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i've seen alot of smoked taillights lately in ca(for example, just today, i saw a 4runner and a prelude with smoked taillights) . damn...they look so dope. i was just wondering if they are legal or not. i looked up the rules concerning taillights and it says that taillights must be red, must emit a light visible from 300 ft. in all weather conditions. although the second test easily passes, must it be red? i know clear taillights are illegal for reasons that i do not know, but ive heard nothing about black taillights. i even painted my stock taillights black with black transparent paint (not the real paint used), and it looks dope cuz it looks like i have no taillights at all cuz i have a black coupe. however, after my mom found out a week later, she made me take them off cuz she felt they were unsafe or whatever. so now, i'm back to my altezzas, but i'd prefer the black tailights... the only reason why smoked taillights arent legal is because (at least i dont think so) you are unable to see the reflector. but if this is the case, then why are clear taillights illegal? even if u have red bulbs in, its still considered illegal. what's that all about? thats just like the altezzas then minus the red reflectors
sorry for going on and on about other stuff, but what i really wanna know is whether or not smoked taillights are legal. if they are not legal, then is it just a fix it ticket or like a big fine? thanks for all your help guys
those tailights look freaking sweet man...i have no clue bout any of this tailight crap all i kno is i dont like my altezza's...i have seen like mustangs and stuff here in illinois w/ black covers over their tail lenses and they are legal here i think so i dont know...i dont live in CA so i dunno bout their
when i painted my taillights black (not with the paint that ur sposed to smoke it with, but transparent paint bought from pepboys), it was kinda hard to see during the day. thats why my mom made me take them off =(, but i've seen other cars with smoked taillights that look just as bright. i dunno if u can smoke ur taillights white, but that'd be the same thing as getting clear taillights which is illegal, so i dunno...
does anyone know if smoked taillights are legal in ca?
actually if you go out to your car right now and turn your lights on, youll see that it doesnt restrict any light! I dont know about smoking white but green is cool to smoke! But you could do the same pattern in white!Dakota
<< does anyone know if smoked taillights are legal in ca? >>
I don't see why it would be illegal if it doesn't prevent the cars behind you from seeing the lights AND how they reflect. So I think it's legal if you ask me. It just kinda looks like you put different looking tailights on it as you can do with headlights (i.e. black projectors). I say go for it unless pimpdakota can tell us that some cop gave his a fixing ticket for REdecorating the part of the taillights that have nothing to do with how the lights work. See what I mean?
<<I don't see why it would be illegal if it doesn't prevent the cars behind you from seeing the lights AND how they reflect. >>
nah, i'm not talking about smoking my taillights like pimpdakota. i'm talking about smoking it all black, as if there are not taillights. not just part of it like pimpdakota did. therefore, it would prevent cars behind u seeing the reflectors at night if ur taillights arent on. thats the only reason why this wouldnt be legal, but im just curious as to know why or why not its not legal...
<< <<I don't see why it would be illegal if it doesn't prevent the cars behind you from seeing the lights AND how they reflect. >>
nah, i'm not talking about smoking my taillights like pimpdakota. i'm talking about smoking it all black, as if there are not taillights. not just part of it like pimpdakota did. therefore, it would prevent cars behind u seeing the reflectors at night if ur taillights arent on. thats the only reason why this wouldnt be legal, but im just curious as to know why or why not its not legal... >>
Go fot it, but illegal.
Simply because the colors of the taillights are under law. If they are changed to smoke, you'll be slapped with a fixing ticket... easily if the brake lights aren't red, and the signal white-amber (I doubt a cop would catch you going in reverse from behind but I'm sure he could walk around the car and see no white reflector after getting pulled over. Sounds like a citation. It's just like you said in your first post.
has long as they reflect red from behind when another car's lights hit it then they are legal. get the "carbon fiber" casing if you want the "smoked" look. the bulbs still have a red reflector over them.....red bulbs are not legal
smoked taillights are NOT legal in CA. however, it depends on the cops in your area. if cops around your area inforce all laws strictly, then you will most likly get a ticket. if not, then you should be fine.
illegal
