Are yellow bulbs illegal?
For low beams? Probably. Fog lights, I don’t think so.
Couldn’t find anything on head light coloring, just this for fog lights…
Some vehicles have front fog lights, or front and rear fog lights, for use when heavy fog or similar hazardous weather conditions seriously restrict the driver’s visibility. In New York State, all fog lights must be properly installed and of a type approved by the Commissioner of DMV. Front fog lights may be amber or white in color. Rear fog lights must be red and may be larger than the vehicle’s regular taillights - they are intended to give advanced warning of your vehicle’s presence to the drivers behind you. When visibility improves, you should switch off your vehicle’s rear fog lights to reduce the glare that might affect other drivers.
Kind of a long read but its the only thing I can find on headlights laws, doesn’t mention color of bulb just the output.
Source: http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/equi-vt.htm
- (a) Every motor vehicle except a motorcycle, driven upon a public highway during the period from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise or at any other time when windshield wipers are in use, as a result of rain, sleet, snow, hail or other unfavorable atmospheric condition, and at such other times as visibility for a distance of one thousand feet ahead of such motor vehicle is not clear, shall display:
- at least two lighted head lamps on the front, one on each side, having light sources of equal power;
- if manufactured prior to January first, nineteen hundred fifty-two, at least one lighted lamp on the rear which shall display a red light visible from the rear for a distance of at least five hundred feet;
- if manufactured on or after January first, nineteen hundred fifty-two, at least two lighted lamps on the rear, one on each side, which lamps shall display a red light visible from the rear for a distance of at least one thousand feet; and
- if required to display a number plate on the rear, a white light which shall illuminate the numerals on such plate in such manner as to render such numerals legible for at least fifty feet from the rear. The provisions of this subparagraph shall also apply to trailers.
(b) All lamps used on a motor vehicle except a motorcycle shall be so arranged, adjusted and operated, as to avoid dangerous glare or dazzle. Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this subdivision, the upper outline of any beam of dazzling light projected to the left of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle by the lowermost light distribution of a headlamp designed to produce more than one light distribution, or by the single light distribution of any other lamp used on such a motor vehicle, shall not rise higher than the lamp center at a distance of twenty-five feet nor higher than forty-two inches at a distance of seventy-five feet. In each case, the height of the beam shall be measured from the plane upon which the vehicle stands and the distance shall be measured from the lamp projecting the light.
© No lamp shall be used on a motor vehicle having a light source greater than thirty-two candle power, unless such lamp is approved by the commissioner as provided by this section. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to any light which is permitted to be displayed only on an authorized emergency vehicle, a hazard vehicle or a vehicle which is permitted to display a blue or green light pursuant to paragraphs four and five of subdivision forty-one of this section.
(d) A motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, equipped with any device such as, but not limited to, a snow plow blade, which blocks or impairs the projection of light from the headlamps of such vehicle, shall be equipped with at least two additional headlamps on the front which headlamps meet all the requirements of this subdivision for headlamps except those provisions of paragraph (b) of this subdivision specifically limiting the height of the beam of any headlamp. - Headlamps required pursuant to the provisions of subdivision two of this section may be of the multiple beam type designed to produce more than one distribution of light or of the single beam type designed to produce only one distribution of light. Provided that, whenever a vehicle approaching from ahead is within five hundred feet, or when approaching a moving vehicle from the rear and within two hundred feet of the same, the headlamps, if of the multiple beam type, or the auxiliary front facing lamps, if the vehicle is so equipped, shall be operated so that dazzling light does not interfere with the driver of the approaching vehicle, or the vehicle being approached, and, whenever the highway is so lighted or traffic thereon is such that illumination of the highway for more than two hundred feet ahead of the vehicle by lights on such vehicle is unnecessary or impracticable, the headlamps, if of the multiple beam type, or the auxiliary front facing lamps, if the vehicle is so equipped, shall be operated with the lowermost distribution of light in use. Nothing contained in this subdivision shall be construed to prevent the use of flashing high beams to signify an intention to pass a vehicle or vehicles when two or more vehicles are traveling in the same direction, the operation of any headlamp as defined in paragraph d of subdivision two of this section, nor shall it apply to any auxiliary front facing lamp permitted to be displayed only on an authorized emergency vehicle.
- No headlamp shall be used upon any motor vehicle except a motorcycle operated upon the public highways of this state, unless such lamp is approved by the commissioner or is equipped with a lens or other device approved by the commissioner. Every such headlamp, lens or other device shall be applied and adjusted in accordance with the requirements of the certificate approving the use thereof. Every such headlamp shall be firmly and substantially mounted on the motor vehicle in such manner as to allow the lamp to be properly and readily adjusted. The operator of every motor vehicle shall permit any policeman, police officer or other person exercising police powers to inspect the equipment of such motor vehicle, and make such tests as may be necessary to determine whether the provisions of this section are being complied with. Any certificate of approval heretofore issued pursuant to law, or hereafter issued by the commissioner may be revoked by the commissioner, after a hearing of which the person or corporation named therein, or his or its successor in interest, shall have been given reasonable notice and an opportunity to appear and be heard upon the ground that the device does not comply with the provisions of this section, and the rules and regulations of the commissioner and the decision of the commissioner revoking such certificate shall be final; such revocation, however, of a lens or other headlighting device heretofore or hereafter approved shall not take effect until six months after the decision of the commissioner revoking the same and shall apply only to vehicles manufactured and used thereafter on the highways of this state. The foregoing provisions governing lights on motor vehicles do not apply to so-called dimmers the use of which is permitted or required by local ordinances. The commissioner may make such rules and regulations relative to lights on motor vehicles and the approval of the same as are not inconsistent with the specific provisions of this section.
- It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, association or corporation to sell or offer for sale a headlighting device without delivering therewith to the purchaser a printed sheet of instructions describing the device in detail, its method of mounting, arrangement and adjustment and specifying the candle power of the lamps to be used thereon and any other matter that may be necessary to insure compliance in the use of such device with the provisions of this article and the certificate of approval. Such instructions shall be printed with a photogravure of the pattern of light from one headlight shown on a regulation testing screen with respect to a horizontal cross line placed across the face of such screen at a height equal to the height of the center of such headlight, and with the headlight adjusted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the commissioner. The sale of a headlighting device not approved under the provisions of this section is prohibited. A violation of any of the provisions of this subdivision shall be a misdemeanor.
yeh i just read through the cop of the DMV law book here at work. It says nothing over 32 candle power i have 2500k temp bulbs how the fuck do you figure out candle power
light 32 candles, turn on new yellow fog lights. which one is brighter?
Most bulbs say on the package the amount of lumens, take that number and divide by 12.57 and thats how many candle power your bulbs are.
Otherwise, here’s the short (but somewhat deceptive) answer: 1 candlepower = 12.57 lumens. But in order to interpret that statement, you need to understand that candlepower and lumens do not actually measure the same thing.
Candlepower is most useful as a measure of illumination in a particular direction, while lumens are most useful as a measure of total illumination. The conversion above is saying that a light source shining with 1 candlepower in all directions would produce 12.57 lumens.
This shit is confusing as fuck haha
Exactly. LOL, I say just put whatever bulb in you want and drive, see if you get pulled over, and keep a spare set of white bulbs in the glove box, most likely if you get pulled over for yellow bulbs and tell the officer you didn’t know and have a spare set he/she might let you change them and let you go, but chances are pretty low that you would even get pulled over for it in the first place.
vehicle lights are regulated by the feds, FMVSS 108.
here is a good background from a civic site of all places http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/lighting/153641-primer-fmvss-108-vehcile-lighting.html
more info if you are reaaaaallllyyyy bored http://fmvss108.tripod.com/
For what it’s worth, I used to have 3000k hid low beams. Got away with it for a long time until some asshat saratoga county sheriff yanked me and asked about them.
He said he didn’t really now if they were illegal, but had to give me a ticket because he was ‘pretty sure’ I was just doing it to be a nuisance and that any colored headlights other than white were illegal. He also ‘hates’ HID’s and was ‘pretty sure’ they were going to be made illegal as well.
So I took the ticket (like I had a choice), appeared at my court date. The Judge called me up, said that he wasn’t really sure what to bang me for. He had me explain the situation, I brought up that the plow trucks use yellow lights in the winter because ot offers improved visibility in dense fog/snow/rain, etc. Whatever, they looked cool. He flipped through his little handy law booklet and came to the conclusion that my lighting was ‘inadequate’ and ‘let me go’ with a $50 fine and $45 surcharge (at the time).
god damn clusterfuck.
See thats the thing the are a 55w halogen bulb with a temp of 2500 kelvin Not those ghey ass drop in hidzzzz. IDK know if i will like them in the car.l i know is last night driving in the rain for the first time in the new car. i couldn’t see the fucking road to save my life. Fuck it ill throw them in i rarely drive at night anyway so.
they were properly set up with an HID projector, not just an HID bulb in a halogen housing blasting light everywhere. had a nice cutoff that didn’t blind people, etc.
i should clarify, the cop didn’t even know they were HID. he was just comparing them to the hid lighting on newer cars (at the time) being a pain in the ass, or whatever.
I have the 55w 2500k bulbs in my fogs, that look like they are the lowbeams. Headlight and fog housing are one piece. I drive with the fogs on pretty often, and havent had a problem.
you can get a ticket for having them as your low beams.
yellow low beams will get you a ticket and you can’t see dick with them 99% of the time. i suggest not doing it. yellow fogs are great when accompanied by a white headlight though.
I’ve got 3000k 35W hid low beams, you can see great. Don’t really have time to post much more, but I like having them.
he isn’t talking about hids, you will see more with pretty much any color hids then non, doesn’t mean your seeing the most. 4300k for headlights, 3000k for fogs. it just makes sense.
why would you want yellow lights? they look like shit and typically offer much worse lighting.
I used to have 9005’s (high beam bulbs) retrofitted into my low beams, the HIDs aren’t really any brighter. I like the yellow light, where I go to school its rainy and/or foggy all the time, and the yellow light kicks ass for that.
Anyways, I’ve had them for like two years, and I’ve been pulled over once for them (in colonie during the summer). The CPD officer told me they were illegal, but he also told me my factory exhaust was illegal, so take that as you will.