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      01-09-2020, 02:38 PM   #1
l00semarble
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New Guy...maybe/almost. Bought a 30th Jahre Edition

Found it at BMW dealership in York, PA. I am in Maryland. I watched it for a while and their "internet" price kept creeping down and I could not believe there were no takers. I thought there may be something wrong with car but after holidays I decided to take teh 1.5hr drive up to see it.

Car is spotless, bone stock, clean carfax, good service records, recently serviced and CPO'd by dealership. I made offer and bought car.

However, I noticed when they pulled the car up to the front of the dealership before I even went outside to see it that the rear door windows were tinted and looked quite dark. I told the sales dude that this was going to be a problem with Maryland inspection and he said it would not be a problem because it was stock/factory. I walked outside and said no way is that factory but I rolled a rear window halfway down and checked for the edge of the film. THere is none. I was sure there was film but he was right. The windows are OEM and dark. Later we notice on winder sticker that car has option 420 "privacy glass."

To be honest it doesn't look great because front door windows are normal and rear looks dark. If/when I get the car I will tint the front windows.

Anyway, since I am an out of state buyer they tell me it will take 1-2 days to get car ready for delivery. They ahve to drive to to Maryland, get it inspected, then do all the Maryland tax/tag/title crap. Great....get it done.

Two days later I am supposed to get car in evening. I'm about to leave my house and sales dude calls. Mr. l00semarble, I'm sorry but the car failed inspection so we can't complete the deal today. Inspector failed it for illegal window tint.

Maryland allows 35% on non-front windows but many inspection stations don't have an officially calibrated means to measure it so they fail any film.

Now it is another two days later and we have researched the Code of Maryland regulations which clearly state they should fail the car is if has "post manufacture" tint darker than 35%. It would seem if the glass is OEM with the "A4" stamp or whatever it is for side glass that they have no grounds to fail it even without testing emmisivity.

GM of dealership is now involved and has made new arrangements to get car back to Maryland inspection station and they are coordinating to have a Maryland State Police trooper come and test the glass to allow the inspector to pass it.

WTF? It is like coordinating a space shuttle launch to register a bone stock BMW.

Well, at least it isn't my problem. I am just sitting back and waiting to hear what happens.

Anyone else have 420 - privacy glass? Does it seem dark?

Here is car sitting next to wifey's e400 wagon with illegal 20% rear, 35% front tint.


Last edited by l00semarble; 01-09-2020 at 03:54 PM..
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      01-09-2020, 03:02 PM   #2
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Have the dealer remove the tint and redo the inspection.
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      01-09-2020, 03:11 PM   #3
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In ~5 years on this forum I've never seen anyone mention Option 420 Privacy Glass. Doing a Google search, it appears that earlier X3s and/or X5s offered a Privacy Glass option. A Google search for "30 Jahre M3" turned up some BMW press photos in which the rear windows appear that they may be darker than the front windows, like yours. The BMW NA press release for this model makes no mention of "privacy glass": https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/a...language=en_US
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      01-09-2020, 03:13 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by l00semarble View Post
... I walked outside and said no way is that factory but I rolled a rear window halfway down and checked for the edge of the film. THere is none. I was sure there was film but he was right. The windows are OEM and dark. Later we notice on winder sticker that car has option 420 "privacy glass."
Quote:
Originally Posted by zamboni View Post
Have the dealer remove the tint and redo the inspection.
OP stated that there is no film on the back windows.
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      01-09-2020, 03:19 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SD ///M4 View Post
In ~5 years on this forum I've never seen anyone mention Option 440 Privacy Glass. Doing a Google search, it appears that earlier X3s and/or X5s offered a Privacy Glass option. A Google search for "30 Jahre M3" turned up some BMW press photos in which the rear windows appear that they may be darker than the front windows, like yours. The BMW NA press release for this model makes no mention of "privacy glass": https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/a...language=en_US
It’s standard on the suvs. Check out a new x1/x2/x3 next time you get a loaner.

awesome to have the tint right in the glass and not a film. Would have ordered that option instead of the side sunshades on my f80

Hope you get it OP. Seems like a nice car. No that rear factory glass is not too dark in my opinion.
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      01-09-2020, 03:31 PM   #6
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European here. This is what we have in Europe, it is a factory option on all BMW's (and other many other manufacturers) and it is very popular.

My F80 has this option, S420A. Can confirm there is no tint film; the glass behind the B-pillar is darkened, and all windows with this option have their own part numbers. Check realoem.

I am surprised to see this on a US-spec vehicle as I have never seen this option available on the F30 in the USA.
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      01-09-2020, 03:36 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zamboni View Post
Have the dealer remove the tint and redo the inspection.
I’m sure my post was TLDR so sorry for being long winded and you probably missed the important bit. there is no tint to remove. The sales dude mentioned something about just replacing all the glass from another 3 series...lol.

I can’t have my 2nd post in this forum be a snarky smart ass comment but it is hard to resist pointing out that I had thought of your option...
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      01-09-2020, 03:48 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SD ///M4 View Post
In ~5 years on this forum I've never seen anyone mention Option 440 Privacy Glass.
I think it is very common on SUVs. In fact Maryland has completely different laws for SUVs and pick up trucks the rear windows are allowed to be as dark as you want. Sedans and passenger cars are not allowed to be darker than 35%.

I had the option number wrong it is 420 not 440.

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      01-09-2020, 03:53 PM   #9
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      01-09-2020, 03:58 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nicknaz View Post

Hope you get it OP. Seems like a nice car. No that rear factory glass is not too dark in my opinion.
Thanks. It isn’t the tent is too dark for my taste it’s just surprising how dark it is for OEM In a non-SUV. What I don’t like about it is how much of a contrast it is between the two side doors so once I get the car I will illegally tint the front windows to even it out.

In Maryland there’s no annual inspection you only inspect the car once when you buy it so as long as you don’t get pulled over Nobody is checking the tint after the first inspection.
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      01-09-2020, 04:05 PM   #11
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There's a reason it's option "420". It's for your buddies to be smoking a joint in back seat.
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      01-09-2020, 04:07 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DocL View Post
There's a reason it's option "420". It's for your buddies to be smoking a joint in back seat.
Actually I did notice that the number is 420 and I thought it must not be a mistake that 420 is “smoked” windows
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      01-09-2020, 04:13 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by swagon View Post
European here. This is what we have in Europe, it is a factory option on all BMW's (and other many other manufacturers) and it is very popular.

My F80 has this option, S420A. Can confirm there is no tint film; the glass behind the B-pillar is darkened, and all windows with this option have their own part numbers. Check realoem.

I am surprised to see this on a US-spec vehicle as I have never seen this option available on the F30 in the USA.
I can send pics of what the car looked like with this option. I now have put tint on them.

Further, I ran the VIN on all 30 Jahres on autotrader and none show S420A even though one car's windows here suspiciously look similar to yours.

Decode your VIN on mdecoder.com, see if the code shows up and have your dealer contact the original buyer to see if he's done anything to it. I cannot fathom why anyone would swap out windows like that. May be a manufacturing mistake or something. IDK. BMW can paint a car a wrong color as OG Bimmerpost members will remember, lol.
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      01-09-2020, 04:17 PM   #14
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This was never a regular factory option for US cars and must have been a special request. I doubt anyone else would have this in the US.
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      01-09-2020, 07:22 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by swagon View Post
Decode your VIN on mdecoder.com, see if the code shows up and have your dealer contact the original buyer to see if he's done anything to it. I cannot fathom why anyone would swap out windows like that. May be a manufacturing mistake or something. IDK. BMW can paint a car a wrong color as OG Bimmerpost members will remember, lol.
No need to decode the VIN. I have the dealer printout from BMW (shared above) on the car and I have seen the window sticker. "420 - privacy glass" is on the car.

Furthermore it does seem that other 30th Jahre cars have teh same dark rear windows so at first I thought that this was just part of the special limited edition 30th Jahre spec. But there are also some out there without the dark rear windows too.

Found on this forum:













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      01-09-2020, 07:47 PM   #16
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Curious what this deal ended up being.
6MT or DCT?
Miles?
Price?
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      01-09-2020, 08:11 PM   #17
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Hello I think I can help out here. I own a window tinting business and have been tinting cars for the last 30 years. In the US,there is no such thing as factory privacy tint glass in ANY car,sedan,coupe like you see in most trucks and SUVs. Even though it may say some kind of tinted glass on your window sticker or in option lists it has to comply with a federal mandate that allows at least 70% of the light to pass through the glass (trucks and SUVs are only limited to this on the front doors...yup I know it doesn’t make any sense). Although “tinted” it appears clear like you see on any new car at a dealer. Anything darker than that has been tinted with an aftermarket film and is therefore removable. Even though you don’t see an edge of the film at the top of the window it was probably done at a high-end shop where they “shave” the top edge of the tint flush with the glass so that it looks like factory glass. Each state has their own tint laws which are only enforced in the state where the car is registered.
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      01-09-2020, 09:43 PM   #18
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Hopefully it's not factory because it is not an attractive look. If it is factory (sounds like it isn't according to dude above me) then tint fronts to match (hopefully they will match hue/color). Can't stand tinted rears and clear fronts.

Otherwise gorgeous car!!
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      01-09-2020, 09:53 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by l00semarble View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by zamboni View Post
Have the dealer remove the tint and redo the inspection.
I'm sure my post was TLDR so sorry for being long winded and you probably missed the important bit. there is no tint to remove. The sales dude mentioned something about just replacing all the glass from another 3 series...lol.
https://health.maryland.gov/optometry/Documents/msp.pdf
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      01-10-2020, 03:02 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by l00semarble View Post
No need to decode the VIN. I have the dealer printout from BMW (shared above) on the car and I have seen the window sticker. "420 - privacy glass" is on the car.

Furthermore it does seem that other 30th Jahre cars have teh same dark rear windows so at first I thought that this was just part of the special limited edition 30th Jahre spec. But there are also some out there without the dark rear windows too.
I like that you skipped the rest of my post explaining it. What I am trying to tell you is that it is a ROW option, not available in the US. In your posted photos, you have mixed up US and ROW cars together. The first car on Vossen wheels is from Poland, for example.

I have the 420 code on my German car where it is a factory option for about 250 bucks. If yours is a true US car with Privacy Glass only available outside the US, and you cannot get it registered in your state, there is something wrong and fishy going on. It's like BMW would sell you a car without front bumper reflectors or with kph gauges.
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      01-10-2020, 05:52 AM   #21
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Imagine if factory privacy glass was available as an option ALL around including windshield. That would be aMazing. No tint glue drips or bubbles to deal with.
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      01-10-2020, 06:31 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IB M View Post
Imagine if factory privacy glass was available as an option ALL around including windshield. That would be aMazing. No tint glue drips or bubbles to deal with.
Get a quality tint job and you’ll never have those problems. Be thankful you live in a state with a good tint law...NY sucks and has since 1992. They don’t allow anything but clear UV film on ALL side windows of cars! Of course, what people do is an entirely different story.

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/at...1&d=1578659401
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