Has anyone had any problems with the GPS not working with window tint? I have 35% on all windows and now my GPS is not working properly. I have the 2006 STS.

I had my windows tinted at 30% with bronze tint and have not had any problems with my navigation. You might check and see if the tints used have metallic in them as some tints do.

i got 5% tint gps works fine. I also have 3m tint job that does fade with no metallic stuff.

As partially noted it is not the gradient or percentage of tint but the type of film being used that is the issue.

Radio waves are radio waves and are attenuated not by what the tint looks like, but its composition.

Metallic tint is still the least expensive and most popular and usually used unless you specify to have a "non-metallic" film used.

Ceramic based films are probably next in line as far as availability and price and do not cause RFI as they are non-metallic.

Call your installer and you'll have your answer in about ten seconds.

The GPSr is located behind the rear-view mirror/dash area and some who have tinted the front windshield have had better reception by pulling this film and leaving the rest on. Of course cell and other radio serviced can still be affected but it has been reported to help some who didn't want to do a complete re-tint.

Good luck and let us know.

Thanks for the info I will check with the installer first thing tomorrow I will let you guys know.

The antenna is in the dash, as long as you didn't tint the windshield you should be fine.... if you did... well there's your problem.

Spoke with the window tint installer and they said the tint is non matallic. I will take it to the dealership in the morning to have them look at it.

Spoke with the window tint installer and they said the tint is non matallic. I will take it to the dealership in the morning to have them look at it.

FYI: My window tint IS metalic on all side windows. The rear is non-metalic. The tinter does a lot of work for Cadillac and said there is another antenae in the rear window as well and this is his reasoning. True? I don't know.

So far my GPS doesn't seem to be impacted by it.

I have 13%. :)

Good luck.

GPS/OnStar is up front. AM/FM is in the rear glass. XM is up top.

Depends on the year and model.
Some have the GPS antenna for OnStar mounted on the rear shelf. Window tint on the back glass CAN take out the OnStar GPS signal, but if you don't have OnStar that is a pretty moot point.
The Nav system antenna is in the dash on CTS and STS.
The NAV system antenna on on Deville and older Seville is on the back shelf.

Thanks for clarifying Will. As for my comment I was only being specific to the 05/06 STS due to the forum and topic.

I have the 06 and the service manager for cadillac stated it is the tint which is the problem which also makes no sense to me because the tint is non metallic he also stated the antenna for the on star gps is on top of the vehicle and the nav gps is in the dash where the spedometer is????? SO basically they were no help. I guess I will have the tint removed and see if that rectifies the problem. all I know is this is some BS!!!!!! If I pay to get the tint removed and it is still a problem then I will be seriously pissed. Thanks for the info guys I will let you know what happens.

Let us know for sure...Sorry you are having the problems.

There are many of us here with tint and the window film industry is well versed in GPS/Integrated Antenna vehicles. It's not as if Caddy is the only one with these features. My tint guy services every luxury make in the auto plaza on-site at the dealerships. Sounds like your Service guy isn't literate to what the films types are. As long as you have the correct film for sure (non-metallic) then it is something else.

Sorry for the confusion, I was just naming a few others for informational purposes.
Yes the OnStar GPS antenna is on the roof on your car along with the cellular antenna and XM if you have it.
Is the windshield tinted?
Even if the guy claims that it's non-metallic it could still interfere with reception. The only way to verify it is to remove the radio, plug in a secondary antenna and put it outside the vehicle, then check to see if it works.
If it worked before tint and not after... then I'd say you found your problem.

I truly do not believe it is the tint. MY xm radio has frozen on my nav screen as of today. The xm radio still plays but it shows the same artist name and song even though you change the station or another song comes on. I am thinking I have a bad nav unit.

i sufferd from that issue till i removed the front window tinting only! and now it is working fine with me ,,,,and by the way no one from the delarship helped me!!! becuase they dont know if the window tint model will conflict the GPS signal or not ,,,,

i really wish you good luck becuase i know this is a fursturting issue.

Found out what the problem was. Cadillac would not even trouble shoot my unit they were writing it off as the tint even though I had the tint on there at least a week before the GPS started messing up. They had my car on two different days and did absolutely nothing with it. My brother knows a guy who works for Hummer and he took a look at my unit for me before I had the tint taken off and it was just a loose wire in the nav unit that he re connected. It took him all of ten minutes to fix. Good thing I didn't take cadillacs advice and just run out and get my tint taken off. I am in the process of writing cadillac a letter letting them know how useless thier service dept was. :rant2: