New Headlights!!!
Hotshot
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 11,958
Likes: 228
No offense to the original poster, but I think that kind of stuff belongs on "tuners". Your truck looks great, and that detracts from it. It takes away from the old school coolness.
Aftermarket retrofitted HID is not legal in any state.
I think the High Intensity Discharge lights are legal in most states,but a steady or flashing blue light is illegal.If your vehicle is parked and not on,I think it's a slide,but you can't have them on when moving.You need to check your local laws to make sure they're legal.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,437
Likes: 4
From: Charles Town, W bygod Va
Blue lights are illegal here, every time you drive up behind someone they are going to wonder if it's a police car, very disstracting.... could cause the driver to drop their cell phone or spill their beer.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 647
Likes: 3
From: Brumley, MO
LOL drop their cell phone or spill their beer man thats a good one. I wamt to see a picture of those lights with the low beams on, and one with the high beams on. It's those HID lights that make me glad I bought a pair of those HD Nightvision glasses.
Junior User
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 51
Likes: 2
From: Pacific NW (Washington)
since were throwing around whats legal and not, in Washington its actually illegal to use your cellphone while driving (the exception is talking with a handsfree device ... basically youre not supposed to be holding it). although its only a secondary offense or w/e, so they cant pull you over for it, only give you a ticket if they stop you on something else ...
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,460
Likes: 6
From: Bay Area, Unfortunately
The irony is you can drink coffee, eat, or do whatever while driving. You are more likely to throw your phone to get both hands back onto the wheel then to throw a cup of coffee. I do not understand the thinking, since it is not really the issue of holding the phone, but rather the convesation and distraction from driving caused by the conversation.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
OKay they came with hid bulbs and they are NOT illegal in Maryland which I live in. its like a blue shine its not anything like a police lights blue or anything like that. I got the lights from ebay. And for the guy who thought the light was for tuners yea it is a tuner kinda thing but if uve seen other pics of my truck I have headlight covers which I have on all the time unless it is dark out then i just take off the covers.
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Hotshot
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 11,958
Likes: 228
I bet your lights came with the blue halogen bulbs. Did you install ballasts with them? If not, they just the halogen bulbs? They are not the same thing. Some of the tinted blue bulbs are illagal and some are legal. Actually they just reduce the amount of light emitted from the bulb. Clear is better even if it doesn't have the supposedly cool color to it.
The headlight covers are an old school thing though and were around before the fast and furious type junk. I dont like them either, but they don't look bad.
The headlight covers are an old school thing though and were around before the fast and furious type junk. I dont like them either, but they don't look bad.
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
From: Laramie Wyoming
Actualy, thats not completely true. They are legal if, and only if, you have DOT certified retrofit housings. As most people just throw HID bulbs in their standard refelctors, yeah, that's not good.
6054 - 200mm Rectangular Bi-Xenon HID Headlight, 6054 headlamp conversion kit, 6054 sealed beam upgrade, 6054 hid
Last I looked though, HID conversion housings are about $1000, so not many people really go for them.
Also, there are brands that sells "HID Look" hologen type (filiment bulbs) that are charged with Xenon gas instead of Hologen, and have a blue coating on the outside of the bulb. These are legal for use on roadways, as they are not actualy classified as High Intesity Discharge systems.
Now, keep in mind, if they do not have a ballast (little black box) in between the headlight harness and the bulb itself, it's not actualy a High Intesity Discharge bulb, and therefor it is legal for use.
6054 - 200mm Rectangular Bi-Xenon HID Headlight, 6054 headlamp conversion kit, 6054 sealed beam upgrade, 6054 hid
Last I looked though, HID conversion housings are about $1000, so not many people really go for them.
Also, there are brands that sells "HID Look" hologen type (filiment bulbs) that are charged with Xenon gas instead of Hologen, and have a blue coating on the outside of the bulb. These are legal for use on roadways, as they are not actualy classified as High Intesity Discharge systems.
Now, keep in mind, if they do not have a ballast (little black box) in between the headlight harness and the bulb itself, it's not actualy a High Intesity Discharge bulb, and therefor it is legal for use.
Hotshot
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 11,958
Likes: 228
Your right. I should have mentioned that, but 99% of all HID conversions are not done correctly and are illegal.
Yeah, I know all about those bulbs like the Silverstar. The HID look a like bulbs are junk. The tinted coating absorbs heat and they generally fail prematurely. Because of the tinted coating on them, most of the actually produce less light than a clear bulb, it just looks whiter. You can get bulbs that are clear like Xtravision and GE Nighthawk and Phillips vision plus that have a xenon/halogen mixture that actually produce more usable light.
I had a pair of Silverstar years ago and in the rain/fog they are useless. They also only lasted about 2 years.
Some of the tinted bulbs are not legal, look for the DOT stamp on the package. They also sell purple, pink, green and so forth. Those are not legal.
My vote still goes for clear bulbs over tinted trendy junk.
Yeah, I know all about those bulbs like the Silverstar. The HID look a like bulbs are junk. The tinted coating absorbs heat and they generally fail prematurely. Because of the tinted coating on them, most of the actually produce less light than a clear bulb, it just looks whiter. You can get bulbs that are clear like Xtravision and GE Nighthawk and Phillips vision plus that have a xenon/halogen mixture that actually produce more usable light.
I had a pair of Silverstar years ago and in the rain/fog they are useless. They also only lasted about 2 years.
Some of the tinted bulbs are not legal, look for the DOT stamp on the package. They also sell purple, pink, green and so forth. Those are not legal.
My vote still goes for clear bulbs over tinted trendy junk.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
IMO hid is the way to go, but not the plug and play way. I do have those installed right now but there is way too much glare. Haven't had any problems at all with the cops tho. I remembered before I aligned my headlights I pulled up behind a cop and blinded him lol. Here's a little somthing I'm working on:
Hotshot
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 11,958
Likes: 228
That looks like a good project.
This is just my opinion. I think HID should have never been used in the auto industry. It along with the tinted bulbs produce what I call false colors. When you see things while driving at night the colors are not normal.
Our Maxima has it and I would honeslty like to convert it to halogen like the high beams. In rain and fog HID sucks. The blue/white light scatters and is absorbed on wet pavement. The visibility is poor. I'm just glad the car has factory halogen fog lights.
This is just my opinion. I think HID should have never been used in the auto industry. It along with the tinted bulbs produce what I call false colors. When you see things while driving at night the colors are not normal.
Our Maxima has it and I would honeslty like to convert it to halogen like the high beams. In rain and fog HID sucks. The blue/white light scatters and is absorbed on wet pavement. The visibility is poor. I'm just glad the car has factory halogen fog lights.
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
From: Laramie Wyoming
Actualy. When it comes to the output color (sometimes refered to as Kelvin or Temperature, which is in fact false in and of itself... Please dont ask), the biggest problem with the white or bluish bulbs is very very very simple... Our eyes SUCK at actualy seeing blue objects and blue light.
Most people who do ALOT of driving at night agree that the absolute best bulbs to use are what is known as "Selective Yellow" bulbs. They produce very very very little light in the blue spectrum, but maintain 85+% of the useable light emited by the bulb.
Anyway, the best reading I've ever found on light colors, and other details surrounding automotive lighting, was this website: Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply
I seriously recommend going to that sight and reading everything. There is a TON of information there, and if you need help, the operator of the site will be more than happy if you email him.
Most people who do ALOT of driving at night agree that the absolute best bulbs to use are what is known as "Selective Yellow" bulbs. They produce very very very little light in the blue spectrum, but maintain 85+% of the useable light emited by the bulb.
Anyway, the best reading I've ever found on light colors, and other details surrounding automotive lighting, was this website: Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply
I seriously recommend going to that sight and reading everything. There is a TON of information there, and if you need help, the operator of the site will be more than happy if you email him.