Rear taillight reverse section tinting/smoking

[power152]

Hello everyone,

I am thinking about tinting my reverse lights on my stock taillights. I dont want the entire light tinted, just a nice smoked look for the clear reverse section of the light. I have been scouring the Internet looking for stock b6 taillight pictures with just the reverse clear portion "smoked". I don't want a dark dark tint just enough to compliment the dolphin grey of my car. Could anyone post pictures of what this looks like? I've only seen some aftermarket Led tail lights that have this effect. Thanks for any help!

JP

[diagnosticator]

Obviously, smoking the back up light lenses will seriously compromise rear illumination when backing up. Have you considered the negative consequences on rear illumination when reversing, from smoking the backup light lenses?

Although the appearance of smoked clear lenses may be prefered considering the paint color of your A4, the loss of rearward illumination function while reversing seems to be more important than the appearance of the lenses, IMO.

Just wondering what your priorities really are here.

For me, the appearance of smoked tail light lenses typically looks like dirt or loss of reflective coating in the tail light from age deterioration as the first impression viewing smoked taillights

[power152]

I'm just looking to give the taillights a little modification. I believe that the current clear lenses just clash too much with the color of the car. Looking for something more uniform. The car is a garage queen only driven about 500-1000 miles per year and I hate the look of the tinted red taillights. I'm not looking to black the lenses out. Just give them a slight smoked look. This is an example on a three series.

https://jlevisw.com/Accessories-for-...-Light-Lenses/

[diagnosticator]

Yeah that light smoke treatment looks good. I don't know how to achieve that on our tail lights. Hopefully, someone can provide a how-to here. It might take little while for someone in with the know-how to find the thread.

BTW, I think it is practically certain the light smoke appearance of the 3 Series tail lights is provided by a very light tint of the bulk plastic material used to form the tail light lenses. A fundamental difference compared to a surface tint application.

[power152]

I don't have a Pinterest account but his guy did it somehow. I'm not sure if he is on here

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/179862578838395919/

Or google image search b6 avant smoked reverse light. Looks clean and not tacky!

[old guy]

You could try masking off the red portion of the tail light and spraying the clear with some Nite-Shades to obtain the desired level of transparency.

[power152]

I would be worried that the finished product look would be homemade looking and not have that nice glossy finish that a tint shop could do. I have had some buddies go that route, and I feel like it just looks tacky and cheap.

[customa4]

Previous owner of my car just slapped a piece of tint on the taillight. Taillights were swapped with non-tinted tails since the photo.

[power152]

interesting, any photos of the rear directly? I am thinking you made the right decision to swap the lights out.

[Mr.Avant]

I've done a light tint on my avant tails. Only over the clear area. Professionally installed with smoked film tint. With led reverse lights, no issues.






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[customa4]

Damn. Beautiful avant.

[power152]

Mr. Avant, great looking automobile! Do you have any idea what percentage tint you went with? The previous pictures from above look like "trash" (the tails not the car). Im trying to get a look like what you have for my saloon. Thanks!

John

[iksnoved25]

I've done a light tint on my avant tails. Only over the clear area. Professionally installed with smoked film tint. With led reverse lights, no issues.


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What LED Reverse Lights do you have? I've read you need to wire in resistors in order to have them function correctly...

[Mr.Avant]

Mr. Avant, great looking automobile! Do you have any idea what percentage tint you went with? The previous pictures from above look like "trash" (the tails not the car). Im trying to get a look like what you have for my saloon. Thanks!

John

Thank you sir! Not sure as to the percentage. I went into a local tint shop and selected from their display. From what I remember it was the lightest "smoke" tint avaliable. I will see what I can dig up.

What LED Reverse Lights do you have? I've read you need to wire in resistors in order to have them function correctly...

Purchased off superbrightleds. I was quite surprised these worked myself. No bulb out errors, never fail or flicker. They do strobe on and off quickly 4 times during key on (as the system does the bulb check). Let me see if I can find more info on exactly which bulbs I bought.



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[power152]

I got the pieces tinted, will post pictures later, going to need feed back....I think it looks great, photos don't do it justice....Cupra R lip going on today too

[duk3]

Here's mine though the car is beyond filthy right now. why not share images of what they look like at their worst right? It's just lamin-x. I just held a piece up against the light and used a (New) razor blade to cut along the lines as if tracing. It's not too hard to cut lamin-x only and not lamp underneath. Just go lightly or maybe use use a marker to trace first. Use a great gun or hair dryer to make pliable while adhering so it can stretch to follow curvilinear lines. Was that Diagnosticator-level vocabulary there? Lol!

Don't do what I did and pour ammonia in the lamp to clean it. It ate the metallic finish off of the plastic lamp interior. Maybe it wasn't ammonia, I don't recall. Just be mindful of the weak finish in there.

https://goo.gl/photos/vZgW9rK6RhmES2pP6
https://goo.gl/photos/oLQnjwFiiq3ZVcfM9
https://goo.gl/photos/FZqA3MPjS9bbJvhg8
https://goo.gl/photos/T3k8hESKL3DSXw75A
https://goo.gl/photos/fRgPh1VKjNhjG2rd7