are blackout tail lights legal?
07-22-2011, 10:05 AM
#2
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define legal 
what i was told by cops here is that as long as light can be seen through during day and you can see the reflextive portion at night than they are ok
what i was told by cops here is that as long as light can be seen through during day and you can see the reflextive portion at night than they are ok
07-22-2011, 10:25 AM
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why would you wanna put that crap on your car anyways??? it doesn't make it look any better IMO.....
the main purpose for brake lights is so that people will know if you're slowing down or stopping
when you hit the brakes with blacked out tail lights it just looks like the regular running lights of a non-blacked out car...... so if a car is cruising at 70mph and you hit the brakes because of something in front of you that they cant see.... they wont know you're coming to a stop until they are right up on you
the only thing blacked out tail lights do is cause people to get rear ended.....
.
the main purpose for brake lights is so that people will know if you're slowing down or stopping
when you hit the brakes with blacked out tail lights it just looks like the regular running lights of a non-blacked out car...... so if a car is cruising at 70mph and you hit the brakes because of something in front of you that they cant see.... they wont know you're coming to a stop until they are right up on you
the only thing blacked out tail lights do is cause people to get rear ended.....
.
Last edited by Ruthless Robbie; 07-22-2011 at 10:35 AM.
07-22-2011, 10:48 AM
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mine are blacked out and yes you have to be able to see them from certain distance and the reflective strip like i said earlier.
and robbie why must you always say crap if he wanted your opinion on the subject he would have asked
and robbie why must you always say crap if he wanted your opinion on the subject he would have asked
07-22-2011, 12:22 PM
#6
Blacked out tail lights are illegal. While most police dint care about them an insurance company will. if you are rear ended because someone behind you could not see your break lights you may be sued by an insurance company (yours or theirs). And they will win.
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07-22-2011, 01:45 PM
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07-22-2011, 02:12 PM
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There illegal you won't pass state inspection with them cops won't say anything if the can see them like 100 feet away I have them on mine haven't gotten a ticket yet and they are pretty dark
07-22-2011, 02:38 PM
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They are illegal, The plastic covers are trash and will melt your tail lights in anyways due to so much heat being built up and nowhere for it to go. Now if you did VHT on the tails done CORRECTLY where its blacked enough but still has the full amount of light coming though then it's not so illegal id say but every car/suv/truck I have come across with black tails are always way to dark and hardly tell if they are hitting the brake or not.
07-22-2011, 03:40 PM
#12
^ Any VHT at all is considered illegal everywhere period, it's just that some cops are more lenient than others. I usually only get hassled in small towns or if im out at like 3:00am and they need a reason to pull me over(why I don't run blackouts anymore). "Blackouts melting tailights" I've never heard this before, can you post a link of this so called melting. I've ran blackouts on my old 95 Camaro for ever and I used to run em on my 01 WS.6 and I've never had any melting problems. They did chip my hatch on my 01 WS.6 
which is really why I quit using them, and they'll fly off if you go above 120 so take em off if you go racing.
which is really why I quit using them, and they'll fly off if you go above 120 so take em off if you go racing.
07-23-2011, 12:36 AM
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"Blackouts melting tailights" I've never heard this before, can you post a link of this so called melting. I've ran blackouts on my old 95 Camaro for ever and I used to run em on my 01 WS.6 and I've never had any melting problems. They did chip my hatch on my 01 WS.6 which is really why I quit using them, and they'll fly off if you go above 120 so take em off if you go racing.
which is really why I quit using them, and they'll fly off if you go above 120 so take em off if you go racing.Photobucket re sizes the pic so best I could do.
Sadly the only pic I have that best shows it is one I took after the wreck of that car but yeah...look where the brake light comes on.
07-23-2011, 03:29 AM
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Same happened to my car and every other 4th Gen Camaro I've seen with tail light covers. I think it's pretty much a given that the heat will get trapped and melt the lens. I didn't have that issue on my '78,'79, or '86 Camaros. Maybe using bulbs that can burn your finger prints off has something to do with it.. heh
07-24-2011, 10:18 AM
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all my cars have em, and all pass inspection, that being said yeah they are illegal. It's a gray area. Whoever said they have to still retain their reflective properties is correct from it's either 100 or 300 feet. I feel I'd argue and see because mine are, but when push comes to shove if your worried about it then don't do it. I've yet to be harassed for them. Mine are also not that dark so maybe that helps.
here are mine. (and to edit they apparently dont pass inspections this year.) I even argued the point about being red, or reflective from 100 and the lady said they are not DOT approved or from GM this way so your SOL.
here are mine. (and to edit they apparently dont pass inspections this year.) I even argued the point about being red, or reflective from 100 and the lady said they are not DOT approved or from GM this way so your SOL.
Last edited by Domsz06; 08-03-2011 at 08:34 AM.
07-25-2011, 12:24 PM
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There is a distance requirement for the light being emitted. Also there is a reflector requirement.
I don't worry about the light output as long as I can see that the brake lights reasonably light up during day/night. I am not going to get a tape measure and mark it out; however, if I can't tell you are stopping by the brake lights I am stopping you.
I do look for the red flectors that are equally spaced and at equal height. If there are no clearly marked red reflectors (Day or Night) then you are getting stopped and I will see what you are doing.
I don't worry about the light output as long as I can see that the brake lights reasonably light up during day/night. I am not going to get a tape measure and mark it out; however, if I can't tell you are stopping by the brake lights I am stopping you.
I do look for the red flectors that are equally spaced and at equal height. If there are no clearly marked red reflectors (Day or Night) then you are getting stopped and I will see what you are doing.
08-03-2011, 08:32 AM
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