Questions about reflectors and parking lights

[Pescakl1]

Hello everybody,

I have some regulatory questions about the reflectors in the headlight assemblies and the position of the parking lights on a car.

I suppose that I could find a text on the Transport Canada website but they are so good at hiding things that it will be my weekend work if I don't find an answer since then (If someone has a link, do not hesitate).

I have a lot of ideas in my head about what I would like for my headlights but I would like to know if they will be still legal after. Here are the questions:

Reflectors: - If I remove them, are my headlights still legal? Do we have to have some sort of reflectors in the headlights?- If this is mandatory, do they have to be amber? Can they be another color or clear?

Parking lights:- Do these lights have to be at the corners of the car (the light assembly in the corner?) or be associated with the turn signals?I have seen new cars that now put their turn signals in the headlight and not in the corner anymore, do they have to use another light as parking lights, like angel eyes around low beams or a dedicated light?

If you could help me with this questions, it would be greatly appreciated. I would be able to finish my design in my head and start thinking of what I have to do to achieve it.

[philipa_240sx]

You want this document:

Motor Vehicle Safety Act: Lamps, Reflective Devices, andAssociated Equipmenthttp://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety...e.pdf

Refer to Table I: Required Motor Vehicle Lighting Equipment and other than Headlamps and Table II: Location of Required Equipment

Yes, the reflectors are required. You cannot remove them.There are 6 in total:- 2 on the side near the front corners, amber in colour.- 2 on the side near the rear corners, red in color- 2 on the rear, red in color.

Other colours not acceptable.

4 Parking lights/Clearance Lamps are required.

- 2 amber lamps on front- 2 red lamps on rear

Other colours not acceptable.

BTW, these standards are the same as the US ones.

As I see it, any tampering of the lights especially what you are considering, will be illegal and you can be ticketed.

[Pescakl1]

Thanks for the link, I will look into it this weekend.

This means my front turn signal, white when on and amber when turn signals are on (same as EddNod except I have the type 2 ones which turn off the white leds when the turn signal is on), are illegal.

The funny part is I chose these LEDs for a safety reason, to be sure people will see my turn signal (really distinctive at night).

Sometimes, I have a hard time understanding these people.

I found out that in Europ, the new Audi Q5 seems to have white reflectors on the headlights. We will see if they change that when it arrives this spring for the US.

[cdmuile]

Understanding these people and obeying them are two separate issues.

[EddNog]

Understanding these people and obeying them are two separate issues.

I think Pescakl1 is merely pointing out that sometimes these regulations seem superfluous or even limiting, in the example where the upgrades that we did actually are stronger visuals.

Thanks for the link, I will look into it this weekend.

This means my front turn signal, white when on and amber when turn signals are on (same as EddNod except I have the type 2 ones which turn off the white leds when the turn signal is on), are illegal....

Indeed, I have the Type 1 ones on my car, but I installed your same Type 2 bulbs in dad's car (he has a Rogue as well).

I noticed something on the roads recently--Audi's A5 and A4 headlamps with the LED parking lamps act in precisely the same way as your Type 2 bulbs; they are white LED parking lamp uh...curves, at the base of the lamps, and when the driver signals, the white LEDs deactivate on that side of the car, and it flashes a short strip of amber LEDs until the signal lamp turns off, at which point the white LEDs reactivate. It is obviously legal if Audi can do this. It may well be that the Type 1 bulbs that I use, on the other hand, are illegal, due to the alternating flash pattern, though I am not completely certain on this; but if it weren't, why would Audi choose to design it the way they did?

Oh and btw, I don't know how it works in Canada, but technically, any lighting equipment that is not DOT certified in the U.S. is illegal for road use. This policy includes modifying DOT-certified equipment; that renders it...uncertified.

-Ed

[Pescakl1]

Something weird, Philip: On my way home yesterday, and on my way to work today (and I was in traffic so I had time to look at it), I saw a new BMW X5 with, for once, only the parking lights on, not the low beams (tail lights on and just the 2x2 angel eyes on for the headlights): No amber corner lights on the front, just the angel eyes.

Funny things too, the BMW have clear reflectors in the headlights, so for the north american version, they added amber reflectors in the bumper close to the front wheel. You can see the difference on their website where the general photos show no amber reflectors (european model shown) and when you look at the brochure, you have them.

With what EddNog saw on the audis, it seems amber reflectors are mandatory but not the corner lights, white or amber.

BTW, what is the difference between DRLs and parking lights, except the tail lights on for the parking lights?

PS: I still have to find some time and read the link you provided.

[Leo2005]

You mean like that? Pulled over for speeding but the cop checked the headlights and tail lights and asked me if those blue rings I got from manufacture and I told him this is aftermarket. He didn't say anything just gave me a ticket.

[Pescakl1]

You mean like that?

For the no reflector in the headlight, yes, like yours.It is not part of the safety improvements we talked with EddNog (Happy Birthday BTW), this change is just for better look.For the no light in the corners, I cannot say about your car as the lights are not on on the picture.Did you move the parking lights from the turn signals to the low beams (blue rings)?

Pulled over for speeding but the cop checked the headlights and tail lights and asked me if those blue rings I got from manufacture and I told him this is aftermarket. He didn't say anything just gave me a ticket.

So just a ticket for the speed, not the lights?Doesn't mean they are street legal. Maybe he had to go to a Dunking Donuts and didn't have the time to fill another ticket

[EddNog]

...BTW, what is the difference between DRLs and parking lights, except the tail lights on for the parking lights?....

Parking lamps are manually controlled, and generally consist of red parking lamps in the rear and very small auxiliary lamps in the front. DRLs are not manually controlled; they are active any time that the car is not in Park, and neither the parking lamps nor full on low-beams is activated. In other words, when DRLs are active, the auxiliary lamps up front and rear parking lamps are not lit at all. The only lights that will be on are the DRLs, which, I'd say 90% of the time, are the highbeams at half power. Once low beams are enabled, the DRLs shut off.

However, DRLs are significantly brighter and more visible in the front than mere auxiliary/parking lamps.

-Ed

[Pescakl1]

Thanks EddNog, that wasn't really a question, just wondering about the importance of the parking lights (in the front) when you have DRL.

Like you said, the car is way more noticeable with the DRLs than with the parking lights... but DRLs are not mandatory everywhere. But since it is mandatory in Canada, I don't see why it is mandatory to have amber lights in the front corners as you can barely see them with the DRLs on.The only time you need them is when the car is in Park, as the DRLs are off.

Anyway, I will play with statistics to know if I want to take the risk of a ticket or not (there are still policemen out there anxious to finish the ticket book to be allowed to go to Dunkin Donuts).

[Nissannate25]

I know on my Spec V, you could get aftermarket headlights that had a clear reflector instead of amber. I believe as long as the head light has some type of reflector in the corner, it is legal. I never did this, but I know some guys who did and they had no issues passing inspection or with law enforcement.

[EddNog]

I know on my Spec V, you could get aftermarket headlights that had a clear reflector instead of amber. I believe as long as the head light has some type of reflector in the corner, it is legal. I never did this, but I know some guys who did and they had no issues passing inspection or with law enforcement.

Many aftermarket headlamps are DOT certified (TYE brand for example gets DOT certification on many of their lamps)--these are street legal. Other lamps are marked on the box as, "For show purposes only." Those would not be street legal.

-Ed