Anybody been stopped or ticketed for running HID conversions?

[RABID_MP5]

I'm about ready to buy probably sets of plug & play sets for two cars. I keep reading that plug-in kits, and even proper retro jobs are technically illegal. I'm just needing to know how cops really act.

So far my Googling shows that even for a plug & play, if you aim them down and choose a basically white color they won't hassle you(?)

I live in Illinois.

 

[MazdaSpeeder]

No issues for me...probably if you lived in CA or NY, but in the free parts of the USA you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[Hank3]

Aftermarket HIDs are rampant down here in Tallahassee, FL. I've never had issues with law enforcement and I've been running them since '03.

 

[royce416]

Ive got just the kit in my car... 8000k, so its a bit blue.

Never been stopped or questioned, what ever.

And, ive got them aimed as high beam lights (because I do alot of country-ish driving due to the girlfriend) and my high beams as "**** you" lights. With yellow fogs too, aimed a bit upwards.

 

[repthemazdas]

iv been stoped for my pink and yellow ones 3 times! but never stoped for the bluest ones you can find lol

 

[Shi-Fu JaY]

Never been stoped, using factory 4300k temperature bulbs
cops wont do anything, unless you are doing something to provoke them, or have a ridiculous color bulb like pink, green, purple.....

 

[forced_pgt]

cops wont do anything, unless you are doing something to provoke them, or have a ridiculous color bulb like pink, green, purple.....

This ^

Running my 35w 6500k for 3 years now, with about 50% of my driving at night. Never had an issue. Though it is with retrofitted projectors with a proper cutoff line and aimed properly. That makes all the difference to keep from blinding other drivers. Incorrectly setup HID kits in reflector housings is something that royally pisses me off.

 

[digitalslacker]

4300k 55w lights here.

I've never gotten stopped or given a second look.

 

[will6946]

Running 5000k up top and 3000k on fogs never got hasseled

 

[Boricua4593]

U have 13k on my mazda3 I thought they would be a problem with the cops but I've never been pulled over before my brother was running 15k on his rx8 nd never got pulled over so it shouldn't be a problem with the cops

 

[carmona7]

every state is different Cali is extremely strict with that stuff and the window tint but most places just dont want them to be blinding bright

 

[ccrunner2011]

every state is different Cali is extremely strict with that stuff and the window tint but most places just dont want them to be blinding bright

I see people with the HID's in NC all the time, but they won't pass inspection usually unless they came stock equipped. So just keep hold of the stock bulbs to place in there for inspection if they won't pass it.

 

[Fresco]

10000k hyper whites in fogs and headlights and no probs

 

[phunky.buddha]

This ^

Running my 35w 6500k for 3 years now, with about 50% of my driving at night. Never had an issue. Though it is with retrofitted projectors with a proper cutoff line and aimed properly. That makes all the difference to keep from blinding other drivers. Incorrectly setup HID kits in reflector housings is something that royally pisses me off.

Hear hear. Installing HIDs on a car that didn't have them from the factory is ILLEGAL, and it's DANGEROUS to other drivers. If you're going to put them in, please please PLEASE do it the RIGHT way. Retrofit real HID projectors into your headlight housings, then aim them properly so the cutoff line is below horizontal and not blinding other drivers.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

Just point them down to compensate. If the cops aren't pulling you over and people aren't constantly flashing you then it's good. Of course, your brights will point as close as fogs should when the lows are correct to not get tickets and road rage for blinding people. Doesn't matter, HID lows are all you need. If you can't see everything necessary with those then you are endangering others on the road for other reasons regardless of lighting type. My fogs & hi's are just for police action effect when toggling the bright stalk or just for decoration.

 

[JDM_Pro5]

I've never been stopped in NC with my 8ks in my P5. I was at Myrtle Beach during Senior beach week driving my Mazda3 with stock lights, thank god, a truck next to me was getting a ticket for his blue lights. The cops have issues with the really blue lights, red lights, and sometimes strange colors like green or purple. It's illegal to have blue or red lights since it imitates police officers, but since so many cars come euipt with light blue xenons, they don't seem to mind.

 

[EGTT91]

I get flashed all the time oops lol I cant aim my headlights because they are EDM Glass with the electronic levelers, which I dont have the switch/wiring for. Out on the highway I light the reflective parts of the signs about 1/8 mile down the road, and I havent been stopped yet.

My girl on the other hand has Pink HID's and she got stopped ONCE in Massachusetts and given a warning. Otherwise we've taken her car all over CT, NY, NJ, RI and never been stopped in almost 3 years other than Mass.

Yes I said PINK

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

Mine's is 5000k so just barely not completely white so no color issues here.

 

[JDM_Pro5]

I get flashed all the time oops lol

Yeah I get flashed at a lot too. I live out on back roads where we have no street lights so it's a big difference seeing my lights come around the corner. I'm considering installing projectors to lower the level of the light, but I'm happy where they are

 

[meGrimlock]

cops wont do anything, unless you are doing something to provoke them, or have a ridiculous color bulb like pink, green, purple.....

thats not entirely the case, depends on the jurisdiction of the officer. police can pull over any car at any time (ever driven past a sobriety check point?). in most cases provocation is needed for search and seizure or use of force but anything from a loud muffler, to a stuck turn signal can result in flashing lights and sirens. its up to the cop and how much time s/he has on their hands.

there is also no such thing as retrofitting HIDs the "right" way as all retrofits are illegal and unsafe. the use of projectors and hard cut offs only serve as a cosmetic disguise while not actually providing any legal recourse.