Grease marks on window

Hello!

So, I had my windows tinted about 6 months ago, and when the temps started rising this summer, I began getting some nasty grease marks (vertical) that are only in one spot of the window. I called the window tint place, and they have no clue what it would be. I stopped at the dealer, and they weren’t sure, other than maybe a roller that had grease on it making contact with it. However, they would need the car for a few hours to take everything apart and take a look. I plan on doing that at this point, but has anyone ever experienced this before? If so, what was it causing the problems? The grease marks do wipe right off, but it’s annoying.

Thanks much!

Is the grease on the exterior, ie, can you clean it off? Or is in internal, between the glass and the tinit?

It’s internal. I the inner felt strip is dry and clean. I even tried soaking the window in glass cleaner and rolling it up and down about 10 time hoping that would clean the remaining grease that is making contact with the window. I am so frustrated, and I really hate to have the dealership yank my door panels and cause all kinds of scratches etc on a new car. ugh!

If it’s internal, then why did you try the windex? And if it’s internal, it can’t be due to any roller in the mechanism.

I think you mean it’s internal to the window mechanism, but the grease is on the outside of the glass…

No, the grease is on the INSIDE of the glass. If I roll the window down then back up, I have a vertical grease mark in the center of my window on the INSIDE of the window.

OK, we got hung up on terminology. I mean is the grease internal to the glass, between a glass layer and a tint addon. But from what you say the grease is on the outside of the glass, on the side facing the interior of the car. Which means you can wipe it off.

So yes, it’s from something inside the window mechanism.

So, is my only want to have it fixed is to have the panels yanked? How much grease could there possibly be? I would think after so many roll ups and downs it would just disappear? I guess it looks like it’s going to be a trip to the dealer ):… and probably scratched tint like my previous car!

Can’t the tint shop deal with this?

+1 to Texases post. If the tint shop has any integrity they’ll remove the tint (yes, this is possible) and clean and retint the window at no charge.

I don’t see where this is the Tint shops problem. It appears the grease marks did not show up for some time after the tinting was done. The last time I had tinting done the windows were all up and was told to leave them up for a few hours for everything to dry and cure.

The normal procedure would be to remove the door panel and clean the grease from the inner belt line weather strip. If you fear something will be scratched by the dealers tech you could just continue to clean the window and not ask them to correct the problem.

I don’t see how the tint job, 6 months earlier, has anything to do with the grease marks. The only grease you find inside the door is to lubricate rods and cables to close/open doors and roll down/up windows.

They probably greased the mechanism to be nice, since they were in there anyway, (possibly over greasing it) and might have used a cheap grease with a low heat point. Now that its summer, the grease is getting hot and flowing onto maybe the belt.

This assumes the belt is sagging and close enough to the window on top of all that haha.

Only way to know for sure is to remove the door panel, and check. You can easily do this yourself with a 8 buck panel remover and some patience.

They probably greased the mechanism to be nice. What a crock, it was a new car so why would they do that ? Second I have never heard of a case where door panels had to be removed to tint vehicle windows. A search for you tube videos will show you that.

My post was conjecture, and stated as such. Yes, we know that all shops follow youtube videos for their procedures.

If it’s a “new car” then it’s under warranty. This sounds like an excess of lube on some mechanism in the door that may have gotten more runny in the heat of summer and is now smearing on the window. That’s a manufacturing error, and the window tint has nothing to do with it. If it was me I wouldn’t say anything to anyone about the tinting, because the dealer will blame them, even if it’s booooogus. Treat it as a warranty claim, and check their work carefully for scratches.

If I understood the post correctly, the OP went to an aftermarket tint shop.
However, if that’s true the aftermarket tint shop should warrantee their work. Workmanship warrantees are typically for one year.

I don’t know how the tint shop can be blamed for the grease, there is no grease involved in applying window tint film.

On a car I had many years ago I actually took the Windows (except the back) completely out because it was easier for me to apply the tint with the window flat on my work bench. But then again I do not do this all day long like a tint shop would.