Blueish Headlights

Submitted: Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 09:26
ThreadID: 34085 Views:2926 Replies:15 FollowUps:13
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Hi does anybody know the legality of those blueish headlight globes that are on the market? I find them annoying when a vehicle fitted with them comes in the oposite direction
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Reply By: Toytruck - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 09:45

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 09:45
Yep,
very distracting. Not sure about the legality though, possibly varies from state to state.

Toytruck
AnswerID: 173752

Reply By: Scubaroo - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 09:54

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 09:54
Depends if they're the BMW type HID headlights, or the ricer type blue inserts you see on eBay that are purely to look cool (generally found on vehicles with stupid LEDs poking out of the grill, dash, etc). Over a certain colour temperature they are illegal as they don't meant ADR - but I'm betting very few people get done for fitting them. Had one guy a few weeks ago in Melbourne with a pair fitted in his little rice rocket, and he either had two fat chicks in the back seat sagging his springs, or he'd stuffed up the headlight adjustment, because they were pointing UP off the road, and shining straight into my rear view mirror.
AnswerID: 173755

Follow Up By: Member - Blue (VIC) - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 11:56

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 11:56
Retro fitted HID's as a low beam alternative are illegal in Vic unless you have self-levelling headlights...
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Reply By: Laura B - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 10:10

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 10:10
have heard that they are illegal..but why are they still available....we have blue spotties - are they illegal....??

I dunno......sorry

Laura
AnswerID: 173758

Follow Up By: Footloose - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 10:30

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 10:30
Like most things in this country, the onus is on the customer to make sure it's legal. We admire people who can flog things and make a $, then slap the wrist of the poor B that bought it and tried to use it.
That's how we got 27meg CB radio, and Trikky got his millions.
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FollowupID: 429725

Follow Up By: Member - Blue (VIC) - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 11:52

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 11:52
Laura the blue spotties are legal as they are not a primary foreward light... I have the Narva's and was tossing up between the blue or clear, both claimed to meet ADR's...
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Reply By: howie - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 11:00

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 11:00
i don't know for sure if they are legal in w.a. but i wish the cops would start sorting it out.
as far as i know, blue lights are illegal and some of the headlights must be bordering on that.
not only oncoming, but from behind when they are going over small bumps, they seem to flash. has anyone seem them that flash with a redish colour as well . very unnerving.
AnswerID: 173762

Follow Up By: adamant - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 19:33

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 19:33
Adam, why don't you check with your Road Traffic Authorites,it is simple as that,
stop guesingSee UUu
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Reply By: Exploder - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 11:53

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 11:53
Yes they are Illegal and I have them< Philips Crystal Vision 4300K Box states for Off Road use Only But the Globes for my spotlight had the same thing printed on the Box, These ant the E-cheepo super cheep type I will wait till they blow before replacing them.

I brought them on a recommendation from somebody else, who dose a lot of Night country driving on Motorbikes.
AnswerID: 173767

Reply By: Shaker - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 13:13

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 13:13
I think the driving public need the whole lighting regulations explaining, even down to all the idiots driving in clear conditions with their "wanker" low mounted fog lights dazzling everybody!
AnswerID: 173775

Reply By: drivesafe - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 13:36

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 13:36
Many of the blueish lights are legal and this type of light is much safer and softer on your eyes.

The problem is not so much the type of light but the fact that the headlights are not adjusted correctly.

In the case of improper headlight adjustment, these lights are brighter and tend to show up more than the old yellow lights.

I run 10 lights on the front of me 4x4 and all of them are the Philips Crystal Vision 55 watt globes. Thats 2 x low beam, 2 x high beam and 6 x driving lights and there is no way I am ever going back to the old type light globes. These 10 lights give me the total equivalent of over 1,000 watts of light.

I do heaps of night driving and these lights have dramatically improved my night time driving safety.

BTW if you check the laws in all states, these wankers with fog lights on and / or incorrectly adjusted headlights, can be booked but the police either are unaware of the laws or just don’t care.
AnswerID: 173779

Reply By: gonebush SA - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 17:16

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 17:16
i think in SA they might be legal as my son has them on his car (they aren't the real bright blue lights) and he got pulled over by a police woman with a giant chip on her shoulder who wanted to get him for anything she could and she didn't mention anything about his lights and i'm sure she would of if she could.
it would be really handy if there were some way of finding out what's legal or illegal instead of all the guess work and a fine if your guess is wrong.
my self i don't like the bright blue spotties that are on when the headlights are on, i find them quite distracting.
AnswerID: 173808

Follow Up By: drivesafe - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 18:48

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 18:48
Hi gonebush SA, this is not much help to you in SA but it may tweak someone with some idea of a similar site in SA

This is one of a number of QLD sites.

QLD Road Rules

I would not be surprised if the other states had similar sites

Note. QLD has a number of sites with different sections of the road rules being posted.

This next URL is for a PDF that lists vehicle modifications and you will have to cut and paste it to get the file, it's not that large and gives some handy info including the use of fog lights which is not covered all that well in the Road Rules, GO FIGURE?

http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/qt/LTASinfo.nsf/ReferenceLookup/Modification_Jan05v2.pdf/$file/Modification_Jan05v2.pdf
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FollowupID: 429775

Reply By: fnqcairns - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 21:14

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 21:14
Certainly illegal everywhere I would say, so many numbsculls out there with blue lights these days, endangering life, many owners are also old enough to know better, simply a lack of knowledge holding them back, HIDs are a joke also in a few respects.
Anyway for some convert back to the basic halogen and possibly save a loved ones or someone elses loved ones life.

If you drink and drive you are a bloody idiot same goes for most of the 'new' lights.

Here is a link some would rather not read.

Site Link
AnswerID: 173851

Follow Up By: Muzzgit (WA) - Monday, May 22, 2006 at 00:13

Monday, May 22, 2006 at 00:13
Very good link that. Well done.
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Reply By: Gu_Patrol - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 22:49

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 22:49
there is a differance whether it is blue covers or blue globes, Cool blue globes are legal in SA but The new ADR rules if they are in force yet say you can't have blue covers on headlights or spot lights.
AnswerID: 173875

Reply By: Chaz - Monday, May 22, 2006 at 06:36

Monday, May 22, 2006 at 06:36
It's not the colour, but the wattage that makes them illegal. You'll find most of the better blue globes give out a whiter light at a lower wattage. These globes last longer and give the driver greater visibility than yellow or soft globes.
AnswerID: 173892

Follow Up By: Gu_Patrol - Monday, May 22, 2006 at 22:21

Monday, May 22, 2006 at 22:21
I asked that question to an inspector at the motor reg in SA and he said you could have any wattage in your headlights, the colour was what mattered.
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Follow Up By: drivesafe - Monday, May 22, 2006 at 23:33

Monday, May 22, 2006 at 23:33
Hi Chaz, after testing some of the Philips Crystal Vision globe, what you posted, is the exact the reason I replaced all my globes.

I was running 130 watt driving light globes and when I changed over, I noticed that the new globes were not as bright but colour separation was much better.

I other words, while the older yellow lights lit up further down the road, everything had a yellow tinge to it.

With the Philips globes, because the light is so white, you can see where the grey tar meets the brown road edge and the green grass starts and more importantly, where the grey kangaroo is standing in the green grass.

Everything just stands out clearer so you identify things a lot earlier, making night driving a lot safe and easier.

Cheers
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FollowupID: 430079

Follow Up By: Chaz - Tuesday, May 23, 2006 at 01:35

Tuesday, May 23, 2006 at 01:35
Hi Guy's,
HID lamps are the way of the future along with high intensity LED's and they are starting to show up in high end European luxury and sports vehicles. These too have the blue effect to on comming traffic and comply with ADR regulations. The whole idea of the blue lamps is to give a whiter light that reflects better light from road signs and even white lines when they are wet.
So far I haven't been able to find anywere in the regulations where it says you cant use the blue light globes, but it does state that headlights have to be white. The ADR's are basicly "The function of this Australian Design Rule is to specify the photometric requirements for headlamps which will provide adequate illumination for the driver of the vehicle without producing undue glare for other road users."
So there is no mention of wattage or globe colour.
After using 130watt bulbs in my IPF's and blowing a globe or two on almost every trip, I decided to try the Phillips 55watt H3's and they have now lasted a couple of years. They produce almost as much light and draw nearly half the current. My headlamp bulbs are PIAA 5000K and are probably illegal, but are brilliant.
Not that I have contempt for oncomming traffic, but until someone flashes their high beams at me, I doubt if I'm annoying them.
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FollowupID: 430095

Follow Up By: drivesafe - Tuesday, May 23, 2006 at 08:07

Tuesday, May 23, 2006 at 08:07
Funny you should post that Chaz, I have always run at least 4 but usually 6 Hella 181s, all with 130 watt globes which eventually burnt the reflectors.

When I bought my RR, I didn’t want heaps of lights hanging off it so I decided to fit a set of IPFs with 130 watt globes.

Although these two IPFs were better than any two Hellas 181s, I was not that impressed ( and wouldn’t bother fitting them again ), I was forever blowing headlight globes ( H7 ) and one of my customers sold Philips Crystal Vision globes and talked me into trying them.

I only had them in over a weekend and was so impressed, on the following Monday I changed the IPF globes and was hooked.

I still didn’t have enough light so I made a quick fit and remove roof bar with 4 new Hella 181s. I gave the 100 watt globes to a mate and fitted the Hellas with the Philips globes and the results or fantastic.

After 3 years of use, with up to 10 lights at a time, I have only had to replace one headlight globe and that was two weeks ago and all the reflectors still look like new.

Just the life span alone has paid for these globes.

BTW, my wife’s D3 is fitted with HID headlights and when she first got it, I was not impressed with the limited range these lights give on low beam, but the first time I drove it in the wet, my impression changed BIG HEAPS. I do heaps of night driving and these HIDs are the best lights I have ever come across for driving in rain and in fog.

Cheers.
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FollowupID: 430115

Follow Up By: Chaz - Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 00:24

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 00:24
Hi Drivesafe,
Interesting thread, this one. Personally I don’t mind seeing these lights coming towards me and to me, they don’t seem as bright as high wattage halogen globes provided you don’t look straight into them.
BTW, I took your advice and replaced the 6mm cable to my camper with 16mm through some 50 amp anderson plugs. The C/T batteries do seem to recharge quicker.

Cheers
Chaz
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FollowupID: 430427

Follow Up By: drivesafe - Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 01:07

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 01:07
Only too happy to be of some assistance and glad it worked Chaz.

Cheers
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Reply By: Tim - Monday, May 22, 2006 at 22:08

Monday, May 22, 2006 at 22:08
Whats your email and state Ray? I can give you a run down on what the go is on NSW, never worked with other states legislation so I'm not sure about them.
Tim
AnswerID: 174097

Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Tuesday, May 23, 2006 at 04:16

Tuesday, May 23, 2006 at 04:16
What may be legal, doesn't mean they are not distracting.

Those eurotrash blue/white headlights fitted to the current model commodore, etc.,
annoy the hell out of me with their winking as they approach head on.
Bill


I'm diagonally parked in a parallel Universe!

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AnswerID: 174120

Follow Up By: Gu_Patrol - Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 11:37

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 11:37
Just like when everyone uses those bottom driving lights, Some are well over 55watts, which is the legal limit, why on earth do everyone use then when theres no fog.
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FollowupID: 430501

Reply By: Member - Darren T (VIC) - Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 18:04

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 18:04
A true "blue" globe will produce what they call daylight spectrum. The closest imitation of daylight you can get with artificial light. I don`t think that the wattage of these globes are any higher than the old globes that produce the yellow tinge, just that they produce a "whiter" light than the old types, supposedly you are able to see more clearly and further with the "daylight" globes.

The missus told me all this when they first started to become popular and I complained of the same thing, she used to work in lighting (of the house variety, not the vehicle variety) so she knows a bit more about it than I do.
I think the ones that most people are objecting to are the ones that are bought as aftermarket and DIY fitted, which are probably not a true "blue" globe but a globe with tinted glass to give it a blue appearence, or in some cases, green.

Blue globes are alright as far as it concerns me as long as they are not aftermarket DIY jobs and headlights are aligned properly.

But yeah, bloody fog lights p*** me off more, even more so when on ther bike, its like high beam.
AnswerID: 174501

Reply By: drivesafe - Friday, May 26, 2006 at 08:03

Friday, May 26, 2006 at 08:03
Hi folks, I should have posted this earlier but anyone interested in trying the Philips globes, Bursons, an auto accessories chain similar to Repco, have Philips globes on special till the end of the month and the discount is pretty good at about 30 to 40% off.

I bought a few just as spares.

Cheers and sorry I didn’t post this earlier.
AnswerID: 174826

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