Got pulled over for HID's
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Racer
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 283
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From: Clearwater, Florida
Got pulled over for HID's
So i was driving (the speed limit if you can believe that) and a cop pulls out of his little cubby hole and well there are no other cars around so I think he is just goin on call or soemthing coudn't be me at all.. then he is just sitting behind me, driving..... I start to get nervous... I know I didnt do anything wrong (I sware well not this time anyway 
He then puts the flashers on and pulls me over. Comes up to the window and a really nice guy.. says do you know why I pulled you over. I said I didnt have a clue.
he is acting like he is blinded by the lights and says You had your brights on the whole time didn't you.. I told him no.. and he says let me see.... Turn on the car and the lights.. So I did.. then I show him the High beams and he says.. well I guess you weren't lying... "Those things are REALLY bright though you might want to have the dealership check to see if they are too high cause you are going to blind people".
I have noticed a lot of people flash me thnking my brights are on (I don't drive with the fog lights on becase of this reason alone).... So my question are any of you other guys experiencing this too??? Is this somethig the dealership can look at???
Thanks
Ryan
He then puts the flashers on and pulls me over. Comes up to the window and a really nice guy.. says do you know why I pulled you over. I said I didnt have a clue.
he is acting like he is blinded by the lights and says You had your brights on the whole time didn't you.. I told him no.. and he says let me see.... Turn on the car and the lights.. So I did.. then I show him the High beams and he says.. well I guess you weren't lying... "Those things are REALLY bright though you might want to have the dealership check to see if they are too high cause you are going to blind people".
I have noticed a lot of people flash me thnking my brights are on (I don't drive with the fog lights on becase of this reason alone).... So my question are any of you other guys experiencing this too??? Is this somethig the dealership can look at???
Thanks
Ryan
Kollage is funn!
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,190
Likes: 1
From: Saddle River, NJ
i mean it could be aligned improperly....but it's brand new car.....or the cop was just not aware of HIDs or something.....
i have my headlights and HID fog lights aimed up, i know i'm going to get pulled over one day...but it hasn't happened yet....
if a lot of people are flashing you then something must be wrong....only a couple people flash me, and i have them aimed up....you've got projectors so you should see the HID light cutoff while you're driving....it shouldn't be in the driver's eyes the whole time....-peace
i have my headlights and HID fog lights aimed up, i know i'm going to get pulled over one day...but it hasn't happened yet....
if a lot of people are flashing you then something must be wrong....only a couple people flash me, and i have them aimed up....you've got projectors so you should see the HID light cutoff while you're driving....it shouldn't be in the driver's eyes the whole time....-peace
Registered Member
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,342
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From: Suburb of Manassas, VA
I live in a area of Virginia where we have a lot of deer running around. And I start into work around 4:45 in the morning, so deer are definitely a big concern. With this in mind, I used to drive with my fogs on a good deal of the time on the two-lane roads where I might encounter a large 4-legged creature. But with the fogs on, I found I was getting flashed somewhat frequently. So now I don't use the fogs and rarely get flashed.. the times I do are usually when the road is such that it causes my lights to aim more directly into an on-coming driver's eyes.
And there are some people out there who just do not like xenon lamps and think their use should be made illegal. These people will flash you regardless. I've had people tell my of their distain for xenon lights. But sometimes I wonder if it's really xenon lamps that they disllike so much. Around here, there are a mess of the tricked-out little rice burners with VERY bright and blued halogens running around. I suspect some people mistake these for xenons.
I wouldn't worry about it at all. And I certainly wouldn't take my car in to have the headlamps checked for their aim unless it's obvious.
And there are some people out there who just do not like xenon lamps and think their use should be made illegal. These people will flash you regardless. I've had people tell my of their distain for xenon lights. But sometimes I wonder if it's really xenon lamps that they disllike so much. Around here, there are a mess of the tricked-out little rice burners with VERY bright and blued halogens running around. I suspect some people mistake these for xenons.
I wouldn't worry about it at all. And I certainly wouldn't take my car in to have the headlamps checked for their aim unless it's obvious.
Retired MOD
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,995
Likes: 1
From: Fredericksburg, VA
all you need is a phillips screw driver. Turn one one and it lower the lights, turn the other way and it raises the lights. I don't remember which way does what, but is very simple. I think it should be in the manual, if not it should be on the helmans. Good luck
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
From: Vestal, NY
I never got flashed but then I do not do much night driving either. Riding over a hill will obviously blind oncoming traffic while going through a valley (dip) will never blind the traffic but ... always makes me wish the cutoff was not that sharp. Only self-leveling lights can solve this problem.
Most of the time, it is possible to see the lights cutoff pretty well and I can tell when I am blinding someone for a short time. If you feel that this happens too often, then your lights _might_ be misaligned and the dealer can easily adjust them as Bitium pointed out.
Good luck.
Most of the time, it is possible to see the lights cutoff pretty well and I can tell when I am blinding someone for a short time. If you feel that this happens too often, then your lights _might_ be misaligned and the dealer can easily adjust them as Bitium pointed out.
Good luck.
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Moderator Alumnus
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 12,177
Likes: 86
From: NYC/SF/Tokyo/HK
Maybe your car's headlight has been aimed higher a little bit than other factory cars... 
sorry to hear this. But you ain't the first one...
https://acurazine.com/forums/ramblings-12/matrix-trailer-69518/ at 01-17-2004, 06:01 AM
sorry to hear this. But you ain't the first one... https://acurazine.com/forums/ramblings-12/matrix-trailer-69518/ at 01-17-2004, 06:01 AM
Originally Posted by Donte99TL
Well, driving home from the bars and get off the freeway and stop at the red light. Across the intersection is a cop at a red light. Then all of a sudden he flashes his brights at me like to tell me “hey your brights are on” So I turn my brights on him like “hey these are my brights”.
Light turns green and I go and next thing you know the cop does a U-turn and pulls me over. I give him everything he asks for License/proof insurance and he goes back to his car.
He comes back to my car and tells me to step out and walk to the front of my car. He then tells me he is giving me a fix it ticket for having after market headlights that are too bright. WHAT THE !!!!!!! :wow: :wow: :wow: are you on crack copper.
I tell him that the lights on my car are stock and not after market. He doesn’t believe me. I sit there and argue with him for ten minutes to no avail.
Then I remember I had the brochure from the dealer for the TL in my trunk. So I go and get it and show him that they are indeed stock and he can look at the picture to compare the headlights.
Well, I guess this pissed him off. He then decided to try and get me for a DUI or something because he starts on the “how many drinks have you had.” I tell him “none” I guess he thinks I am a liar because he gives me the whole sobriety test. Pass with flying colors. Then he breaks out the Breathalyzer on me. It comes back with zero.
So after about 45 minutes of standing on the side of the road getting harassed by this peace of sh!t I finally get to go home. That a$$hole must have felt like a jacka$$.
So keep your TL brochure with you at all time. You never know when you can run into these idiot cops.
Light turns green and I go and next thing you know the cop does a U-turn and pulls me over. I give him everything he asks for License/proof insurance and he goes back to his car.
He comes back to my car and tells me to step out and walk to the front of my car. He then tells me he is giving me a fix it ticket for having after market headlights that are too bright. WHAT THE !!!!!!! :wow: :wow: :wow: are you on crack copper.
I tell him that the lights on my car are stock and not after market. He doesn’t believe me. I sit there and argue with him for ten minutes to no avail.
Then I remember I had the brochure from the dealer for the TL in my trunk. So I go and get it and show him that they are indeed stock and he can look at the picture to compare the headlights.
Well, I guess this pissed him off. He then decided to try and get me for a DUI or something because he starts on the “how many drinks have you had.” I tell him “none” I guess he thinks I am a liar because he gives me the whole sobriety test. Pass with flying colors. Then he breaks out the Breathalyzer on me. It comes back with zero.
So after about 45 minutes of standing on the side of the road getting harassed by this peace of sh!t I finally get to go home. That a$$hole must have felt like a jacka$$.
So keep your TL brochure with you at all time. You never know when you can run into these idiot cops.
Keep Right Except to Pass
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,411
Likes: 45
From: Kingstowne, VA
The original poster is from Florida--I wonder if a lot of the people flashing him are old people whose eyes are more sensitive to brighter lights? Not having driven in Florida in years I have no sense for how common HIDs are there, but if they are uncommon, perhaps that is part of it. I have never been flashed in Northern Virginia, but when I drive south to Charlottesville I've noticed I occasionally get flashed on the back roads. I assume that it's just a factor of people in the DC area being used to seeing HIDs.
Senior Moderator
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 20,067
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From: Cleveland area, OH
I am flashed frequently on the street entering my neighborhood. It's hilly, so my lights are constantly slightly misaligned in comparison to what other drivers see. I've taken to flashing back so people see how bright my brights REALLY are. In addition, a lot of older people live in my neighborhood, so I suspect their eyes can't adjust as well, or they're not aware of HID lights. I haven't been pulled over for that issue, though....
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 203
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From: Fort Lauderdale, FL
I am in Florida. Have never been flashed.
Originally Posted by 1995hoo
The original poster is from Florida--I wonder if a lot of the people flashing him are old people whose eyes are more sensitive to brighter lights? Not having driven in Florida in years I have no sense for how common HIDs are there, but if they are uncommon, perhaps that is part of it. I have never been flashed in Northern Virginia, but when I drive south to Charlottesville I've noticed I occasionally get flashed on the back roads. I assume that it's just a factor of people in the DC area being used to seeing HIDs.
~
Moderator Alumnus
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 12,177
Likes: 86
From: NYC/SF/Tokyo/HK
IMO, I don't think our HIDs are brighter or more dazzled than those SUVs or trucks...
If I have a right to do as the same as those whose eyes cannot take it, I'll prolly flash/high-beam each oncoming vehicles...
If I have a right to do as the same as those whose eyes cannot take it, I'll prolly flash/high-beam each oncoming vehicles...
TL hacker
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 381
Likes: 1
From: Toronto, Canada
I get flashed often too. But I don't really understand why. I've come across other 3G TLs at night and the lights aren't that bad at all. Unlike regular halogens, our HIDs diffuse light more evenly. I've looked directly at a regular halogen light, on high beams, at I get that "burn" in my eyes. You know how it works, you look at the light and for a few minutes afterwards you still get the blinding effect on your retina. You see a yellow "blur" everywhere you look.
Well, I've looked at other 3G TLs headlights directly and I don't get the "burn" in my eyes.
HIDs are quite different, they diffuse light better and don't have that "hotspot" halogens have. And maybe that purpleish hue also helps a bit. The different wavelength may actually be safer.
Well, I've looked at other 3G TLs headlights directly and I don't get the "burn" in my eyes.
HIDs are quite different, they diffuse light better and don't have that "hotspot" halogens have. And maybe that purpleish hue also helps a bit. The different wavelength may actually be safer.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: AB, Canada
I noticed the HID create a much sharper contrast between the lighted area and the dark area. Halogen has a "softer" blending between the lighted and the dark area.
Could this sharp contrast give the incoming traffic an illusion that we have our high beam on?
I wonder other HID vehicles (eg. BMW, MB, Lexus etc) have the same problem.
Could this sharp contrast give the incoming traffic an illusion that we have our high beam on?
I wonder other HID vehicles (eg. BMW, MB, Lexus etc) have the same problem.
CEO, Team Anthracite
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,899
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From: Bear Territory
Try this on for size.
Drive down a flat residential street with cars parked on both sides. Park parallel to a row of them and see where your lights cut-off. If they are cutting off right around where their door and window meets, you're fine. If it's cutting off far higher than that, then definitely have them adjusted as they are shining higher than the body of their car and might really be blinding them.
Drive down a flat residential street with cars parked on both sides. Park parallel to a row of them and see where your lights cut-off. If they are cutting off right around where their door and window meets, you're fine. If it's cutting off far higher than that, then definitely have them adjusted as they are shining higher than the body of their car and might really be blinding them.
Retired MOD
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,995
Likes: 1
From: Fredericksburg, VA
Originally Posted by JohnDoe2
I think in Europe, these types of headlights must be self leveling so going up over a hill won't blind people
Racer
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 378
Likes: 1
From: Minneapolis, MN 55408
Originally Posted by Bitium
NO. All types of headlights have to have some sort of headlight leveling. My 91 nissan primera and my 92 opel station wagon, both had electronic leveling control from the dashboard. My 97 audi also has the same feature. It is required here in Germany. A triangle (reflective device) and a first aid kit is also required by law, did you think that MB put those little cool first aid kids on the car because is a luxury car, wrong.....all makes and models have it. Here in Germany they also pull you over and check your tire rating, since there is not speed limit on the autobahn. You learn a lot of things when you live in other countries.
In some European countires, headlights must be auto leveling.
In the USA, it is NOT a requirement.
Senior Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,360
Likes: 66
From: Ft. Lauderdale
The Devil made me do it....
I drive around at night HOPING that someone will flash me. 
I even drive with the fogs on to bait them (heh heh).
Then, they get to see what the TL's high beams REALLY look like. Mwaa-ha-ha!
I even drive with the fogs on to bait them (heh heh).Then, they get to see what the TL's high beams REALLY look like. Mwaa-ha-ha!
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