clear taillights
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Lights, Neon, LEDs, HIDs
Forum Discription: Under Car Lighting, Strobe Lights, Fog Lights, Headlights, HIDs, DRL, Tail Lights, Brake Lights, Dashboard Lights, WigWag, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=22650
Printed Date: April 27, 2024 at 9:35 AM
Topic: clear taillights
Posted By: AudioBAHNvlcm
Subject: clear taillights
Date Posted: December 10, 2003 at 11:25 AM
i was wondering, why exactly clear taillights are illegal. ive gotten numerous fix-it-tickets for them, and i dont understand why i keep getting them. the new lexus rx 330 has clear taillights, but yet, they come from the factory like that, how is this legal. if anyone knows any info, it would be greatly appreciated
Replies:
Posted By: Velocity Motors
Date Posted: December 10, 2003 at 11:45 AM
In Canada there has to be a certain amount of reflection from the tail lights in case the lights are not functioning properly or you have bulbs burned out. With clear tail lights ( all white or 1/2 white ) there is less reflection back from a light source. Also, the lends has to be shatter resistant and if there is no DOT or SAE approval stamp on them, your going to have to find one that is approved with that stamp on it.
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Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA
Posted By: AudioBAHNvlcm
Date Posted: December 10, 2003 at 12:35 PM
okay, after my first ticket, the officer said that i didnt have any red reflection from the rear. so i got red reflectors and put them on the back of my truck, and i have red bulbs. still i got a ticket. on the new lexus. they have clear taillights but they have red flectors at the bottom, from the rear, my truck has every thing the lexus has. clear lense, but with red bulbs, and red reflection. why do i still get tickets?
Posted By: Velocity Motors
Date Posted: December 10, 2003 at 1:17 PM
Are those tail lights SAE or DOT approved ?
-------------
Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA
Posted By: Teken
Date Posted: December 10, 2003 at 4:03 PM
Audio,
Just so you know the * RED * reflective portion is required on the side of the tail light unit. It cannot simply have it on the face of the housing.
Regards
EVIL Teken . . .
Posted By: AudioBAHNvlcm
Date Posted: December 11, 2003 at 1:05 PM
i am not sure if the are SAE or DOT approved or not. teken, what do u mean by the red reflective is required on the side of the taillight unit? do u mean on the inside?
Posted By: Teken
Date Posted: December 11, 2003 at 6:25 PM
If you were to view the vehicle from the side. You would be able to see the red reflector.
This is one of the requirements, which must be met to be considered road worthy, and within the hi-way traffic act.
The * Clear* tail lights which you have are not SAE / DOT approved.
Regards
EVIL Teken . . .
Posted By: AudioBAHNvlcm
Date Posted: December 16, 2003 at 3:47 PM
If you view my truck from the side, you can see the red reflectors. also, my truck has all of the same elements as this completely stock lexus RX 330. 
Posted By: Teken
Date Posted: December 16, 2003 at 10:40 PM
Is this vehicle destined and sold in the USA / CAN market place?
I can only tell you what I see in the high way traffic act and what is required to meet the DOT standard indicated in my book.
Regards
EVIL Teken . . .
Posted By: AudioBAHNvlcm
Date Posted: December 16, 2003 at 11:07 PM
yes, this vehicle is sold in the US, and is completely stock. is there anywhere that i can see the highway traffic act? like a website or something.
Posted By: Teken
Date Posted: December 17, 2003 at 5:20 PM
I tell you what I did today for you, because I was so curious as well.
I have sent out a personal e-mail and a phone call to the Toyota division, and also to the dealership in our area for the answers.
I will let you know what they come up with. As it stands, based on the police officers I have personally spoken with, along with reading over the *General* federal guidelines that were given to me.
That vehicle has only one thing going for it.
1. It is DOT / SAE manufactured, and is OEM from the factory.
There are several levels of the DOT which must be met, and one of them must have been met.
I will let you know what they have to say.
Regards
EVIL Teken . . .
Posted By: AudioBAHNvlcm
Date Posted: December 17, 2003 at 6:21 PM
hey thanks a lot. let me know what they say.
Posted By: Teken
Date Posted: December 29, 2003 at 6:35 PM
Neither the dealership nor the maker will provide any proof as to why they comply to the DOT / SAE.
I have spoken to another 3 police officers tonight at the length, and all state that they will continue to hand out *Fix It Tickets* untill told otherwise, or where the light assemblies meet the high way traffic act.
I did not have much to say, after listening to them, to be honest.
Regards
EVIL Teken . . .
Posted By: AudioBAHNvlcm
Date Posted: December 30, 2003 at 1:19 AM
hey thanks a lot.
Posted By: geepherder
Date Posted: January 06, 2004 at 11:44 AM
The light assemblies must have an SAE or DOT logo on them to be legal. The manufacturers are supposed to test the equipment and ensure they meet or exceed the standards set by the FMVSS 108. The federal government may at random test these assemblies to ensure they comply. This is why so many APC tails have been recalled in the past- they didn't meet up to federal standards, mostly because of the lack of reflectors. You already have the rear/side facing red reflectors which are required. The kicker here is there are no red filament bulbs that comply with federal regulations, I believe since red is not defined within these documents (no frequency wavelength). The red color is usually formed from the lense. Lexus/Toyota has found a loop hold in this by using LEDs, which are not a filament bulb. More info on this can be found at https://fmvss108.tripod.com. I hope this helps. Another place with great info on this automotive lighting stuff is https://faq.auto.light.tripod.com/. You'll find a link to a forum in there: https://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/216460. Another good one is: https://forums.lighting.philips.com/viewforum.php?f=5.
Posted By: AudioBAHNvlcm
Date Posted: January 06, 2004 at 12:06 PM
the thing is, I use red LED bulbs behind the clear lense. its not just a red bulb, it is LEDs. p.s. thanks for the links, they helped out
Posted By: geepherder
Date Posted: January 06, 2004 at 9:27 PM
If you're referring to the LED bulbs you can pick up at AutoZone, those are much worse than the red colored filament bulbs, and they're not approved for public use either. Just look on the package- you won't see any SAE/DOT markings, probably some disclaimer like "for off road use only". LEDs are meant to be used in clusters with their own voltage/current regulating circuit- not just wired in series with a resistor like those "bulbs" have. You're actually better off, if you use one or the other, to use the red coated bulbs rather than the LED bulbs. Just my two cents.
Posted By: AudioBAHNvlcm
Date Posted: January 07, 2004 at 2:57 PM
why do u say that they are worse than regular bulbs. i have a friend who has the regular red bulbs, and they faded to a light amber almost yellow color in a week. mine have stayed bright red for about a year. how are they worse than regular bulbs.
Posted By: geepherder
Date Posted: January 07, 2004 at 7:06 PM
They have no where near the brightness level, and the dispersion angle is pathetic. Like at the traffic lights with LEDs- you can't always tell what color the light is depending on what angle you are in relation to them.
Posted By: silversi17
Date Posted: January 08, 2004 at 1:44 AM
I had clear lenses on my '96 prelude, and got pulled over a few times, and each time, I stepped out of the car, walked the trooper over the tailights, and had him shine his light right on the DOT/SAE logo, then every time, except once, the trooper told me to have a nice night, then walked back to his car. The one time, I got a corrections notice, the next morning I pulled the tailight out, brought it in to the town hall, showed the people there the logo, then they dropped the ticket. I have the same problem now with the altezza's on my '99 Prelude. What's funny to me is that I never get tickets for my super white blinkers (knock on wood) yet they still pull me over for the tailights. Becareful with trying to prove cops wrong though, that pisses them off, I've walked away with a few exhaust violation tickets, and some window graphic tickets that way. Just remembe this: If it's got the logo, you've got no problem. -------------
Posted By: geepherder
Date Posted: January 08, 2004 at 9:20 AM
If your clear turn signals are on the front, then this typically isn't an issue, as long as you have amber side reflectors nearby. The front turn signals can produce either white or amber light. The rears must produce either red or amber.
Posted By: AudioBAHNvlcm
Date Posted: January 08, 2004 at 12:14 PM
on the bottom of my taillight lense it says, TMC 2402 (then there is some symbol) SAE - STIAR 79. so if i get pulled over, all i have to do i show the cop that and it might work? TMC 2402 ^ SAE - STIAR 79
Posted By: geepherder
Date Posted: January 09, 2004 at 4:27 PM
It can't hurt.
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