Black-Out Tail and Head Lamps (Pictures!)

If safety and liability issues don't get your attention, here is another angle that you may not have thought about...

Have you guys heard of "probable cause"? Cops must have probable cause that there is a violation in order to pull over a vehicle.

Cops love it when young people do questionable modifications to their vehicles. This is a free pass for the cops to pull you over. Then, they can smell your breath for booze, etc., or ask if it is ok to look around inside your car. Get the picture?

If you go ahead and make your car a "cop magnet", you may not like the results!

Best regards,
NoSpam

 

I believe that nothing I do should put another individual at risk. This sounds like something that would definitely put others at risk for vanity.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Aug 12 2006, 01:25 PM) [snapback]302238[/snapback]</div>

That's nice . . . but you may wish to inform yourself of ALL pertinent Wisconsin motor vehicle laws before considering doing anything to the taillights . . .

347.10 Headlamp specifications for motor vehicles other than mopeds and motor bicycles.
. . . No such lamp shall have any type of decorative covering that
restricts the amount of light emitted when the lamp is in use.

347.13 Tail lamps and registration plate lamps.
. . . No tail lamp shall have any type of decorative covering that
restricts the amount of light emitted when the tail lamp is in use.
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/statutes/Stat0347.pdf

On behalf of Wisconsin drivers, I thank you for your lack of indifference when it comes to motor vehicle safety. And, due to your continued lack of indifference, should I ever find myself narrowly avoiding plowing into the back of your (as is) beautiful black Prius, I will warmly thank you in person for helping save me and my family from avoidable grief and suffering.

 

i never said i was going to touch the headlights. that's just stupidity.

however, i notice that there is a 500-feet rule for the taillamps. i don't know if this tint will cut the 500-ft rule, so you may be right and this idea may be out the window. will have to check that out.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Aug 13 2006, 08:27 AM) [snapback]302530[/snapback]</div>

Damn girl, aren't you being a little hard on the original poster?
Good job.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Aug 14 2006, 01:32 PM) [snapback]303063[/snapback]</div>

look who's talking :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darkecho @ Aug 14 2006, 11:45 AM) [snapback]303120[/snapback]</div>

OK hard head . . . since you are here in California . . .

Modification of Vehicle Equipment
26101. No person shall sell or offer for sale for use upon or as part of the equipment of a vehicle, nor shall any person use upon a vehicle, any device that is intended to modify the original design or performance of any lighting equipment, safety glazing material, or other device, unless the modifying device meets the provisions of Section 26104. This section does not apply to a taillamp or stop lamp in use on or prior to December 1, 1935, or to lamps installed on authorized emergency vehicles.
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc26101.htm

Required Laboratory Tests
26104. (a) Every manufacturer who sells, offers for sale, or manufactures for use upon a vehicle devices subject to requirements established by the department shall, before the device is offered for sale, have laboratory test data showing compliance with such requirements. Tests may be conducted by the manufacturer.
( b ) The department may at any time request from the manufacturer a copy of the test data showing proof of compliance of any device with the requirements established by the department and additional evidence that due care was exercised in maintaining compliance during production. If the manufacturer fails to provide such proof of compliance within 30 days of notice from the department, the department may prohibit the sale of the device in this state until acceptable proof of compliance is received by the department.
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc26104.htm

Nowhere does it state it is OK to modify the original lighting system if it maintains minimum standards . . . it says YOU MAY NOT “modify the original design or performance of any lighting equipment.â€

It doesn't matter if your modification maintains the minimum standards. It does not matter if you've gotten away with it in the past . . . or even if a Highway Patrol Officer stops you and tells you your modification is legal . . . it is not legal if it does not comply with the above sections of the California Vehicle Code. PERIOD!!!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darkecho @ Aug 10 2006, 02:12 PM) [snapback]300949[/snapback]</div>

OK, too much black....yuck!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Aug 10 2006, 02:01 PM) [snapback]301033[/snapback]</div>

There is, it just takes a LOT of work. Use a hairdryer on high or a heatgun at a distance to warm the seam, and you should be able to separate it with some work. Note - I haven't tried this, as I don't mind the look on my 2 Prius, but it should be possible. You would have to be very careful, as prying too hard could crack the cover. Once it is apart, epoxy should get it back together, just go lightly on the glue.

 

yesterday the tint guy gave DH a piece of light scrap tint to take home and check out to address my concerns.

we parked the car waaay at the end of our complex which gave us more or less 500 ft of distance (but no, we did not measure exactly.) we switched on the headlights (hence taillights) and DH held up the tint piece in front of the light as i watched from a distance. i barely saw a difference in the light that he held the tint in front of and the light on the other side. still plainly visible, probably visible from another couple hundred feet. a little less glare, actually, which i suppose you should expect and one of the reasons our windows are tinted.

brake lights were plainly visible from well beyond 500 feet, those are some bright lights! also tested turn signals and reverse lights.

i am much less worried now. but we can't afford to do it right this moment.

 

Years ago I had to remove window tinting on a car I was registering in Virginia because it did not meet the standards.

Most likely there is a Lumen output requirement for the lights that the honorable engineers work long and hard on to achieve with the light's design. Even blacking out the reflector in the back could affect that.

As Dirty Harry once said - Do you feel lucky?

 

I don't see how it would affect the legality of the car if you dismantled the tail light housings and painted the background with a gloss black paint because the '03-'04 Prius already has black on the top portion for the brake light. I can see a problem with tinting over the tail lights because the reflectors are on them. Some cars you could probably get away with, like you said you can see the lights just fine from a distance, but some cars have reflectors in the bumper trim, etc. but on the Prius it is actually on the tail light housing and you would be tinting over it (I'm not sure how reflectors react to being tinted over). May cause problems with the police... Just my thoughts.

 

So, if I understand correctly, we're talking about painting the reflective surfaces that are "inside" the tail lights...?

I'd guess this would seriously decrease the light output. Aren't the talilights designed sort of like the lens in a lighthouse, where they concentrate and focus the energy of a relatively dim bulb, so it is much brighter from certain angles...? (And by 'dimbulb' I'm not talking about Hummer owners here, I mean 'light bulb,' silly!)

Seems like you'd end up with taillights that were about as bright as the bulb, if that.

 

the black on the top portion of the 04-05 rear light is the plastic backing. if you look closely, there is reflective material behind each lightbulb in there.

hmm... have to investigate the reflector thing.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Aug 14 2006, 07:46 PM) [snapback]303250[/snapback]</div>

And since you are there in California be sure and study these laws.

California
• A city ordinance states that a $500 fine will be given to anyone who detonates a nuclear device within city limits.
• Alhambra: You cannot leave your car on the street overnight without the proper permit.
• Animals are banned from mating publicly within 1,500 feet of a tavern, school, or place of worship.
• A regulation in San Francisco makes it unlawful to use used underwear to wipe off cars in a car wash.
• Arcadia: Peacocks have the right of way to cross any street, including driveways.
• A server in California can be convicted of selling to a minor if the purchaser uses a false or altered ID to buy the alcohol.
• Baldwin Park: Nobody is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool.
• Bathhouses are against the law.
• Belvedere City Council order reads: "No dog shall be in a public place without its master on a leash."
• Blythe: You are not permitted to wear cowboy boots unless you already own at least two cows.
• Burlingame: It is illegal to spit, except on baseball diamonds; Carmel Ice cream may not be eaten while standing on the sidewalk. (Repealed when Clint Eastwood was mayor); Women may not wear high heels while in the city limits.
• California only fairly recently legalized the sale of alcoholic beverages in nudist colonies.
• Car wash attendants in San Francisco, California may not use old pairs of underware to wash or dry vehicles.
• Chico: Detonating a nuclear device within the city limits results in a $500 fine.
• Community leaders passed an ordinance that makes it illegal for anyone to try and stop a child from playfully jumping over puddles of water.
• Downey: It is illegal to wash your car in the street. (Passed 1995).
• Giving or receiving oral sex is prohibited.
• Hollywood: It is illegal to drive more than two thousand sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time.
• In 1838, the city of Los Angeles passed an ordinance requiring that a man obtain a license before serenading a woman.
• In Los Angeles courts it is illegal to cry on the witness stand.
• In Berkeley, Calif., you can't whistle for an escaped bird before 7 a.m.
• In 1930, the City Council of Ontario passed an ordinance forbidding roosters to crow within the city limits.
• In an animal shelter, lizards and snakes are treated under the same guidelines as cats and dogs.
• In Baldwin Park, California nobody is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool.
• In California, community leaders passed an ordinance that makes it illegal for anyone to try and stop a child from playfully jumping over puddles of water.
• In California it is illegal to have caller ID
• In California it's against regulations to let phones ring more than nine times in state offices.
• In California you may not set a mouse trap without a hunting license.
• In California, selling a gold piece without tooth marks in it is considered forgery.
• In California, animals are banned from mating publicly within 1,500 feet of a tavern, school, or place of worship.
• In Los Angeles, years ago it was legal to cook in your bedroom, but not to sleep in your kitchen.
• In Los Angeles a man is legally entitled to beat his wife with a leather belt or strap, but the belt can't be wider than 2 inches, unless he has his wife's consent to beat her with a wider strap. Consent should be given prior to the event, as is carefully stipulated.
• In Los Angeles, you cannot bathe two babies in the same tub at the same time.
• In the 1940's, California law made it illegal to serve alcohol to a gay person.
• In Riverside, California, kissing on the lips, unless both parties wipe their lips with carbonized rose water, is against the local health ordinance. (Someone needed to be kissed!)
• In San Francisco it's illegal to play poker in public or gamble in a barricaded room.
• In San Francisco, it's illegal to beat a rug in front of your house.
• In Ventura County, California, cats and dogs are not allowed to have sex without a permit.
• It is a misdemeanor to shoot at any kind of game from a moving vehicle, unless the target is a whale.
• It is a violation of the California Alcoholic Beverage Control Act for producers of alcohol beverages to list the names of retailers or restaurants that sell their products in advertising or even in newsletters.
• It is illegal for a man to beat his wife with a strap wider than 2 inches without her consent.
• It is illegal for a secretary to be alone in a room with her boss.
• It is illegal to cry on the witness stand.
• It is illegal to drive more than two thousand sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time.
• It is illegal to eat an orange in your bath tub
• It is illegal to pile horse manure more than six feet high on a street corner.
• It is illegal to set a mouse trap without a hunting license.
• Lafayette: You are forbidden to spit on the ground within 5 feet of another person.
• Lodi: It is illegal to own or sell "Silly String".
• Lompoc: It is illegal to posses, own or raise roosters. This is considered disturbing the peace.
• Long Beach: Cars are the only item allowed in a garage; It is illegal to curse on a mini-golf course.
• Los Angeles law forbids hunting moths under a street light.
• Los Angeles: It is illegal for a man to beat his wife with a strap wider than 2 inches without her consent; You cannot bathe two babies in the same tub at the same time; You may not hunt moths under a street light; It is illegal to cry on the witness stand; Toads may not be licked; It is a crime for dogs to mate within 500 yards of a church (Breaking this law is punishable by a fine of $500 and/or six months in prison); Zoot suits are prohibited.
• Many animals are illegal to own as pets, including snails, sloths, and elephants.
• Molesting butterflies can result in a $500 fine.
• No alcohol beverages can be displayed within five feet of a cash register of any store in California that sells both alcohol and motor fuel.
• No vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 miles per hour.
• Nobody is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool.
• Oakland, Calif., makes it illegal to grow a tree in front of your neighbor's window and block his view. However, you're off the hook if the tree is one that town officials consider an attractive tree, such as a redwood or box elder.
• One may not carry a lunch down the street between 11 and 1 o'clock.
• Ontario: Roosters may not crow in the city limits.
• Pacific Grove: Molesting butterflies can result in a $500 fine.
• Palm Springs: It is illegal to walk a camel down Palm Canyon Drive between the hours of four and six PM.
• Pasadena: It is illegal for a secretary to be alone in a room with her boss.
• Persons classified as "ugly" may not walk down any street.
• Prunedale: Two bathtubs may not be installed in the same house.
• Redlands: Motor vehicles may not drive on city streets unless a man with a lantern is wallking ahead of it.
• Riverside: One may not carry a lunch down the street between 11 and 1 o'clock.
• San Diego: It is illegal to shoot jackrabbits from the back of a streetcar; The owners of houses with Christmas lights on them past February second may be fined up to $250.
• San Francisco has an ordinance prohibiting "cane games." City officials have no idea what cane games are. But when revising city laws recently, officials decided to keep the prohibition on the books, in case someday, somehow, cane games came back, they were deemed improper and the city needed the law.
• San Francisco is said to be the only city in the nation to have ordinances guaranteeing sunshine to the masses.
• San Francisco: Prohibits elephants from strolling down Market Street unless they are on a leash; It is illegal to wipe one's car with used underwear; Persons classified as "ugly" may not walk down any street; It is illegal to pile horse manure more than six feet high on a street corner; Giving or receiving oral sex is prohibited.
• San Francisco bans any "mechanical device that reproduces obscene language."
• San Francisco prohibits kerchoo powders and stink balls.
• San Jose: It is illegal to have more than two cats or dogs. -Ord. 7.08.595
• Santa Monica: You may not play percussion instruments on the beach.
• Sunshine is guaranteed to the masses.
• Temecula: Ducks have the right of way to cross Rancho California St. at all times.
• The Chico, California, City Council enacted a ban on nuclear weapons, setting a $500 fine for anyone detonating one within city limits.
• The city of San Francisco holds a copyright on the name "San Francisco." It is illegal to manufacture any item with the name without first getting permission from the city. Since the Supreme Court upheld the copyright, San Francisco has had an annual $300 million surplus every year.
• The Santa Monica, Calif., City Council recently proposed that men be allowed to use women's public restrooms when there's a line of three or more at the mens' room, and vice versa.
• Women may not drive in a house coat.
• You can be fined $500 if you bother a butterfly in Pacific Grove, Ca.

 

That's a funny list. However, it has no comparison to a law that protects me and my family from someone who wants to be "cool" and reduces the light output of their brake lights.

The tail light regulations are not guidelines. They are there for a very good reason - safety. I have been behind vehicles that had modified tail lights and you had a hard time knowing when they were braking. I would not stay behind them.

If someone changes any safety equipment from its original design, reducing its effectiveness, they risk hurting someone besides themself. That is selfish and reckless behavior.

I don’t want to see someone, or someone’s child, get hurt because of an accident caused by this type of modification.

Best regards,
NoSpam

 

ok, since I have a Black Prius ... after reading this post and NOT locating a taillight cover blackout - Im going to either use the spray black out tint I already have to cover up these odd looking tail lights, or use window tint..... and then check the 500' rule..... sometimes people do things just because they can - sometimes we do things because someone said they COULDNT ... and the brighter bulbs are already ordered, its just in the daylight they look BAD!

 

and darn the liciense plate bulbs just quit working too.....