Write-Up: HID Conversion

Man I have to say, VJD2, those lights looked so good last night. I had everyone on the freeway looking. They look like they came stock! All i need now is to get my rims painted black and just sit back and watch my Pu$$y Rating skyrocket....

Recently I had an opportunity to speak with a local law enforcement officer and I took the chance to ask him about this conversion. According to him it is illegal in the state of New Jersey to install any type of lighting that was not supplied by the manufacturer. This includes projector retrofits as well as hid conversions, including those that use oem white hid bulbs. And it is considered a primary offense and not just an 'add-on ticket'. Just a bit of info for anyone considering this upgrade. That being said, I can't wait to get mine installed!

right. its the type of offence that is subject to the officers state of mind. if hes in a bad mood and you flash by ,hitting him in the eyes,you will get a ticket. i love subjective scenarios. you never know what youre gonna get?

Very true. The officer admitted that it is a judgement call. He said he write tickets for blue hid lights but if they're oem white he will 'use discretion and only write the ticket if the guy is being a d*ck about it'.

The other thing to consider - with a properly fitted projector system and HIDs, how is an officer going to know it's not OEM? Half the time they mistake our Rivieras for a Rolls Royce.

With proper projector system, they would have no reason to suspect anything, so no cause to pull you over or issue citation. You would need to volunteer the info in order to cause a problem, and I think most cops would ignore you in that case.

Same thing with having a "modified exhaust" Which in FL has nothing to do with noise level but modifying beyond OEM.
knock on wood i've driven behind many of cops and never been pulled over for either.

So if any non oem lights are illegal can we give the troopers tickets for those bright ass led bar lights and spotlights? After all that's not factory installed.

I agree! Those flashing lights are a LOT more blinding than any glare associated with hids. I'm not gonna be the brave one and try tho... Lol

Derek wrote:

Recently I had an opportunity to speak with a local law enforcement officer and I took the chance to ask him about this conversion. According to him it is illegal in the state of New Jersey to install any type of lighting that was not supplied by the manufacturer. This includes projector retrofits as well as hid conversions, including those that use oem white hid bulbs. And it is considered a primary offense and not just an 'add-on ticket'....

Good info... I also understand that a proper HID projector job may be acceptable as far as oncoming drivers, as well as getting caught... But, it also sounds like another vote for my HIR bulbs!

I suppose that a pair of glaring, aftermarket driving-lights, like the ones that Bimmer owners leave on all the time, might be another choice... After all, you can turn them OFF for the nice officer.

Quote :

But, it also sounds like another vote for my HIR bulbs!

According to Derek's comment, even HIR bulbs would be illegal.

AA wrote:

Quote :

But, it also sounds like another vote for my HIR bulbs!

According to Derek's comment, even HIR bulbs would be illegal.

Yes, but you're probably not gonna' get caught in the first place if you stick with a reflector-type bulb in a reflector-type housing. And if it comes down to proving it to them, there's no HID-related crap under the hood, just a normal looking bulb with 55W stamped into the side...

HIR= ????

Rickw wrote:

HIR= ????

The Halogen Infrared Reflecting bulbs that I put in my car... Link

Quote :

Yes, but you're probably not gonna' get caught in the first place if you stick with a reflector-type bulb in a reflector-type housing.

True, but as I said before, doesn't the same apply to a correctly converted projector HID set-up? What cop is gonna say, "Hey, that Riviera didn't originally come equipped with projector style headlamps - I'm gonna slap him with a fine."

Projector lamps are so common nowadays, a Riv would just blend in with everything else on the road. It would take an expert to know the difference, and anyway who would care enough to pursue it?

I guess it comes down to how much time, money and effort someone is willing to put into a proper conversion...

Did you watch the projector headlamp conversion videos on page 9?

AA wrote:

Did you watch the projector headlamp conversion videos on page 9?

Yep... and I wonder how many people who've installed the HID lamps go thru that much trouble.

Probably not a single one. I mean, why go through all that trouble... or I mean modify your headlamps for better performance?

Also, why go through the trouble of:

Cleaning your yellowed corner lenses?
Installing sequential tail lamps?
Creating new front and rear bumpers?
Installing a wood dash kit?
Installing a cam?
Upgrading the exhaust?

BECAUSE WE ENJOY IT!

AA wrote:

Probably not a single one. I mean, why go through all that trouble... or I mean modify your headlamps for better performance?

Also, why go through the trouble of:

Cleaning your yellowed corner lenses?
Installing sequential tail lamps?
Creating new front and rear bumpers?
Installing a wood dash kit?
Installing a cam?
Upgrading the exhaust?

BECAUSE WE ENJOY IT!

The one place I have an issue with this whole discussion: Because good lighting is a safety feature! As long as the direction of the light output remains factory, the source of the light should not matter.

I do not like the stock bulbs in the stock housings. I encourage improving the factory lighting. What I have a problem with is when people do it carelessly and as a result cause blinding glare to oncoming drivers.

Eldo wrote:

Yep... and I wonder how many people who've installed the HID lamps go thru that much trouble.

AA wrote:

...I encourage improving the factory lighting. What I have a problem with is when people do it carelessly and as a result cause blinding glare to oncoming drivers.

Exactly my point...

Eldo wrote:

Eldo wrote:

Yep... and I wonder how many people who've installed the HID lamps go thru that much trouble.

deekster_caddy wrote:

...I encourage improving the factory lighting. What I have a problem with is when people do it carelessly and as a result cause blinding glare to oncoming drivers.

Exactly my point...

(fixed!)

deekster_caddy wrote:

The one place I have an issue with this whole discussion: Because good lighting is a safety feature! As long as the direction of the light output remains factory, the source of the light should not matter.

There you have it deek, If the light source is placed in the correct position IE where the OEM lamp was how does the light pattern change weather its a HID, xenon or led?

In my book if i was not dazzeling people before i put the HID's in there is no reason it should do after fitment. Perhaps i am incompetently unaware of the mechanics that causes this effect, if so can some one please enlighten me.

N!

Nigel,
As long as you have set up a makeshift alignment board on level ground with vertical and horizontal lines and have kept the illuminated light in the proper areas on the board or wall or whatever you have used, you should be legal and not a distraction to any other drivers.
Which I think I remember reading you have done the headlight alignment test and any necessary adjustments to the headlights.

nigelf wrote:

deekster_caddy wrote:

The one place I have an issue with this whole discussion: Because good lighting is a safety feature! As long as the direction of the light output remains factory, the source of the light should not matter.

There you have it deek, If the light source is placed in the correct position IE where the OEM lamp was how does the light pattern change weather its a HID, xenon or led?

In my book if i was not dazzeling people before i put the HID's in there is no reason it should do after fitment. Perhaps i am incompetently unaware of the mechanics that causes this effect, if so can some one please enlighten me.

N!

That's just the thing - the OE style bulb actually has the direct front of the bulb BLOCKING the light, and the only light that gets out is what's reflected off the back of the housing. This aims the light and prevents glare. A lot of the aftermarket kits we are talking about do not block the front of the light output, and/or move the light forward or backward in the housing causing horrible glare. The position of the bulb in the housing has everything to do with making the light output match what the housing was designed to throw.

The "projector" style with the light output cut off at a certain level DOES address the light pattern problem, because it puts out the same light patterns irrelevant of the housing. It's not reflecting the light forward, it's throwing the light directly forward, and using a light output pattern that avoids glare to oncoming traffic. It's hard to describe in words, easier to describe with pictures.