Printable View
It'll only be illegal if it's the wrong color, and the wrong color is typically 7000k and higher. 6000k though is a gray area as there is still some white in it and not enough blue to make one think of its legality.Quote:
Originally Posted by coxmaster
And why do you say they need to be retro'ed when they're plug and play? The OEM harness plugs into the ballast, the ballast plugs into the new bulbs, and the new bulbs plug into the OEM bulb socket of the headlamp.
Actually in most cases its not the color that makes it illegal. Projector headlights (the ones with the glass orb to project the light) are used in all OEM applications of HIDs for a reason. HIDs without a projector throw very erratic light patterns due to the way the light is created and dissipated. The resulting erratic light patterns turns into glare which can temporarily blind others.
Each state has their own laws on light pattern for headlights (aka, how high they can be aimed) but in every single application of non-projected HIDs I've ever seenn this light pattern has not been met. I love the look of HIDs but without projectors you are risking a ticket. It might not be common in your area, but just keep in mind that it is infact possible to get a ticket
knowing my luck I'd get a ticket first day
Actually you can get all the way up to 15k. 8k is a yellow type color, 10k is a diamond white, 12k is a light blue, and 15k is a very bright deeper blue. Technically, any car outfitted with aftermarket HID's is illegal but since so many people have been putting kits in cops typically ignore it. If you are a car coming at me in my truck with HID's on low I will turn my brights on. I absolutely hate HID's and think they should be outlawed because they blind oncoming traffic on smaller roads. I figured since we got a truck it wouldn't bother me since I'm higher up but it still does and we even have a slight 2" lift. I'm putting HID's in my Mustang and they will be the 10k Diamond White package. The difference will be these will be my extra lights that you see on a Shelby package (the 2 fogs in the lower center and the 4 "eye" type lights). If anyone with HIDs comes at me on these back roads I'm turning all 6 on lol. My main lights will have a Xenon white convert kit. Legal, and not annoying but still better than the typical yellow dim stock lights.
I'm sure that there are cars out there that come right off the lot with HIDs w/o projectors straight from the lot. One example I can think of is the Nissan Maxima. The current models have no projectors but their bulbs are significantly brighter than most other cars straight off the lot.Quote:
Originally Posted by coxmaster
The HID bulb itself does not create an erratic light pattern. That would have to depend on the condition of the headlamp housing itself, particularly the reflective surface of the housing. If the housing has been sun damaged, cracked, or anything of the sort would be what causes the erratic light patterns, not the bulb itself.
You are right about the laws being different from state to state or region to region, but I do not think it's in regards to the angle of the light, but rather the color of the light. I know that here in California they could care less about how you point them but they do care about the color of the light being emitted.
You have your color temps wrong. Did you look at the link I provided two posts ago? Temps start at 2200k which is a dark orange, then 3000k, 3500k, (the 3,000k temps are less orange and more yellow such as amber), 4000k, 4,300k, 4,500k (the 4000k range temps are typical OEM bulb colors) 5,000k (bright/diamond white), 6,000k (white with a small amount of blue in it), 7,000k (blue), 8,000k (light purple), 9,000k - 12,000k (these colors are different shades of purple).Quote:
Originally Posted by PP Mguire
If a car can shine in on you that's in the oncoming traffic lane, then they have the lights pointed wrong. Especially if you're in a truck.
6 sets of lights is a bit overkill, but so awesome when you'd have them all on at the same time, lol.
Anything under 4000 is considered Halogen colors. 6000+ is HID colors. 10k would be Daimond white with a very light blue tint. 15k is a blueish purpleish color and 12k is blue according to this HID Xenon chart.
http://www.bfxenon.com/v/vspfiles/as.../colortemp.jpg
Thing is, resellers often mix up the colors and the place for the conversion kit for my Mustang marks them as 10k so I'll be buying "10k" when in reality they are more like 6k. 8k is a yellow, 10k white, 12k light blue, and 15k deep blue purple like I said lol. (This is an HID conversion website btw so sorry if what I said made no sense earlier)
HIDs have a wider area of lighting so one car going down their side of the road on a back road in the country will light up the whole road without brights. Funny thing though is I get bad glare even if I'm on US 287 and there is a good 20ft median in between going and coming. Aiming really has nothing to do with it when you are dealing with lights this bright which is why I don't like them. Take a 100lumen LED flash light and aim the light in a dark room to the left or right of someones head. They will still get glare directly in their eyes even if the thing isn't aimed right at them and squint. HID's have this same effect for oncoming traffic on the roads. What's worse, is if an HID equipped car is behind you all of your mirrors get glare in them making seeing behind you impossible at night.
Basically, the only reason anybody I know is getting HIDs is cause they want to blind other drivers that have HIDs as well. Just to be clear though, I have the same opinion for Texas sized trucks with a mass amount of fog lights turned on so I'm not just biased against HIDs. I just like driving safe, and being blinded by someones ridiculous need for extremely bright lights is not safe IMO.
Yea I know it's overkill, but it is to make a point. I wont ever use them unless I'm shining HIDs back at someone with HIDs on my back roads. Regular Xenon white lights will be fine, 2 of them.
California actually does have laws regarding the aiming and orientation of high/low beam lights. The CA DMV site explains most of it. Once again though, it all just depends on the cops in your area. Certain cops are more likely to ticket you for it than others. As for the Maxima, IIRC the ones that come with Xenon bulbs do in fact come with projectors..Quote:
Originally Posted by CDsDontBurn
This is the correct color charting. I have 6000K HID in my headlights and fogs. They a pure white with a ever so slight tinge of blue. I would reccomend no other.Quote:
Originally Posted by Joshua_Mahr
Nice job done. But what is your thought about led lightsQuote:
Originally Posted by CDsDontBurn
completely missed this post, my bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aughera
LED lights where? for the parking lights up front, or tail lights? If for parking lights up front, I think they'll be pretty sweet as long as the LEDs are pretty close together, otherwise, no.
If for the tail lights, then no. Not really a fan of them, especially for my car as I've seen other people with modded tail lights on a 6th gen Accord coupe like mine. IMO, they're not that nice looking.
It's funny this post was brought up. I've been considering some legal projected HID with halo light and smoked for my 2000 Mustang. Projectors make all the difference in HID lighting I've noticed.