Another big thing is that they are often seen in lifted trucks which I'm sure have never been re-aimed after having the lift installed. Even stock headlights would be irritating to other drivers due to their aim. Not sure properly aiming the "problem" HIDs would help though by the sounds of it.
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Originally Posted by WhiteTiger
The ones that really bother me are badly aimed or on lifted trucks...on my car, the lights come right through the back window and blind me off my rear view mirror...and make both my side mirrors useless. So much so that on a 2 lane road, someone gets behind me with those, and I will generally do what I can to get behind them, since every time I try to use my mirrors, I get a blinding flash of light. Should be enforcable with a tire iron, imo. So bloody dangerous.
one of the first things i did after i got my truck lifted (6" suspension lift + 35" tires) was have my wife drive her car (a mazda protege 5) in front of me with my lights on. we'd pull over and she'd tell me what adjustments needed to be made to my lights, i do the adjustments, and then we'd go test them again.
we did the same thing when i got my after-market headlights (not HIDs). blinding other drivers is not cool in my books.
i have toyed with getting HIDs for my truck, but they don't make proper projector headlight housings for it (an 89), so i'd have to retrofit projectors into my existing lights, which i don't really feel like doing right now.
as others have mentioned, they are illegal if they didn't come stock with your vehicle, but most cops i know say they've got more important things to worry about than pulling someone over for improper headlights. usually they'd only ticket the driver if he's been pulled over for something else and the guy is being a goof to them.
__________________ "...and there goes Finger up the middle on Luongo!" - Jim Hughson, Av's vs. 'Nucks
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tbqh, i think it also depends on the brightness of the bulbs because i do have an HID kit in my 2010 impreza hatch. my lights are at 6000 so its more of a blueish white color and it does not seem very bright.
through, after looking at some of the pictures, i think i might have to readjust mine so that it shows more distance. i do have a before and after picture of the stock to the HIDs. if i can find it, ill post it.
tbqh, i think it also depends on the brightness of the bulbs because i do have an HID kit in my 2010 impreza hatch. my lights are at 6000 so its more of a blueish white color and it does not seem very bright.
through, after looking at some of the pictures, i think i might have to readjust mine so that it shows more distance. i do have a before and after picture of the stock to the HIDs. if i can find it, ill post it.
4300k is the OEM bulb temperature and you'd be better off with that in terms of brightness. I've seen ruthless glare from bulbs that are at least 8000k and 10000k so the temperature doesn't really make the glare much worse IMO, all depends on the design of the reflector housing.
one of the first things i did after i got my truck lifted (6" suspension lift + 35" tires) was have my wife drive her car (a mazda protege 5) in front of me with my lights on. we'd pull over and she'd tell me what adjustments needed to be made to my lights, i do the adjustments, and then we'd go test them again.
we did the same thing when i got my after-market headlights (not HIDs). blinding other drivers is not cool in my books.
i have toyed with getting HIDs for my truck, but they don't make proper projector headlight housings for it (an 89), so i'd have to retrofit projectors into my existing lights, which i don't really feel like doing right now.
as others have mentioned, they are illegal if they didn't come stock with your vehicle, but most cops i know say they've got more important things to worry about than pulling someone over for improper headlights. usually they'd only ticket the driver if he's been pulled over for something else and the guy is being a goof to them.
I have stock HIDs in my car and I've always wondered how someone could even make them work properly in a jacked truck. In order to keep them under eye height of a car you'd have to have them angled into the ground which pretty much renders them useless. Almost need to swap the headlights into your fog light location to use HIDs.
Cst. Brendan Power of Edmonton Police just tweeted this:
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FYI: We are being instructed to start issuing violations for aftermarket HID headlights as none meet standards set by Transport Canada. OEM HID's (installed by the manufacturer) are ok.
My hope is that CPS will see how much bank EPS will make off of HID tickets and starts clamping down.
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Arguably worse than HID's, what I seem to be seeing increasingly is cars with ZERO functioning brake lights, or just the center brake light functioning which is inevitably behind a very dark tinted rear window, covered in snow, or otherwise invisible. Hate to be involved in the insurance debacle when these people get rear ended...
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I had HIDs already installed in my car when I bought it. As nice as they look, it's annoying as they have special conversion kits to function, so since one has now burnt out, I can't simply go back to typical halogens without messing around with these already installed kits and I'd rather not. I have to now go to one specialty place in town that actually carries this model of bulbs, at a not so great price. But since it's a steal compared to other places that could ship them in, I'm probably gonna get them there. I'm happy my vehicle is low to the ground, cause I know how much of a piss off they can be as the other driver.
I've also noticed the now all too frequent issue with cars with burnt out break lights. It's pretty infuriating, especially in not so good conditions or poorly lit streets. If your brake or signal lights are out, you've gotta get that replaced asap.
I can't wait to see someone ticketed for the full combo, Illegal HIDs, Illegal Tint, Tires Bigger Than Fender Flares and Mudflaps, and in the case of Ricers, just the first 2.
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A few weeks ago I saw a Jeep with JW Speaker LED headlights. They were pretty bright.. and I saw them in the daytime. So bright in fact that I pulled up beside the guy after he'd parked his Jeep and took a peek at them to see exactly what they were.
I had HIDs already installed in my car when I bought it. As nice as they look, it's annoying as they have special conversion kits to function, so since one has now burnt out, I can't simply go back to typical halogens without messing around with these already installed kits and I'd rather not. I have to now go to one specialty place in town that actually carries this model of bulbs, at a not so great price. But since it's a steal compared to other places that could ship them in, I'm probably gonna get them there. I'm happy my vehicle is low to the ground, cause I know how much of a piss off they can be as the other driver.
This is the one great pleasure I have when I think of all the azzhats with HIDs in non-reflector (halogen) housings. 90% of time they install them with the cheap bulbs, with cheap ballasts, and have to modify their car to take them; which inevitably leads to them driving around with 1 bulb out because those bulbs have the lifespan of a teetsie fly when installed improperly and with crappy ballasts.
I missed this thread the first time around, but when somebody is behind me with those lights I like to try and adjust my mirrors so the light is reflecting back at them. I'm not sure if it works.
A few weeks ago I saw a Jeep with JW Speaker LED headlights. They were pretty bright.. and I saw them in the daytime. So bright in fact that I pulled up beside the guy after he'd parked his Jeep and took a peek at them to see exactly what they were.
Edit: Found this video on you tube.
I've seen these on a ton of vehicles lately, lots on semi trucks and motorbikes.
In fact, some CTrain cars have them installed.
And what's with the company's name? That's like having a car audio company named Headlight.
General consensus over at HIDplanet.com is that they're not yet up to par with the best OEM HID projectors. A lot of new vehicles are going to them for slight power savings over HID, and just to stay on the cutting edge.
That said, they (and lasers) are the future for automotive lighting and the possibilities are endless. In short order, they'll be better than the best HID.
Retrofitted Xenon lights should 100% be illegal. If they don't have automatic levelers on them they are a huge hazard to oncoming drivers. Unfortunately a ton of uninformed ricer D-Bags install them to look cool, and nothing else. There are some awesome Halogen upgrades you can get, but because they are not blue uninformed ricer D-bag has no interest. He wants the world to think his totally 1337 1996 Civic DX came with factory Xenons.
Factory Xenons, factory designed to fit the vehicle on the other hand, once you have them, you will NEVER go back, they are absolutely amazing. You basically never have to use high beams ever again. I believe like ABS and Airbags, eventually Xenon lights will be a government requirement they are that damn good. If there is ever a check box or a package to get them in when you are buying a new car, check it, they are worth every penny.
I never even really realized this was a thing. It never particularly bothered me, or I never had a bad incident with someone using them. Then I bought my current car a number of years ago, which has xenon bulbs (OEM), and immediately noticed better night visibility. I mentioned how nice this was to a couple of people and that was when I learned I was now a pariah - presumably by association with people who don't get theirs installed properly.
Retrofitted Xenon lights should 100% be illegal. If they don't have automatic levelers on them they are a huge hazard to oncoming drivers.
Levellers aren't the problem. The problem is xenon bulbs in haolgen reflector housings. Plenty of OEM applications either don't have levellers, or they're not particularly effective. The problem is the massive glare caused by the reflector housing of a headlight designed for halogen.
General consensus over at HIDplanet.com is that they're not yet up to par with the best OEM HID projectors. A lot of new vehicles are going to them for slight power savings over HID, and just to stay on the cutting edge.
That said, they (and lasers) are the future for automotive lighting and the possibilities are endless. In short order, they'll be better than the best HID.
i bet this guy's already on the wait list....
__________________ "...and there goes Finger up the middle on Luongo!" - Jim Hughson, Av's vs. 'Nucks