HP tint affecting AM radio reception?

September 25, 2003

Car is an 04' Subaru WRX. It has the radio antenna on the rear glass, basically just like a rear defrost.

5% HP Tint was installed, and AM radio reception was lost.

If you touch the window with the radio on, you can hear a "pop, pop, pop" sound. If you touch and hold the antenna line, the reception comes back. In other words you are acting as a ground.

Obviously whatever type of metal material that is used between the 2 layers of the HP tint is causing some type of magnetic interferance, and therby causing the AM frequency to not get reception.

Anyone ever had this problem, and what did you do to solve it? :thumb

September 25, 2003

When you refer to HP tint, which brand is it? I use Suntek HP Charcoal and Sungard Desert Smoke II and both are hybrid films which are half metal and half dyed that seem to be ok with radio reception. I have heard that it does reduce the am frequency a little but it does not cause reception loss like you described. I have heard that full metal films will cause interference and possible loss.

hoosierwindowtek · September 25, 2003

5% is gonna have more metal in it than a lighter film...Maybe switch to a lighter HP or go Non Reflective to get rid of the problem. On the other hand, If the film is BRAND NEW, the water could be contributing to the problem and will get better when it dries.

Mdog · September 25, 2003

Anyone ever had this problem, and what did you do to solve it?

you can take the tint off and redo it with a non metal film, just a dyed film. if the lines are up top you can trim the film off down to the last antenna line and replace it from there up with black vinyl that will work and it will look the same from the outside looking at the glass since you have 5% on the backglass.

another option is get huper optick film, its creamic film and wont interfere with am supposidly. its not cheep though.