Are hid's Legal?

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  • hendrixvodu
    R3VLimited
    • Jan 2007
    • 2514

    #31
    Originally posted by FLUTE007
    ya i hate to see better in the dark also:down:
    2x

    yea damn that visibility hahah! , new cars all have this technology clearly because HID's are junk
    -His-
    87 e30 325i
    87 e24 m6
    05 e83 x3
    94 e32 740i 5spd
    -Hers-
    89 e30 325i
    18 f48 x1

    Comment

    • AndrewBird
      The Mad Scientist
      • Oct 2003
      • 11892

      #32
      Basically ANY modification made to the car that is not DOT approved is technically illegal. This includes lights, wheels, suspension, brakes, EVERYTHING.

      Doesn't stop people from doing it though. And in many cases, aftermarket is better/safer then stock.

      Comment

      • Slyder
        Grease Monkey
        • Dec 2003
        • 348

        #33
        BMW BUM, it's very clear that you've never driven in a vehicle that has properly installed HIDs. HIDs are HANDS DOWN (IMO) better than any other lighting upgrade you can do. A couple of things to bear in mind is that HIDs are NOT intended for non-projector style lights. They do work very well in e30 projectors, TSXs, etc. As was stated earlier, standard headlight housings designed for halogen bulbs don't properly distribute the light from the HIDs, and that's where you get intense glare and difficulty in aiming.

        Now, I can't speak for other states...but I have read up on the current CA Vehicle Code and essentially you are not allowed to make any modifications to your vehicle's lighting system that was not originally available for that car. Euro-elips, HIDs, etc that many of us install on our cars are NOT legal in California...period. DOT has also passed regulation on the wattage a light bulb can output for highway use. Lowbeams are 55W, high beams are 65W. There are some companies like PIAA and Hella that have been able to pass the DOT tests with bulbs (Xenon gas filled) by meeting the wattage requirements, but because the gas has a different effect on the filament, they are able to gain an output of light. (I'm not an expert on this, but this is my understanding of why they have 55W bulbs with equivalent 110W output).

        Additionally, at least for CA, taking a DOT-approved housing and installing a newer (i.e. e46 HID system) into them is NOT legal due to the fact that they were not originalyl installed on the car.

        If anyone is really adamant about reading the stuff verbatim out of the Vehicle Code, I can dig up the code numbers and post them...but essentially that's the long and short of it.
        - Jason

        Comment

        • nando
          Moderator
          • Nov 2003
          • 34827

          #34
          yeah, it definitely varies state by state. But for DOT purposes at least, I don't think it's illegal to swap entirely different housings into your car.
          Build thread

          Bimmerlabs

          Comment

          • CleanAzzE30z
            R3V OG
            • Jan 2004
            • 11794

            #35
            Mike and Jason suck




            Mariano


            2001 Titaniumsilber 540i Sport 6-Speed
            1990 Diamantschwarz Alpha-N 2.5L ///M3
            1986 Alpinweiss 325e M50B25 (R.I.P.)

            -Talk to me when more sound comes from the induction than from the exhaust...

            -Argentina........lo mas grande que hay.

            Comment

            • DCColegrove
              Banned
              • Dec 2007
              • 2748

              #36
              In California they are borderline legal, but only 6000K, and only in US market Ellipsoid cases.

              (there are no other DOT approved lenses available that will accept a bulb).

              Comment

              • bmw325csi
                R3V Elite
                • May 2007
                • 4045

                #37
                ^ why 6000k though? I would think like 4300-4500k since it has less of a blueish tint to them.
                harry/harout

                Comment

                • Slyder
                  Grease Monkey
                  • Dec 2003
                  • 348

                  #38
                  Originally posted by DCColegrove
                  In California they are borderline legal, but only 6000K, and only in US market Ellipsoid cases.

                  (there are no other DOT approved lenses available that will accept a bulb).
                  Not to be a nit-picker...but there's no such thing as 'borderline legal'. It's either legal or it's not. I can't imagine giving a CHP the excuse "But Sir, they're almost legal..."

                  CA Vehicle code doesn't allow HIDs in cars that didn't have them, nor do they allow you to modify a DOT-approved headlight system. HIDs on e30s in CA are illegal, period.
                  - Jason

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