I have HID low beams (aimed correctly) in my 2000 corvette. I installed them Dec 2011 (2 years ago). Today I got a ticket by a City of Phoenix police officer for violating ARS 28-949C. So apparently putting these bulbs in the standard fixture is illegal.

Other than the public service message , I have 2 questions:

1. Does anyone know the procedure for a "fix it" ticket?

2. He mentioned that the legal way to do HID is using a projector fixture. Are there any economical versions for our cars? I really love being able to see at night , but I don't want to drop $1000 on headlights.


Thanks!

 

Sorry to hear about your troubles, however I wish our local cops would crack down on the guys in lifted pickups who are running the same setup (HID in stock halogen/reflective housings). They have high temp HID bulbs and blind oncoming traffic with their blue-ish blast of light.

Not sure about the "fix it" ticket solution, however I bet if you approach the judge with a humble attitude and with the story that you were just trying to improve your night vision and then show him that you corrected the situation, you may only have to pay court costs.

As to a long term solution, you can probably outfit your C5 with an ACA set up for around $500. You can get the housings on E-bay relatively cheap, however the electronics (ballasts, harness, wiring) is what really counts. I purchased my set up through forum vendor JW Motoring and love my lights. I've had them for three years with no problems!

Add HID fogs (which are already housed in projectors) and LED corners and you will have no problems seeing (and being seen) at night!





Good luck with your day in court.

 

Please don't take this wrong.....We Need more cops like him!!! Doesn't matter how you aim them you still blind oncoming traffic. Spend the 225 bucks and get the projector lights and not only people will be able to see as they pass you so will you. It's a huge difference. Why would you put hids in a non projector housing anyways?

1: Take a pic of the hids and then with regular bulbs. Take your car in with the stock lights installed t court and bring your hids in court..

2: You get get ACA off ebay for 225 shipped also some vendors have them for more here but with halo rings..The ones for 1k are theradioflyers and they are awesome but you get some ACA and you will be set.

 

That's really a bummer. Let me tell you my experience with "fix it" tickets when I lived in CA.

Years ago I was on my way home from the Sonoma Dragway after watching a great drag exposition. I was stopped for having "illegally" tinted windows in my '88 Cougar.

I went back to the shop that tinted the windows and had them "untinted."

Went to the clerk of courts in San Jose, who was "supposed to" check my car to ensure the violation was corrected. Without leaving his desk, he just signs my viloation and sends me on my way!!

Went BACK to the shop - had the untinted windows "retinted" and never had a problem again.

No advice - just take this story at face value.
.

 

honestly I really hate the look oh HID's with out projectors, I would say bit the bullet, ACA's def on my list of to do mods.

 

[QUOTE=Chicago1;1585360937]Please don't take this wrong.....We Need more cops like him!!! Doesn't matter how you aim them you still blind oncoming traffic. Spend the 225 bucks and get the projector lights and not only people will be able to see as they pass you so will you. It's a huge difference. Why would you put hids in a non projector housing anyways?

QUOTE]

Yea; we need more cops treating people like a revenue source.
I have no issues with people running HIDs in non projector lights as long as they are aimed correctly. As mentioned above, the jacked up trucks that blind me (projector or not) and the super blue colored lights, however, are another issue. I meet vehicles with improperly aimed headlights every morning, but don't see them getting stopped
If he wasn't just after $$$ he could have easily just warned you and gave you a fix it ticket.
As above, no advice, just my thoughts.

 

If you search ebay you can find the housings for about a hundred bucks. You already have all the ballasts and wiring right?

 

I still don't understand why we need to change the lights. Is it because they look cool? You don't see them. Is it because they are brighter? Well that's what your Brights are for (when no traffic)!....Just me.

 

They are brighter, more focused to where you should be seeing , light further on low than standards do on high.

HID should not be in halogen housings. No matter how you aim them, they scatter the light.
You can pick up complete kits, housingand bulbs, stronger than ebay deals, and aimed correctly from Radioflyer way less than 1,000 bucks

 

Yeah, not sure how you "aim correctly" HIDs in a halogen reflector housing. Obviously they weren't considering the cop noticed them and pulled you over. Do it right and buy HID projectors, or stick with a halogen bulb.

As for your question, why not call the courthouse to see what proof they require you to show that the issue has been fixed?

 

the degree of proof varies..just ask I am sure they will let you know what container the pound of flesh should be delivered in!!

Good luck

 

Question. Did you tell him they were aftermarket bulbs? What was the reson for the initial stop.

If you did not tell him they were aftermarket and he just said "Hey your lights are too bright so here is a ticket" then you got him beaten in court. He would have to show certification in automotive repair or lighting and would have to show a reading from a meter. He can not hand out a ticket based on his visual assessment.

 

Proper projector housings for HID's.... It's the right thing to do.

 

You apparently have no idea :-) the stock low beams are like everready flashlights . The amount of light the HIDs produce is awesome. I made sure I went with white light (not the blue tint). It is like daylight.

It is very obvious that they are not stock from the amount of light they produce. I made sure that when I installed the new hid bulbs that I aimed them so that the line of light did not go above where the stock ones went.
I cant fault the officer, it is the law, I had no idea. The law says in 3 sections that it is not only illegal to use them (in the wrong fixtures) it is illegal to sell them (in AZ).

Thanks for all the input, I was planning on calling the court tomorrow and seeing what I need to do for proof. I just figured I would ask on here in case someone already had to do it.

I found some fixures with the hids installed for around $300 from corvette mods dot com .

 

Put the stock ones in and take a picture,,,,bring the HIDs with for good measure,,,,,,the ticket will be dismissed.

 

Looked this up.

28-949. Selling or using lamps

A. A person shall not have for sale, sell or offer for sale for use on or as a part of the equipment of a motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer or shall not use on any such vehicle a reflector that is required by this article, head lamp, auxiliary driving lamp, rear lamp, signal lamp or parts of any of the foregoing that tend to change the original design or performance unless the lamps or reflectors are of a type that meets applicable federal safety standards.

B. A person shall not have for sale, sell or offer for sale for use on or as a part of the equipment of a motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer a lamp or device that is described in this section unless the lamp or device bears the trademark or name under which it is approved so as to be legible when installed.

C. A person shall not use on any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer a lamp that is described in this section unless the lamp is mounted and adjusted to focus and aim pursuant to applicable federal safety standards.

A&B don't relate. C is the one and as long as you are mounted and adjusted to focus and aim pursuant to applicable fed safety standards, you don't seem to be in violation (or so it seems to me). If you had your brights on or they're not adjusted correctly, that might be the problem.

 

Before:


After:


I have a lot more light at night now and it looks much better. You cannot properly aim HID lights in the stock housing. You need projectors.

 

I'd slap the stock bulbs in, go down to the court house, play dumb, I don't understand why he thinks my lights are too bright. What is a HID light? Are my lights those kind? I heard mine were halogen, is that what H stands for?

 

That's a bad idea,,,,,just my .02

 

lmao