I just read that if your hid's are anything other then white or Amber you can get a ticket?Is this True? I wanted to get some blue 10,000 HiD's but HAs anyone ever had any problems? or does anybody know the law? Thanks
HID's Legal???
- Thread starter snowyredenvoy
- Start date
STLtrailbSS
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 1,617
I have heard of people getting pulled over for the blue and also amber in some cases. I did some research a while back and people have been ticketed for HIDs. Honestly best way is to google it for your state see what you turn up.
I have couldnt find the acual law. Thanks, I think its better to not use them then to risk the ticket...
STLtrailbSS
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 1,617
snowyredenvoy said:
Go with white Im thinking about doing white HIDs im mod hungry this time of year. Idk around here all the ricers use the cheap Blue fake HIDs. Not to popular around here for my crowd lol
TB2k4
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 134
STLtrailbSS said:
True story. if there is anything against it, it will be a state-by-state basis. I know states set the window tint laws and stuff like that. Michigan gov had an article about lights. If they do do it, they do it for safety and so certain color lights face certain directions.
IMHO -- I would go nothing over 8k, so it's less appealing to be pulled over. Slight blue I bet less likely for police to even consider. Especially with quite a few newer cars having OEM bulbs that are pretty darn white. For performance of the bulbs the lower the K (whiter) the better lumens. (distance the light reaches.)
No matter what you do, HIDS are a HUGE performance increase over halogens.
Good luck.
No matter what you do, HIDS are a HUGE performance increase over halogens.
Good luck.
Wooluf1952
Member
I saw a car with purple HID's.
I swear there was a trail of rice behind it.
IMHO, 5k - 6k looks the best and least apt to get you pulled over.
I swear there was a trail of rice behind it.
Maybe it was snow
IMHO, 5k - 6k looks the best and least apt to get you pulled over.
I found this on the internet and it defines the law exactly! If you have any questions on legallity of headlights, read this article!!
First of all the statement DOT APPROVED is misleading. NHTSA, an arm of the U.S. DOT, does not approve or disapprove MV equipment. It does set Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for all MV equipment. FMVSS 108 covers lights. Manufacturers SELF-CERTIFY that their product meets the standard.
Several years ago when the aftermarket tail light/lens first became popular, there were many versions and most of them did not comply with FMVSS 108 even though the packaging said legal in 50 states or DOT approved. The products also have DOT numbers imprinted on them. These letters/numbers indicate certain parts of the product are compliant such as rear lens, rear color, rear reflector, side reflector, side lens, side color etc. There were DOT numbers on many of these aftermarket lenses but usually all of the numbers were not present. This indicates that parts of the lens were not compliant. Also see http://fmvss108.tripod.com-this is a NON-government site with lots of info about lights-mostly taillights.
HID headlights-If it has a transformer (ballast) it is an HID light. A true HID light casts a white light (looks like light blue tint). There are cheap imitations which are a plain bulb with a blue coating and these cast a blue light. When I stop a car with suspect headlights I hold a piece of white paper in front of the light. If the paper turns blue, that is illegal and driver gets "Norked" (gets a ticket). See the following NHTSA Interp letter at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/...18.ztv.html-It says, "SAE J578c defines white by blue, yellow, green, red and purple boundaries within a chromaticity diagram. Thus, it is possible to design a headlamp that emits a light that approaches the blue boundary and is perceived as having a blue tint but which nevertheless remains within the boundaries that define "white"".
As far as what state you live in it does not matter. All states light laws follow FMVSS 108 for the basic MV lights.
I AM NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU ARGUE WITH ANY POLICE OFFICER WHO MAY STOP YOU FOR THE HEADLIGHTS. You could try carrying a copy of the above NHTSA interp letter with you and politely asking to officer to read the above paragraph (this could backfire). Best bet is to plead not guilty and plead your case at court.
Hope this answers your question.
First of all the statement DOT APPROVED is misleading. NHTSA, an arm of the U.S. DOT, does not approve or disapprove MV equipment. It does set Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for all MV equipment. FMVSS 108 covers lights. Manufacturers SELF-CERTIFY that their product meets the standard.
Several years ago when the aftermarket tail light/lens first became popular, there were many versions and most of them did not comply with FMVSS 108 even though the packaging said legal in 50 states or DOT approved. The products also have DOT numbers imprinted on them. These letters/numbers indicate certain parts of the product are compliant such as rear lens, rear color, rear reflector, side reflector, side lens, side color etc. There were DOT numbers on many of these aftermarket lenses but usually all of the numbers were not present. This indicates that parts of the lens were not compliant. Also see http://fmvss108.tripod.com-this is a NON-government site with lots of info about lights-mostly taillights.
HID headlights-If it has a transformer (ballast) it is an HID light. A true HID light casts a white light (looks like light blue tint). There are cheap imitations which are a plain bulb with a blue coating and these cast a blue light. When I stop a car with suspect headlights I hold a piece of white paper in front of the light. If the paper turns blue, that is illegal and driver gets "Norked" (gets a ticket). See the following NHTSA Interp letter at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/...18.ztv.html-It says, "SAE J578c defines white by blue, yellow, green, red and purple boundaries within a chromaticity diagram. Thus, it is possible to design a headlamp that emits a light that approaches the blue boundary and is perceived as having a blue tint but which nevertheless remains within the boundaries that define "white"".
As far as what state you live in it does not matter. All states light laws follow FMVSS 108 for the basic MV lights.
I AM NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU ARGUE WITH ANY POLICE OFFICER WHO MAY STOP YOU FOR THE HEADLIGHTS. You could try carrying a copy of the above NHTSA interp letter with you and politely asking to officer to read the above paragraph (this could backfire). Best bet is to plead not guilty and plead your case at court.
Hope this answers your question.
Wooluf1952
Member
SAE J578c defines white by blue, yellow, green, red and purple boundaries within a chromaticity diagram.
That's what mine look like.
I thought they were bad or cheap.
That's what mine look like.
I thought they were bad or cheap.
smitty5150
Member
- Nov 18, 2011
- 1,069
Depends on your states interpretation and the cops mood. In jersey, for example, you can't have any hint of blue. They also claim that hids are illegal if your vehicle didn't come from them with the factory. They don't enforce that, and I never get bugged by cops, but I did have to put regular lamps in for inspection. My lamps are 6k. I will replace with 5500k when they die.
I've seen pink. Thought it looked stupid. 
The fact is, the higher the temperature the less light output. If you want more light to see better, stay in the 4300K to 5000K range. I have 6000K and wish I had bought 5000K.
The fact is, the higher the temperature the less light output. If you want more light to see better, stay in the 4300K to 5000K range. I have 6000K and wish I had bought 5000K.
ItsOnVoy
Member
- Nov 21, 2011
- 2,401
BO TIE SS said:I've seen pink. Thought it looked stupid.
The fact is, the higher the temperature the less light output. If you want more light to see better, stay in the 4300K to 5000K range. I have 6000K and wish I had bought 5000K.
That is my next temp that I will be going to! I have 6k also and just a bit too much blue lol the 5k would be perfect and hyper white. That is what I like also!!
CdnGMan said:
I do not see a problem with you getting them! They come factory on many cars, why would you run into any problems because of 6k HIDs lol you'll be fine
What you might have trouble with is the DRL issue, doesn't Canada make you have DRL's as part of there law?
STLtrailbSS
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 1,617
Completely off topic! WARNING
all this talk of HID's who wants to PM an ebay auction for WHITE hids kit that will work with my TB because I Want them but don't know a damn thing.
Back to the topic it seems if your going to run with White Hids your going to be fine if you get that ricer urge with magenta,indigo,or pink theres gonna be an issue
all this talk of HID's who wants to PM an ebay auction for WHITE hids kit that will work with my TB because I Want them but don't know a damn thing.
Back to the topic it seems if your going to run with White Hids your going to be fine if you get that ricer urge with magenta,indigo,or pink theres gonna be an issue
Blckshdw
Moderator
Sounds like we're in need of an HID information write up around here... 
Too bad I don't have as much free time as I used to... 
Too bad I don't have as much free time as I used to...
smitty5150
Member
- Nov 18, 2011
- 1,069
Great, so now who takes care of that? Someone needs to explain the risk and benefits, theory of ballast operation, cri(color rendering index, ie temp)definition and differences, other modifications needed(drl killer).......
STLtrailbSS
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 1,617
HARDTRAILZ
Moderator
- Nov 18, 2011
- 49,665
Add the pros/cons, cost, and where to buy a relay harness. I just had an extensive conversation on installing HIDs in my 2004 Envoy and the topic of relay harnesses is one topic I was unsure of.
Exact article I read. If i was to get the white Hid's for my fogs instead of low beams. Do i Need a special module to control the DRL for either kill or 100% cause i just want keep them on at night. Could i just turn them on manually and Not get the module? Thank You I appreaciate it!
lol
lol
ItsOnVoy
Member
- Nov 21, 2011
- 2,401
snowyredenvoy said:Exact article I read. If i was to get the white Hid's for my fogs instead of low beams. Do i Need a special module to control the DRL for either kill or 100% cause i just want keep them on at night. Could i just turn them on manually and Not get the module? Thank You I appreaciate it!
If you do HID's for just fog lights, then you do not need to worry about anything! The fog lights are just a button you press and also at 100% power
SBUBandit
Member
- Dec 5, 2011
- 597
I also live in MI, and have 4300K in my Taurus, and 6000K in my TB, never had any issues with police. I would definitely recommend staying between those numbers. I don't like the looks of the 4300 as much, but they do put a lot of light on the road. As you go over 5000K, you actually begin losing lumens of light output. My 6000K still put out a ton of light, but the more blue they get, the less light.
Yea, I have the silverstar ultra's in my low beams and there close to white and light up alot better then stock. But I think the hid fogs are what I am going to go with. I am about an hour south of lapeer.
Since it is an HID thread does anybody have any idea as to how many K the OEM 9-7x HID's are? Mine are both flickering and then going out and so I am going to try replacing bulbs first then Ballasts. I ordered 6000k oem replacements but there were optiond down to 4300k and up to I think 10,000k.
ItsOnVoy
Member
- Nov 21, 2011
- 2,401
snowyredenvoy said:Yea, I have the silverstar ultra's in my low beams and there close to white and light up alot better then stock. But I think the hid fogs are what I am going to go with. I am about an hour south of lapeer.
The HID's will light up much better then the Silverstars. I had those also before the HID's and day and night between the two
Chickenhawk
Member
- Dec 6, 2011
- 790
The post by Colej23 is correct. The bottom line is that every state and province will include a provision that lights must meet FMVSS (federal motor vehicle safety standards) specifications for lights. This means that HIDs are not legal in any state in the U.S. or any province in Canada unless they came on the vehicle from the factory.
That last line is important. It means that if they came on, for example, a 2008 "rice rocket SS" but not a 2007 "rice rocket LS" and the owner of the 2007 takes off ones from a 2008 and puts them on the 2007, they are still illegal. They are only legal when they came from the factory because the FMVSS standards include approval on each individual make, model and year.
I am not going to get into a discussion on who championed this provision or why, but I think we can all figure it out.
This means that all the "DOT approved" stickers, labels or printing don't mean a thing. The bottom line is that they are not legal unless they came from the factory. This means that no Trailblazers, Envoys etc. can legally run HIDs (except for those few who had them from the factory, which I think is maybe some Denalis or maybe the Saabs??)
Just because the police don't bother you also doesn't suddenly make them legal. Usually, officers have far more important things to worry about on the highways than lights.
Now if your HIDs are decidedly blue enough to attract their attention or are poorly-aimed, then you are just setting yourself up as a target to get stopped some day. Most patrol officers don't care about well-installed lights that are aimed properly and just don't comply with some minor paperwork for that make or year of vehicle. But in some states and provinces, there can be roadside safety checks, and your vehicle will fail at that time.
So, if you are going to install them, understand they are not legal. Usually no one will care much, especially if they are installed and aimed correctly.
Most of us care about good lighting to stay safe on the highways for us and our families, and this is why most of us will avoid the blue-tinted bulbs that serve only for the owner to think they look cool when in fact they simply reduce the actual light output. Sadly, there is no free lunch. HIDs are illegal and must be installed and aimed very carefully; higher output bulbs like the Silverstars burn "hotter" but give you much shorter life, and tinted bulbs reduce the actual output of the lights.
Personally, I like the Nighthawks because they are legal and the best compromise between slightly higher output at the cost of a slightly shorter life. (I have run one set for 4 years and never replaced one.) I would also NEVER disable DRLs because I think this is an important safety feature. We have had them for years in Canada, and when I am looking to pass someone on the highway and an oncoming vehicle is too old to have DRLs, they really stand out by their absence.
The average inattentive driver on the highway these days is brainless and unskilled anyway ... and I want to give myself EVERY advantage to continue to live and to enjoy my ride.
That last line is important. It means that if they came on, for example, a 2008 "rice rocket SS" but not a 2007 "rice rocket LS" and the owner of the 2007 takes off ones from a 2008 and puts them on the 2007, they are still illegal. They are only legal when they came from the factory because the FMVSS standards include approval on each individual make, model and year.
I am not going to get into a discussion on who championed this provision or why, but I think we can all figure it out.
This means that all the "DOT approved" stickers, labels or printing don't mean a thing. The bottom line is that they are not legal unless they came from the factory. This means that no Trailblazers, Envoys etc. can legally run HIDs (except for those few who had them from the factory, which I think is maybe some Denalis or maybe the Saabs??)
Just because the police don't bother you also doesn't suddenly make them legal. Usually, officers have far more important things to worry about on the highways than lights.
Now if your HIDs are decidedly blue enough to attract their attention or are poorly-aimed, then you are just setting yourself up as a target to get stopped some day. Most patrol officers don't care about well-installed lights that are aimed properly and just don't comply with some minor paperwork for that make or year of vehicle. But in some states and provinces, there can be roadside safety checks, and your vehicle will fail at that time.
So, if you are going to install them, understand they are not legal. Usually no one will care much, especially if they are installed and aimed correctly.
Most of us care about good lighting to stay safe on the highways for us and our families, and this is why most of us will avoid the blue-tinted bulbs that serve only for the owner to think they look cool when in fact they simply reduce the actual light output. Sadly, there is no free lunch. HIDs are illegal and must be installed and aimed very carefully; higher output bulbs like the Silverstars burn "hotter" but give you much shorter life, and tinted bulbs reduce the actual output of the lights.
Personally, I like the Nighthawks because they are legal and the best compromise between slightly higher output at the cost of a slightly shorter life. (I have run one set for 4 years and never replaced one.) I would also NEVER disable DRLs because I think this is an important safety feature. We have had them for years in Canada, and when I am looking to pass someone on the highway and an oncoming vehicle is too old to have DRLs, they really stand out by their absence.
The average inattentive driver on the highway these days is brainless and unskilled anyway ... and I want to give myself EVERY advantage to continue to live and to enjoy my ride.
El1t3tb
Member
- Dec 16, 2011
- 52
i have had 5,6,8,and 10k bulbs at 25 and 55w (yes it is a ridiculous amount, but i love HIDS)
ive gotten pulled over for 10k but 8k and lower have been fine with popo
personally i like my 6k's the best. they have a hint of blue and are 2nd brightest out of all of them! hope this helps your decision!
ive gotten pulled over for 10k but 8k and lower have been fine with popo
personally i like my 6k's the best. they have a hint of blue and are 2nd brightest out of all of them! hope this helps your decision!