laneshift

I've recently called the sheriff's office, checked the florida statutes, and even stopped a cop to ask about HID's. Basically, they absolutely have to be white. The cop I talked to said that they do accept hyper-white (I guess 6000's). Nothing mentioned about the factory sticker on them, etc.

Am I missing anything before I hit the buy button?

LILBENZ230

Your diligence is admirable, but most people don't do that. There is no inspection here in GA, maybe it's different in your state. Since my car is a Benz, most people assume my HIDs are factory and you'll probably get the same. I have 55w 6000k - highly recommended.

amdeutsch

Of course HIDs are legal. They are DOT certified as an OEM. Now putting in an aftermarket HID into a housing not designed for it is another story.

bdgdl08

Florida doesn't inspect anymore. Unless your lights are blinding people, you won't be stopped for it. I've seen many, blatantly illegal mods on cars. Not many cops will care.

LILBENZ230

I didn't think so. My lights look like OEM reflector style and everyone assumes it came that way because it's a Mercedes. I imagine with the older, frosty diffuser headlights that it will look OEM like the 99-01 Acura TL HIDs.

Laneshift.. just do it.

Norwichdelta06

AFTERMARKET HIDS are ILLEGAL end of story...even a projector retrofit is. All those HID kits are not DOT approved. And speaking of blinding ppl I can't wait do my headlamp upgrade with illegal hid retrofit projectors and then put freakin 55w hid highbeams so when a person is blinding me with there highbeams at a red light i'll make sure they have a nice tan when that light turns green

maverik259

lol....ya you'll be fine with HID's...just drive down the road some day and see all the ricers with their blue bulbs in and you'll know the cops just don't care or have the budget to stop every illegal car mod! Unless you go to the beach where they don't make any revenue except off those types of stops! my first pull over was on St. Pete Beach for having blue lights as part of my aftermarket fog light assembly. Needless to say I had 3 police cars parked behind me for this stop, in which the main ahole decided to grill me about if i was a cop, if my dad was a cop, and if not why would i have lights like that! haha i was like cmon man, its my dad's truck and he bought them for me (the fogs were super bright btw), blah blah blah...he still wrote me a $30 ticket in the end of all my remorse and good behavior, etc etc

LawRens

Most cops wont even bat an eye at most aftermarket HID kits, but be cautious if you're going to go anything over 10,000k, or below 2500k. Those HIDs stick out worse than a sore thumb, and there's a far higher chance you'll get in trouble with those than with 3000k-8000k.

LILBENZ230

I can't understand what the appeal is with lights that are 10000k. HIDs are cool because they provide 3x the output of halogens and are crisp white. That blue ***** is rice.

moosejaw

+1..........They were illegal at one time and not DOT approved. However
I do not now if DOT has relaxed the laws as there is so many HID kits out there.

I do know Catz had stopped making HID fogs. The reason being was DOT was noticed how popular they were and made them illegal. And they were $$$$ too. Ten years ago a set of Catz Fogs were a couple hundred bucks.

Norwichdelta06

they didn't relax the law i think cops just stopped enforcing it. Because so many ppl have it and issueing tickets is a waste of time....i think 30 dollars? or something if you fix it whtin 48 hours?

LILBENZ230

HIDs don't look suspicious on Benz cars like they do on 89 Civic DXs. Maybe that's why no one here really has any trouble?

Again, keep it in the reasonable color range (4300-6000k).

vdubpower

are HIDS differnt than xenons, for instance my car has stock xenons,

Bollywood

one in the same.

XsuperbeeX

HIDs and xenon is the same.. the headlight is called bi-xenon... that is the different...

benzito911

1. my head ligts are hid illegal
2. my foglights hids are illegal
3. my blinkers are illegal
4. my tint is illegal
5. my no front plate is illegal
6. my smoked tail ligts are illegal
7. the way i drive some times is illegal lol

lol i havent gotten a ticket is 3 years now FTW! i wouldnt worry so much.

yes hit the button!

LG_207

hahah

just do it man!!! im moving to central florida next year but im there every other month or so and i def wouldnt worry about it.. there are no inspections and unless youre doing 30 over youre not getting stopped either (in my experience).. its crrazy down there. also, what i did to not blind ppl was get a 35w kit which ive had no trouble with(up in maine where i live cops are real *******s, still has a very nice look and 3x vision. i know i probly woulda had problems with a 55w kit. try that....

Norwichdelta06

really in CALI? I thought they were extremely strick with things like that just like Florida...?? But u nkow what ur in a mercedes so they must think everything is OEM

benzito911

could be, im back down to 6k. still cops dont give me problems when i had 8k... lucky so far i guess.

yes in cali.. near LA and OC.

laneshift

I went ahead and did one more thing and talked to the dealer. It happens that if I were to install some HID's, I'll void my warranty on ALL THINGS ELECTRICAL!!!

Complete bs imo. What the hell happened to fuses and failsafes? Hate dealerships.

LILBENZ230

WTF talking to everyone? Do you have a complex?

Just install them. In the unlikely event something goes wrong, pull the kit and reinstall the halogens and play stupid.

If it really is this big of a deal to you that you must consult the police, the dealer, the surgeon general, etc.. you might as well stick with halogens.

Sorry, but it really isn't a big deal like you've made it into.

Edit: And, for the record, the dealership cannot blanket deny warranty claims unless they can prove the modification had a direct role in the failure of the component in question.

samaritrey

lol that sounds like what a dealer would say. that is why most wont do the xenon to present thing because they think that the world might end if they do.

maverik259

Eff the dealers man...they think cuz they're MB they can eff over anyone and everyone they please because they're more posh than anyone else...I feel as if someone should remind them that their sales are dwindling and their future if their not careful is headed south!

moosejaw

Yes technically speaking they are legally obligated to provide the burden of proof however they will laugh in your face and you will have to get a lawyer involved b4 they even look at your car.

LILBENZ230

For the record - I will never use a dealership who even implies something of this sort. My C230 had a HID kit installed while still under factory warranty, and had electrical gremlins fixed under warranty during said period. Dealer said nary a word.