HID headlamps and the Law?

[95TwinTT]

Anyone here happen to know what the actual laws are for running HID headlights.?

I had heard, that it was NOT legal to run HID’s for “Low Beams†unless they were behind “factory lenses†which accurately shade oncoming traffic from the brighter lamps.

I was looking at a V series Cadillac CTS's "low beams", at night and noticed the very pronounced shaded area. It runs diagonally through the beam, cutting the light level for on coming traffic.

I also read somewhere, that Iowa was thinking about banning HID’s all together.

State Laws? Federal laws? Anybody?

 

[Rollin Thunder]

Anyone here happen to know what the actual laws are for running HID headlights.?

I had heard, that it was NOT legal to run HID’s for “Low Beams†unless they were behind “factory lenses†which accurately shade oncoming traffic from the brighter lamps.

I was looking at a V series Cadillac CTS's "low beams", at night and noticed the very pronounced shaded area. It runs diagonally through the beam, cutting the light level for on coming traffic.

I also read somewhere, that Iowa was thinking about banning HID’s all together.

State Laws? Federal laws? Anybody?

I never put aftermarket HIDS in stock housings, they were designed for the stock Halagen bulbs. If you stick an HID bulb in there it scatters light everware and you get a bad beam pattern. Projectors are the only way to go with aftermarket HIDS, a good set like TYC or Depo projectors may set you back some, but its worth it for the cut off of the projector and the tightness and brightness of the bulb.

Some companys in the early days of HIDs used a special HID bulb that worked in a reflector (infact cadillac used it until 2006) that could be used called the D1R bulb (R for reflector, had good light out put, was not blinding, great beam pattern, but cut off was bad)

IF you go HIDS get a projector housing.


HID's (aftermarket) are illegle in EVERY STATE, enless their factory, truth be told, in a projector their just as good (sometimes better) than factory HIDS. If your not blinding on comming traffic you wont (usually, knock on wood) get bugged by the cops.


also truth be told, aiming your lights down could do the same thing, but you wont have the best beam paddern

TYC for the gmt 400 model tahoe/burban deveoped a legel aftermarket D2R (newer technology) that is the great beam paddern and great light output of any car with stock HIDS, but in an aftermarket form, that complies with all DOT requirements. to the tune of 400 bucks though.


cheapest and easiest ovesly is just getting a 9006 hid kit and slapping it in your truck, good light output, but risk being bugged by the cops, and blinding other on coming traffic.

BEST and most cost effective is Higherlevel auto HIDS and a set of e-bay projectors.

so a total of 250, great light output, good beam pattern, much less chance of being bugged by the cops, and you get an awsome new look to the truck.



edit- i know in some states HIDS are legel in a projector housing, aftermarket, or stock. so check your local laws also.

 

[95TwinTT]

I never put aftermarket HIDS in stock housings, they were designed for the stock Halagen bulbs. If you stick an HID bulb in there it scatters light everware and you get a bad beam pattern. Projectors are the only way to go with aftermarket HIDS, a good set like TYC or Depo projectors may set you back some, but its worth it for the cut off of the projector and the tightness and brightness of the bulb.

Some companys in the early days of HIDs used a special HID bulb that worked in a reflector (infact cadillac used it until 2006) that could be used called the D1R bulb (R for reflector, had good light out put, was not blinding, great beam pattern, but cut off was bad)

IF you go HIDS get a projector housing.


HID's (aftermarket) are illegle in EVERY STATE, enless their factory, truth be told, in a projector their just as good (sometimes better) than factory HIDS. If your not blinding on comming traffic you wont (usually, knock on wood) get bugged by the cops.


also truth be told, aiming your lights down could do the same thing, but you wont have the best beam paddern

TYC for the gmt 400 model tahoe/burban deveoped a legel aftermarket D2R (newer technology) that is the great beam paddern and great light output of any car with stock HIDS, but in an aftermarket form, that complies with all DOT requirements. to the tune of 400 bucks though.


cheapest and easiest ovesly is just getting a 9006 hid kit and slapping it in your truck, good light output, but risk being bugged by the cops, and blinding other on coming traffic.

BEST and most cost effective is Higherlevel auto HIDS and a set of e-bay projectors.

so a total of 250, great light output, good beam pattern, much less chance of being bugged by the cops, and you get an awsome new look to the truck.



edit- i know in some states HIDS are legel in a projector housing, aftermarket, or stock. so check your local laws also.

Thanks for the info, it is greatly appreciated.

I will try to find out what our State’s rules are.

I’m also concerned with RF noise from the ballast units. I have aftermarket computers on the engine and trans and don’t think they have as much protection from RF as OEM computers do.

There seems to be large differences in price ranges of lamp kits. Would you assume that the cheaper units ignore filtering on their ballasts?

 

[Rollin Thunder]

Thanks for the info, it is greatly appreciated.

I will try to find out what our State’s rules are.

I’m also concerned with RF noise from the ballast units. I have aftermarket computers on the engine and trans and don’t think they have as much protection from RF as OEM computers do.

There seems to be large differences in price ranges of lamp kits. Would you assume that the cheaper units ignore filtering on their ballasts?

i would assume that the cheaper ones are actully just worse quality over all. I had a set that was 190 shipped and actully one radio station completly went out while another one actully got BETTER reception, when i turned them on. I cant tell you why, but just mount the ballests away from any of that, on my 06 i had them behind the headlights, i think you can do the same on yours. good luck and welcome to the obession, i think im on my 15 kit so (not because of bad quality, all still work great, its just that i got them for low, had to get them for fogs, then got them for highbeams, then the other car needed them, then your dads car needs them for low, then high, then fogs, IT just goes ON AND ON) far and i just found out about HIDS last june.

 

[97tahoe702]

i got hids
on ma truck wit stock
lense
nd cops got no problem

 

[Kevs98hoe]

I got cheap eBay ones for like 11 bucks not real hids I know I just like the blue shade, I thought they would die in like 2 weeks after putting them on but its almost a year with no problems I plan on doing real kits when they die though.