I just got my 2011 A3 a couple days ago and decided to get it tinted at a local (and reputable) tint shop. I got 35% on the front, 23 on the rear and 17 on the back hatch. It looks beautiful!


But after I got home, I was wiping the car down when I noticed a small 1/4" blueish, uneven mark on the very top corner of the rear window. It really looks like a burn mark to me. (they were using a blow torch to apply the tint)

All the tint is on the inside of the windows, so the strange part is that the "see-through" area of the window doesn't even extend out to where the mark is. In other words, the burnt area isn't viewable or accessible from inside the window. It's on the extension of the window over the frame of the hatch.

Light conditions determine how much it shows up. In direct sunlight it is Mild, diffuse sunlight it is VERY noticeable, and LED flashlight at night you can't see it at all.
This only reinforces the theory that extreme heat could have caused a chemical change inside the glass... or more likely it burnt the factory UV film that came on the car?


Anyways, if anyone has any advice or experience with this type of thing please respond. I'm taking the car back to the shop ASAP to show the owner, who has been very helpful so far.

If it is under the surface of the window (which I think it is), what can I do about disguising it?


thanks in advance

 

Here's a better picture if anyone has any thoughts...

 

If the film is damaged there is nothing you can do. Get it replaced. A lot of truly reputable places offer a lifetime warranty on their tints including heat damage, bubbles, and peeling.
This is why I am going to get my windows tinted at the Audi dealership I bought my 2011 A3 from.

 

I dont have answers to your problem, but I have some defects on my 2012 A3. If you have had the tint replaced and still have the same issue you should have the dealer try getting Audi USA involved. I am not really getting anywhere with them on my issues, but the more they are bothered by defect issues the more likely they will admit to them.