This has been beat to death. 
HID's
Launching!
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 248
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From: Akron, Ohio
Nice! I still have yet to grab pics of mine, I love emm! The downside is that these bulbs aren't meant to go in these housings, so the light dispersal bothers me, it doesn't flow like the halogens.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Aug 2010
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Verdad Gallardo Owning a motor vehicle and possessing a driver's license are privileges. Said privileges have rules that must be abided by. The same notion holds true for front license plates and window tinting, where applicable. A plea of ignorance is insufficient.
It is your duty as a citizen to know your rights as well as the law.
Illegal: http://isearch.nhtsa.gov/files/Shih.3.html
Illegal: http://isearch.nhtsa.gov/files/deetz.ztv.html
Oh yeah, illegal: http://isearch.nhtsa.gov/files/kim.ztv.html
Illegality aside (yes, many people use straight pipes and faux cats), they are also highly dangerous to oncoming traffic:
Another disturbing trend in this look-a-like phenomenon is the substitution of OEM filament headlamp bulbs with aftermarket HID conversion bulbs. The desire is to achieve the look and achieve the more robust performance of HIDs. While not designed to be interchangeable, some aftermarket companies are substantially altering the HID bulb bases or providing adapters so that the HID bulbs can be inserted in headlamps designed for filament bulbs. The consequence of making these substitutions is to adversely affect safety. Filament headlamps are optically designed for the volume of light and filament placement and other critical dimensions and performance that OEM filament bulbs have. The HID conversions result in two to three times the volume of light and potentially imprecise arc placement. Such conversions often result in beam patterns that behave nothing like the original filament beam pattern, cannot be reliably aimed, and have many times the permitted glare intensity. In informal conversations with persons who have tested such conversions, the light intensity on one at a point aimed toward oncoming drivers was 22 times the allowable intensity limit. Another lamp was more than 7 times too intense. With poor HID bulb and arc placement, the glare intensity could be significantly worse. Thus, the use of these conversions could be yet another source of the glare problems about which many drivers have complained.
Glare:
Clean cutoff (no glare):
Bottom line, if you're going to use HIDs, go all the way with a projector retrofit. You will not be disappointed!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvOXMfLKmWw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0Cp4...eature=related
And go for a drive as well!
http://www.streetfire.net/video/driv...ght_726338.htm
Edumacate yoself.
man, this thread went in the wrong direction!
* the retrofitsource pic is an extreme case of poor housing design. Not all cars are like that, and ours are pretty good at cutting down glare. Most newer cars can get by with an HID kit. If aimed a little lower, the glare will be cut down dramatically. Of course nothing beats an HID retrofit, and I have done numerous projector retrofits, and made good money doing it. In the end, some people just don't have the time or money to do it the "correct" way.
How many of us have added mufflers to stock piping? The correct way is a full exhaust from headers all the way back, or at minimal a catback. (just an example)
don't get too wound up guys
* the retrofitsource pic is an extreme case of poor housing design. Not all cars are like that, and ours are pretty good at cutting down glare. Most newer cars can get by with an HID kit. If aimed a little lower, the glare will be cut down dramatically. Of course nothing beats an HID retrofit, and I have done numerous projector retrofits, and made good money doing it. In the end, some people just don't have the time or money to do it the "correct" way.
How many of us have added mufflers to stock piping? The correct way is a full exhaust from headers all the way back, or at minimal a catback. (just an example)
don't get too wound up guys
This is fine for halogen bulbs as they do not output as many lumens as HIDs. In fact, it's around three (3) times less.
But the fact of the matter is that these extra lumens will blind people if not properly aimed in a HID projector. Aiming the HID bulbs lower in a halogen housing actually reduces your visibility. Note that I used the word visibility and not light output. Light output obviously remains the same.
Lowering the light to the point of loosing visibility seems kind of pointless when it comes to visibility. From there it just seems one's looking for the "bling" aspect of HIDs versus the actual benefits of an HID + Projector headlight/retrofit.
In the end, some people just don't have the time or money to do it the "correct" way.
How many of us have added mufflers to stock piping? The correct way is a full exhaust from headers all the way back, or at minimal a catback. (just an example)
At any rate, I think all of this needs to be known as more and more people are moving toward HID plug and play kits.
Regardless if there was a law or not, they're just very dangerous for the recipient of the beam.
It really sucks that I cannot rear-flash the Honda kid with his HID kit behind me. The auto dimming mirror (not even stock in the GXP - retrofitted myself) can only do so much and we don't have side auto dimming mirrors.
HID colors are a joke. The higher the color (Kelvins), the less light output.
People purchase the colors because they're looking for the color flicker. Notice the range of color at the top of the cutoff in the second picture. That's what you will slightly see on the road from an oncoming car with factory HIDs and assume it's a color other than white. By the way, those bulbs are 4300K.
Check out the second video I posted for the color flicker effect.
People purchase the colors because they're looking for the color flicker. Notice the range of color at the top of the cutoff in the second picture. That's what you will slightly see on the road from an oncoming car with factory HIDs and assume it's a color other than white. By the way, those bulbs are 4300K.
Check out the second video I posted for the color flicker effect.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Aug 2010
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Yes you have an answer for everything. Among talking to everyone that drives in my area you have had time to tell me that the three law enforcement agencies in my area are ignorant and do not enforce the law. Your links are to letters. Like I said I PASS STATE INSPECTION with my HIDs. Obviously you have nothing better to do with your time and than argue with someone. It is really simple you don't like it or agree, stay away and find another post to read.
texasGXP08 Thanks
texasGXP08 Thanks
Yes you have an answer for everything. Among talking to everyone that drives in my area you have had time to tell me that the three law enforcement agencies in my area are ignorant and do not enforce the law. Your links are to letters. Like I said I PASS STATE INSPECTION with my HIDs. Obviously you have nothing better to do with your time and than argue with someone. It is really simple you don't like it or agree, stay away and find another post to read.
texasGXP08 Thanks
texasGXP08 Thanks
Yes, the links are letters. But the links are from a government domain (.gov) with references to specific statutes found in FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) 108. So you can turn the blind eye all you want. But when you get pulled over, and you will [eventually], don't say you didn't know.
Like I mentioned before, [il]legality aside, they're dangerous and extremely hazardous to others. But as long as it doesn't affect you it's fine right?
Launching!
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
From: Akron, Ohio
Pfft, the law here is to have a front plate, but I took mine off.
The law here sets speed limits to a max of 65, sometimes I do twice that.
The law here says no underglows, there are plenty of cars that have them.
The chances of someone getting in a wreck because of my lights, are the same chances that they will not wake up in the morning.
If rules weren't made to be broken, this world would be dull and plain. Have some fun!
The law here sets speed limits to a max of 65, sometimes I do twice that.
The law here says no underglows, there are plenty of cars that have them.
The chances of someone getting in a wreck because of my lights, are the same chances that they will not wake up in the morning.
If rules weren't made to be broken, this world would be dull and plain. Have some fun!
Pfft, the law here is to have a front plate, but I took mine off.
The law here sets speed limits to a max of 65, sometimes I do twice that.
The law here says no underglows, there are plenty of cars that have them.
The chances of someone getting in a wreck because of my lights, are the same chances that they will not wake up in the morning.
If rules weren't made to be broken, this world would be dull and plain. Have some fun!
The law here sets speed limits to a max of 65, sometimes I do twice that.
The law here says no underglows, there are plenty of cars that have them.
The chances of someone getting in a wreck because of my lights, are the same chances that they will not wake up in the morning.
If rules weren't made to be broken, this world would be dull and plain. Have some fun!
But when you get pulled for speeding and they hit you with a no front plate and illegal lighting, don't complain and get mad.
Launching!
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
From: Akron, Ohio
Oh I wont, lol. I know what Im doing wrong, and I am aware of the laws. But hey, you only live once! 
P.S. They would also get me for illegal tint, and exhaust too, since I have my cutout. Hehehehe.
P.S. They would also get me for illegal tint, and exhaust too, since I have my cutout. Hehehehe.
Launching!
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: chicagoland
i have to agree in one aspect and it was something i noticed the first time i lit my new HID kit up, the throw ... the reflected light other then the direct beam that gets focused down the road, is nearly twice as bright, i could imagine at the proper angles, this being fairly annoying to someone coming in an opposite direction ... im considering adding a slight layer of night shades all over my headlights and aiming them a bit bitter, but only because the light is bright enough to warrant it
... but as far as the illegality of it ... the truth has been spoken on that too, i have had mine for nearly a month now and been behind, next to, opposing even overtaking cops at night and never was that a determining factor to pull me over ... if anything i imagine my taillights will cause more of a problem for safety and legality ... and give the roller pigs a reason to pull me over ...
a side question - does someone make a headlight housing for the monte/impala that will take the HID and distribute its light properly down the road without excessive reflection and throw ? or are they all retrofitted with cannibalised parts from other cars ?
... but as far as the illegality of it ... the truth has been spoken on that too, i have had mine for nearly a month now and been behind, next to, opposing even overtaking cops at night and never was that a determining factor to pull me over ... if anything i imagine my taillights will cause more of a problem for safety and legality ... and give the roller pigs a reason to pull me over ...
a side question - does someone make a headlight housing for the monte/impala that will take the HID and distribute its light properly down the road without excessive reflection and throw ? or are they all retrofitted with cannibalised parts from other cars ?
they can be retrofitted with OEM HID projectors or aftermarket HID projectors. I have done them both ways. OEM takes more time, because you have to create a way for the projectors to be aimed if needed.