hid kits
#11
08-07-2012, 07:36 AM
There is no legal plug and play HID kits. Retrofits are still illegal. Any color besides white and amber is illegal to run up front in the US (and canada as far as I know). Anybody saying a PnP is legal or works fine is either misinformed or just lying to you.
Color
Retrofits
Now you can retrofit HIDs in no hid housings. It requires getting the parts (projector) and cutting up and glueing this in your housing while correctly keeping everything aligned. It doesn't make it legal, if inspected it will fail, and if not aligned/aimed it will still blind people.
HIDs are best only left in the low beams and wired to be always on (no flashing). HIDs take a second to warm up the "salts" in them to vaporize. Flashing them on and off shortens the life.
If you want to take the time to try to install HIDs right I suggest signing up on HIDplanet.com and researching retrofits.
Color
All headlamp bulbs must be white in color as defined by Society of Automotive Engineers and FMVSS 108. FMVSS 108 disallows any color coating on headlights and or headlight bulbs.
Retrofits
in order for a headlight to be legal for use it must conform to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 108 requirements for headlights. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has concluded that it is impossible to produce HID conversion kits (converting a halogen system to HID) that would be compliant with FMVSS 108.
Halogen equipment uses an electrical current to heat a metal wire coil filament to incandescence, while the HID conversion kit's light source incorporates a discharge arc to produce light. HIDs require a ballast for operation. Under FMVSS 108 Section S7.7 (replacement light sources), each replaceable light source for headlamps must be designed to conform to the dimensions and electrical specifications for the headlamp source it is intended to replace. For example, if an HID kit is marketed as replacing an H1 light source, then it must match the H1's wire coil filament size and location, the electrical connector size and location, and the ballast design for use with an H1 light source (which is impossible since there is no ballast).
NHTSA believes this equipment presents a safety risk to the public since the kits can be expected to produce excessive glare to oncoming motorists. In one investigation, NHTSA found that an HID conversion headlamp exceeded the maximum candlepower by over 800 percent.
Halogen equipment uses an electrical current to heat a metal wire coil filament to incandescence, while the HID conversion kit's light source incorporates a discharge arc to produce light. HIDs require a ballast for operation. Under FMVSS 108 Section S7.7 (replacement light sources), each replaceable light source for headlamps must be designed to conform to the dimensions and electrical specifications for the headlamp source it is intended to replace. For example, if an HID kit is marketed as replacing an H1 light source, then it must match the H1's wire coil filament size and location, the electrical connector size and location, and the ballast design for use with an H1 light source (which is impossible since there is no ballast).
NHTSA believes this equipment presents a safety risk to the public since the kits can be expected to produce excessive glare to oncoming motorists. In one investigation, NHTSA found that an HID conversion headlamp exceeded the maximum candlepower by over 800 percent.
Now you can retrofit HIDs in no hid housings. It requires getting the parts (projector) and cutting up and glueing this in your housing while correctly keeping everything aligned. It doesn't make it legal, if inspected it will fail, and if not aligned/aimed it will still blind people.
HIDs are best only left in the low beams and wired to be always on (no flashing). HIDs take a second to warm up the "salts" in them to vaporize. Flashing them on and off shortens the life.
If you want to take the time to try to install HIDs right I suggest signing up on HIDplanet.com and researching retrofits.
#12
08-07-2012, 07:54 AM
Originally Posted by Thogert
I even put harsh posts up about how I was sick of people telling others that.
Btw I just got my hands on a set of HIDs with a motorized shield infront of the projector(one bulb hi/low) for my first gen. Gonna try to put it in my blazer but I think I'm gonna have to relocate the battery. The things are long as crap and will stick way into my engine bay. Might just hack up the 6 inch "driving" lights in my front bumper for them. Might be cool to have a 2nd set of headlights I can turn on or off.
Wonder if a set of headlights in my bumper added to the tails in my rear will give me a few more inches of legal lift. We only have light height requirements for lift laws here.......
#13
08-07-2012, 01:24 PM
Originally Posted by Thogert
Just because you don't get flashed, doesn't mean you aren't blinding people. There is a reason I took mine out and replaced them with projectors. I used to hate it when people would tell me that I was blinding people, I even put harsh posts up about how I was sick of people telling others that. Now I know better
The simple fact is filament lights produce a different kind of light than hids do, and you need to have housings designed for them to properly use the light.
The simple fact is filament lights produce a different kind of light than hids do, and you need to have housings designed for them to properly use the light.
the lighting systems of the vehicle is in correct operating condition. This
will generally include using specially designed and certified equipment to
measure the aim of the beam of the headlights as well as the visual inspection
of any exterior safety lighting devices such as turn signals and clearance lights.
so feel free to crucify me still if u want
but seems like the state of california which is notorius for being strict on car mods says my HIDs are fine. lol
#14
08-07-2012, 02:13 PM
Any credit you tried to get was thrown out the window when you said a shop passed your non OEM HID truck with HID retrofits. Just proves there is still hack shops out there that need to be reported. They willing to overlook the HID retrofit why would they be worried about meeting any other requirement. No telling what other unsafe stuff they are allowing on the roads.
#16
09-01-2012, 08:01 AM
The law you posted about hid lights may be a national law or maybe even state law, but obviosly not every state. State legislation does outweigh national law when it comes to vehicles that remain in said state. HIDs are legal in my state of residence, projector lense or stock. The only lights we cannot own are emergency lights and blue exterior lights.
#17
09-01-2012, 09:02 AM
Originally Posted by 99lsdriven
The law you posted about hid lights may be a national law or maybe even state law, but obviosly not every state. State legislation does outweigh national law when it comes to vehicles that remain in said state. HIDs are legal in my state of residence, projector lense or stock. The only lights we cannot own are emergency lights and blue exterior lights.
true But with stock Housings you can blind other drivers.. and thats a NO NO
#18
09-03-2012, 06:29 PM
Hate to tell ya DOT outrules state, just ask any trruck driver. But you are more than welcome to live in any dream world you want that think they are legal. I just gave the correct legal info about it. You more than welcome to make up what you want. I will tell ya just because state law doesn't ban it or sorry pigs don't stop ya over it doesn't mean its legal.
#19
09-03-2012, 06:56 PM
Yep DOTS got a nice set of ***** all over the place and I know that from experience with being next to large rigs every day.
#20
10-02-2012, 02:25 AM
Well if I left this city I would be paying a ticket or two (assuming I got them), but I'm stuck in this area for two more years, you would think that if the DOT cared about POVs with HID kits, people wouldn't be spending their paycheck on them for their Geo Metros (I have actually seen this). I guess I was wrong but it was a misconception, not a "dream world". They are legal where I live, apparently I got confused in the comparisson in authority state vs DOT. My apologies.
