a local shop offered me 150$ for clearing both my headlights...
is it a good deal?
or should i risk and do it at home with the oven method?
they are also only chargin me 150 for spring install...

 

I would just do it at home cause it is FREE! The price of springs installation sounds decent, but the clearing of the headlights sound pricey.

 

yes...$150 is a lil expensive. do it yourself. its not that hard

 

streetz charges $150 too. if you want it done with no leakage and a warranty, then go for the professional job. it might be pricey, but its better to have it dont right the 1st time instead of having to go back and correct a problem if you do it yourself.

 

i'll do it for you (w/ ray)! it'll look better than a professional job
too bad ur not anywhere near me...
heres wut it looks like:

 

Do you guys use the original orange bulbs after clearing or different bulbs?

 

I too share this question. I desperately want to clear my headlights, but I would like to make my turn signal bulb a hyperwhite if possible. I would only put the hyperwhite in there if it was legal. Either way, I would like to clear my lights, and just need to figure out what bulb to use for the turn signal.

 

clearing your lights is already illegal...the law is usually that you need orange reflectors both visible from the front and the side. so when you take ouyt the orange piece, u have already broken the law. however, if u want less trouble, then keep the bulbs amber. i have chrome coated amber bulbs in my turn signals, they look chrome, but flash amber. and i have never been hassled by cops about my cleared headlights yet.
looks like this:

compared to this:

 

Ship them headlights to Wil and Me and we can do it.

Also, $150 for spring install is too much! I can get it installed for $80, and people down here still complain about that price. :o

Superwhite turn signals are goooodd....

Wil, I tried calling you the past few days, but I kept getting your voicemail. It's about the alarm install. and my friend wanting to clear his lights. Call me when you have time.

 

heyhey guys... this is in CANADIAN dollers.. haha...
so 100 for lowering and 100 for clearing? sound right?

 

OH yeah, canadian dollars EY? Ummm....I still wouldn't pay a 100 for lowering. call me cheap. :p

 

doing it yourself is hard and takes alot of time

 

Really? It's illegal to clear your headlights? Wow. I've seen virtually no discussion of the legality of this in the TL-S forum. I realize some of us are saying, "what's the big deal? Tinting your car to a degree is illegal too." I just feel that a cop is more likely to stop you if he/she sees this hyperwhite turn signal 3 cars up. So I suppose it would be best to just keep the OEM bulb in there.

And pardon my ignorance, but if you paint chrome over a bulb, how does the bulb's light appear amber? Is the chrome relatively transparent? Just a little confused here.

 

Actually, it's been discussed quite a bit. Here's a couple posts I had a while back:

From 04/02/02:

"Cleared headlights alone are not illegal in any state. Provided you still have an amber reflector somewhere on the front corner of the vehicle, per DOT (federal) regulations, then it is legal. *However*, with the TL headlights, if you clear them out and remove the amber reflector piece and don't put an equivalent amber reflector somewhere else in the vicinity (like on the bumper), then this would be illegal in *every* state, as it violates DOT regulations by which every state must adhere.

Some police jurisdictions either don't know or don't care about the DOT reflectivity requirements so you may never get hassled or fined for it, but it *is* illegal to not have the amber reflector somewhere on the front corners of the vehicle."

From 02/07/02:

"As some have pointed out here, clearing the headlights or sidemarkers themselves is not illegal. However, per DOT requirements (and that's federal so it applies to all 50 states) a car must display (read: reflect) orange from the front and red from the rear at night without power. This is so if your car is broken down on a dark street and you battery is dead, if someone approaches your car from the front, side or rear it would still be visible and hopefully avoid a collision. Also, the orange reflection has to be visible from a certain angle on the side at the front and red visible from the a certain angle on the side at the rear (like side markers). That's why you have the orange reflector bit in the '02 marker lights. The orange bulb satisfies the DOT requirement for orange on front/side under power and the reflector satisfies the requirement when the car is off. This is also why clear tails can be illegal. Having just red bulbs under clear tails is illegal. You need to have a DOT-certified reflective lens back there as well. Look at the IS300 tails--it's a clear outer lens but the actual bulb is covered by a smaller red lens (to satisfy the DOT requirement).

Some places/jurisdictions either don't know or don't care about the DOT requirement, but it *is* illegal and you can be cited for it. Now if you go out and get yourself some of the 3M Scotchlite reflective orange tape (that's certified by the DOT) and put a spot the same size as the reflector on your bumper just below the light then this would also satisfy the requirement. However, I think this would look far worse than the reflector in the housing."

 

how about some sort of mechnical device with a reflector attached that can "flip" out from under the car when needed (ie parked). I don't think I would like orange side markers.

 

Matt, so if I installed orange sidemarkers (just above and to the rear of the front wheel well), would this satisfy DOT require- ments? I currently have clear corners and hyperwhite bulbs.

 

$80 dollars...I was gettin prices of $300, $250 and such, to lower my car.

 

I got a 1999 flamenco TL and I cleared my headlights with my friends and sinc i touched the inside of the plastic it got a little foggy looking in a couple little places. It isn't really noticable except to me who is a perfectionist. I wanted to know if anyone knew where you could get the casings for cheap and about how much they would be? Also, ElegantTLS, how much would you want for doing it if I had shipped them to you and would you be able to paint the outer edges of the chrome piece with my body color? Thanks guys!

Eric

 

I don't know the exact specs for the DOT requirements--I just know they exist. Sidemarkers that reflect light when off certainly would cover the side, but you still need something in the front.

However, I just noticed you're from Canada. DOT requirements are a US federal standard so I doubt they would apply to you anyway. Even if you travel frequently in the US, if your vehicle is properly registered in Canada then it is subject to Canadian laws and not ours. Since we have reciprocity with Canada, we would be required to accept your vehicle as legally registered here in the US. Although I'm not 100% positive this is the case, but I don't think DOT requirements will apply to you.

Lucky ba$tard.

 

i didnt paint it myself chrome...the bulb comes like that...its made by APC, sold at any Pep Boys or other autopart stores.
it lights up like this:

 

hey ray, forget about the alarm thing...i already got my compustar alarm...couldnt wait any longer...

 

When you put the headlight in the oven do you leave the high voltage thing behind the lamp on? Is it ok to leave on in that heat?

 

Wait till I show you when I turn on all my lights (HID, highbeam, and driving lights) all at once. :wow:

 

To Canadian members,

Check with you local provincial motor vehicle laws, here in BC, cars are required to have reflective yello/amber on the front/side of car, and of course, red in rear. Having no reflectors as such is illegal, but i doubt most cops care, unless u get stopped for something else.

 

Good to hear from you Sam. What you been up to? We should hook up some day. My A/C filter needs to be changed. How does ramen noodles sound to you?

 

Pat,

I think we should as i feel the darn days getting colder and shorter already. Summe too short up here, man. That ramen sounds good. Been working like a dog these past few months, but i try to get in here as much as i can.

 

you take off wutever u can...all the bulbs, the ballasts, the wiring. and wutever u can't leave it on