is no back seats or even using them to look through. Look how dark some factory Subaru's are, with back seats. She even pointed to a people mover that has a rear window no bigger than a hand & said even that would fail if tinted too dark! Ok well, does anyone know if the SWs windows have a factory tint? I can't remember after 12 years!

[GDII]

My MR2 has factory bronze side window tint. The windscreen had a bronze strip at the top but I got it replaced so now it doesn't. Not sure if the rear window has a tint on it. It's not very dark so if you didn't know you couldn't really tell.

[Statek]

Warrant of Fitness inspections are very subjective, and depend on what mood the inspector is in. If you went to another VNTZ for a full WoF check, they might not pull you up on the tint (unless the company had a refresher course and now they're all 'tint specialists').
Yes, it's a bad system. No, nothing will be done about it anytime soon.
In my opinion, VNTZ are not the authority they are made out to be in regards to WoFs. Yes, people go there because "VTNZ can't make any money for failing you", but then a lot of workshops actually don't fail you unless it's really necessary. Mechanics have a bad name for ripping people off because of a few bad eggs.

[Mr Shiny]

I think he must have been in a I don't care mood as my car was Shiny when I went in & I'm wondering why the hell would you lean on the car here? There are filthy marks everywhere

[Grrrrrrr!]

The rules around tints are actually one of the lest subjective bits of the WOF rules. The rules are clear on what you can tint and how dark the tint is allowed to be, one of the few things that actually has a stated limit.. 35% VLT. It either legal or its not, there really is no gray area with tints.

[ClanFever]

The rules around tints are actually one of the lest subjective bits of the WOF rules. The rules are clear on what you can tint and how dark the tint is allowed to be, one of the few things that actually has a stated limit.. 35% VLT. It either legal or its not, there really is no gray area with tints.

Yet Brae got away with it for 12 years. If there was no gray area, say like it is with a headlight (its either blown or its not) then they would have failed him 12 years ago. Obviously somethings up with the tester who let it slide for over a decade, or somethings up with whatever he used to test how dark it was. I can understand the frustration completely. It's like these 4km/h limits over summer yet 10km/h limit for the rest of the year is okay. Stick with one freaking rule!!!

[Statek]

I also know of at least 2 individuals who have tinted their front windscreen and still get warrants at VTNZ

The rules around tints are actually one of the lest subjective bits of the WOF rules. The rules are clear on what you can tint and how dark the tint is allowed to be, one of the few things that actually has a stated limit.. 35% VLT. It either legal or its not, there really is no gray area with tints.

While that's absolutely true, have you seen anyone use a tint tester? If you actually have, you should ask when (or if) it was last calibrated

[Mr Shiny]

Yeah another thing that got to me was the 'tint tester' was an old cardboard square with a piece of tint in it. You hold it up to the window & if the window looks darker, then it's a fail! At least the VTNZ has a proper testing machine.
Yeah Olaf you hit the nail on the head! Just frustrating it took this long to now be a problem. It's not the first time I have used this WOF station either, & there must be a few I've used as I lived in Welly for a while too.
Yes Lee it's black or white on the rules, something they are actually certain on. But when its factory tinted it can be darker? Oh well, like I said, they have been on there 12+ years. So they are starting to go purple & I've though about taking then off anyway, just when I was ready to though!

[Grrrrrrr!]

The rules around tints are actually one of the lest subjective bits of the WOF rules. The rules are clear on what you can tint and how dark the tint is allowed to be, one of the few things that actually has a stated limit.. 35% VLT. It either legal or its not, there really is no gray area with tints.

Yet Brae got away with it for 12 years. If there was no gray area, say like it is with a headlight (its either blown or its not) then they would have failed him 12 years ago. Obviously somethings up with the tester who let it slide for over a decade, or somethings up with whatever he used to test how dark it was. I can understand the frustration completely. It's like these 4km/h limits over summer yet 10km/h limit for the rest of the year is okay. Stick with one freaking rule!!!

You're mistaking lax enforcement of the rules/shit training of inspectors with the rules being vague. The rules ( at least these days, maybe not 10years ago) with tints are clear. Same with the speed limit. It is 100kph. The only tolerance they actually need to apply is the maximum inaccuracy of the speed testing device. At any time in the year they can write you a ticket for 104kph and you won't get out of it.

[Swampy]

I walk on a street every weekday full of car shops like Repco/Auto Super Shoppe Mayne/Pit Stop/Midas etc. I can attest to many cars looking like they have limo/tradie van spec tint, including a blacked out Swift with a Midas logo on the side, yet they all have WOFs. If they don't have professional tools to actually test the VLT of the glass then they shouldn't be failing guys on tint...

[Grrrrrrr!]

I walk on a street every weekday full of car shops like Repco/Auto Super Shoppe Mayne/Pit Stop/Midas etc. I can attest to many cars looking like they have limo/tradie van spec tint, including a blacked out Swift with a Midas logo on the side, yet they all have WOFs. If they don't have professional tools to actually test the VLT of the glass then they shouldn't be failing guys on tint...

Except for repco I'm pretty sure all those places do their own WOFs.

If they don't have professional tools to actually test the VLT of the glass then they shouldn't be issuing any WOFS at all...

Fixed that for you.

Be glad we don't have the "system" Australia does.

[Mr Shiny]

Be glad we don't have the "system" Australia does.

Will see how it goes on the way home tonight.