Illegal or Legal

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bassslayer25

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So, I recently installed 8000k HID kit and they look good. I havent really drove at night with them yet so im just wondering if they are even legal. I dont want a cop to pull me over just because my headlights are blue. They arent blinding people cause I have them pointed at the road so they only way they could get me is with the color. Im just curious on the legality of them.
 

spankis

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8000k is usually blue enough (kind of silly blue) that a cop could pull you over for impersonating a police vehicle if he were in a bad mood. The blue neon license plate frames used to get people ticketed for this back in high school when they were popular.
 

dodge dude94

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You'll probably get a fix it ticket sooner or later.

You can't see **** with 8000k anyway....human eye doesn't work that way.
 

Birddog

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Ok here's the low down and I'm sure even this info varies from state to state.

Part 1: HID bulbs placed in an OEM housing throw light in all directions because they are not designed with a cut off so oncoming traffic will be blinded. Where I'm from it's illegal and points against your license but not necessarily where you're from. It's the same thing as driving toward (oncoming or following) another vehicle with high beam headlights. If that illegal in your state than yes it's illegal.

Remedy: buy HID lenses from RetroFit that are designed with a cut off and you're back to DOT standards.

Part 2 Color of the light. States require white light as headlamps. As Spankis said above, blue lights are impersonating police but not so with headlights. If you had flashing blue lights in your headlamp housing maybe the officer could get away with impersonation but even that requires more than just flashing lights by case law. The real issue at hand is that the state requires 2 WHITE lights in a certain configuration between a minimum and maximum height above the ground (DOT standard). While HID lamps emit a halo of colors, what the officer will be concerned with is the high intensity portion of the light. Take a piece of white paper, place it in front of your truck's headlight at night. If the paper is white from the light you are legal, if not you are illegal.

Remedy: Change your HID to a bulb with a different temperature. Generally white lights range from the 4000 Kel (yellowish) to the 8000 kel Blueish) but that depends on who manufactured the bulb and what gas they trapped inside your particular bulb. Pure white is usually around 6000 Kel.

I know this was a bit verbose but I'm sure you wanted to hear the truth and maybe understand why.
 
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bassslayer25

bassslayer25

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Well I made this thread right before I went out driving tonight and I thought they were a lot "bluer" than they actually are. They are like a really bright white with a hint of blue. I got flashed once so idk lol

And Birddog I have the spec d tuning housings so the light does not scatter. I might have to adjust though because it seems like my lights are more directed towards the left but its not terrible.

I know this picture is kinda of blurry but the color is pretty much the same in person as it looks in the picture.
 

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Birddog

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Consider that your truck is up higher than the normal car and it may very well have just been a person that would have flashed you the same if you had regular bulbs. Some people are just sensitive to light. Dive the for a few nights and see what the reaction of most is before you decide. You can always adjust the cut off height.
 
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bassslayer25

bassslayer25

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Yeah thats what I was thinking. Im actually just considering getting black headlight housing and using my old sylvania bulbs. Ive completely jimmy rigged my headlights to hell and I really only have my low beams cause some how my high beams are no where near bright enough.

If you guys have any suggestions on housing or light bulbs let me know. I just want one hole to plug my headlight in and another for my blinker. I dont need halo rings or LED's I just want to be done with it.

The reason I got new headlights in the first place is because my stock ones were all fogged up and yellowed. Thats pretty much what I want but not stock just the same concept if that makes sense.
 
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bassslayer25

bassslayer25

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I think im just gonna get a replacement pair of OEM headlights. They are crystal clear and should have really clear light output. Im done with the whole halo/ LED headlight look lol I just want to be legal and see clearly at night.
 

Birddog

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BlackMagnum2000

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That doesn't even look as blue as my 6000ks. It's a shame you aren't impressed. Not sure what's up with yours. Wish I could have helped more.
As far as suggestions on housings, If I had it to do over again, I'd go to JJ from the Retroshop. Might be a little pricy but you can't beat his work
 
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bassslayer25

bassslayer25

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Hey man its not your fault. You did help me a lot its just that I still dont have any brights lol And my low beams, the one in the picture, kind of go in different directions. My left headlight seems like it goes off into on coming traffic too much and my right headlight is pointed too much down. I lie the look of them but I dont like not having brights if I need them. And I dont want to get a ticket because the cops around where I live will write my ass a ticket without hesitation if they feel like being a ********.

These are they ones im looking at:http://www.amazon.com/Passenger-Hea...6748AD/dp/B008G3KCHE/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Just regular oem style fromt the factory. All the reviews say they are really good replacements and put out really good light. They already come with two bulbs and both housings and for 75 bucks I think thats a steal.
 

BlackMagnum2000

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Have you tried adjusting the low beams?

And if you're going to go with OEM, get the sport housings. Much better light output, according to well... Half of this forum apparently
 

Stangshcky12

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I would try to sort out what the hell you did to your light harness before you keep throwing money at them
 
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bassslayer25

bassslayer25

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Well I already just ordered the OEM DOT approved headlights lol They arent the sport housings either. I just want to see clearly in the dark. I go to the lake too much to wait and see if I can figure things out and im tired of messing with stuff. With these, I know that its gonna work good and not be a headache to install or mess with. My old factory headlights were so yellowed that these will be a great improvement. I think they will even be better than my HID's.

Ive come to find out that I am much better with non-electrical upgrades on my truck lol After I get these new headlights in im going to be done for awhile lol
 

meistermash

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Yellowed Headlights?
Apply a bit of off with deet in it and rub with a cloth until dry.
No moor yellow.
I think it strips off the oxidized layer.
Jury is still out because it cracked one of my fog lights when I used too much and didn't wipe it all off.
 
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bassslayer25

bassslayer25

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Ill keep that in mind. But I broke the yellowed ones trying to get them out to get my halos in. lol Im taking my halos out to put in new OEM stock headlights that are all clear.
 
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bassslayer25

bassslayer25

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Its not. When I was intalling my HID's I tried my sylvanias and they work fine. Both low beams and high beams. Ive done a bunch of custom wiring just to get the HID's to work. I love to have my truck look custom but I would trade coolness for safeness everyday. Like I said, I go to the lake of the ozarks in missouri around 3-4 times in the summer. Usually there is some night driving in there and I need to be able to see on those curvy hilly roads. Not to mention that everyone is going 50 and half of those people are pulling a boat or trailer of some sort including me.

I just figured it would be the safest bet for me. And also I dont want to give a cop a reason to pull me over lol
 
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