1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Blacked Out Tail Lights

Discussion in 'Prius c Accessories and Modifications' started by beama78, Nov 30, 2013.

  1. mediahound

    mediahound Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2013
    903
    155
    2
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Yep. And I've seen cars that come directly from the factory with even darker tail lights than what I would want to do on my Prius yet it is still technically not legal for me. Sorta lame.
     
  2. zhawk316

    zhawk316 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2014
    4
    0
    0
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Blacking out a taillight does not mean making it invisible or disabling the bulb. You can see the red light through it when lit. It's the same as window tint. You can see out through window tint just fine when there is light shining through from one side. Blacking a taillight has the same effect. The lens is black yet you can still see a lit red bulb through it without any problems
     
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,470
    38,103
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Kind of off-topic: has anyone noticed Prius, second gen in particular, running around with NO tail lights? I'm not sure but it looks like they've got headlight, just nothing 'round back. I've seen a few.
     
  4. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,035
    10,010
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I'm finding an increasing number tinted so heavily that the brake lights are not easily visible in bright daylight. They can be detected when I closely look directly at them, but don't stand out to peripheral or averted vision. I.e., they are no longer performing the proper function of brake lights.
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  5. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2014
    3,002
    480
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    As far as I'm concerned, anything you do to diminish the brightness of signal lights puts you closer to the threshold where someone doesn't see it, and could cause an accident.

    Years ago, signal lights weren't mandatory and hand signals were used. Imagine the problems with that. Some of the first signal lights used tiny bulbs and were about the size of a quarter. We've come a long way.
     
  6. css28

    css28 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2012
    1,566
    442
    3
    Location:
    Suburban Detroit
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    When an OEM uses a tinted lens they have to demonstrate that it produces legal color and brightness.

    When you tint a legal taillight it ends up darker.
     
    GregP507 likes this.
  7. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2013
    3,339
    1,149
    40
    Location:
    Cumming, Georgia
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    Which is why you should swap to LED bulbs to compensate. I'm not saying that all tinters do this, but the same can be true. The majority of people on this site assume that every tail light tinter leaves the bulbs stock.
     
  8. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2014
    3,002
    480
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I found that the LED bulbs were less bright.
     
  9. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2013
    3,339
    1,149
    40
    Location:
    Cumming, Georgia
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    Some can be, that's true. Depends on which one's you buy.
     
  10. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    More directional, independent of brightness, and must be color matched to lens.
     
  11. css28

    css28 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2012
    1,566
    442
    3
    Location:
    Suburban Detroit
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    The issue is that there are so many ways to get this wrong (and I see the results every day).
     
  12. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Agreed, some I would judge intentionally, since amateurs couldn't get it that wrong.
     
    ztanos likes this.
  13. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2014
    3,002
    480
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I'm not going along with more directional. Less-directional means it's more visible from different angles.
     
  14. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    That's correct, however, LED sources tend to be very directional unless an integral or supplementary lens is used to beam form/spread.
     
  15. Super Mario

    Super Mario Member

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2014
    142
    57
    0
    Location:
    Medford, NY
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    . What brand are these lights? Are they the Aqua lights over in Japan?
     
  16. ufourya

    ufourya We the People

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2008
    1,258
    336
    42
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    TAIL CLOSE.jpg o TAIL.jpg


    OK, These OEM tail lights are NOT blacked out, but tinted with VHT Night-Shades spray paint and then polished with meguiars 105. The sides are painted with body matched paint. You can easily see the light bulbs in the 'windows' that I masked off. If you can see the unlighted bulb, you should have no difficulty seeing it when it is lit. RIGHT? From a distance the rear of the car looks integrated without the garish chrome monstrosities Toyota provides as standard.

    I'm not bothered by the center stop array, so it remains un-tinted. I don't feel this set up endangers me or anyone else.

    Regulations - there are tens of thousands. In fact, you are probably in violation of at least one right now. Most are intended to control you and extract revenue from you. The excuses are always 'for your own good and the good of others.' Unless, of course, they are pure political BS and then - your safety be damned. Let's open up our borders even more and invite people from Liberia and Sierra Leone with open arms. Ebola? We ain't scared of no Ebola.
     
    #36 ufourya, Oct 15, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2014
    koipond and ztanos like this.
  17. koipond

    koipond Member

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2012
    198
    39
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    Just got my Valenti SBs installed and I would love to send my factory tails to someome who could safely experiment with their tinting project without risking their factory OEM lights. Please email or messgae me... looking to pass them on cheap...
     
  18. HarSherm

    HarSherm Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2014
    31
    21
    0
    Location:
    Burlington, Vermont
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    I might be interested- how much? I live in Vermont.

    Just noticed your post is from a year ago.
     
    #38 HarSherm, Sep 11, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2015