L400 headlights - can you modify them

[wetcoast]

If anyone is paying 1K for L400 lights, they're getting bent over. Customs lights can be made with a few hours of your time and some research.

It's funny reading this just now.

On the ferry recently, there was an L400 Spacegear with funny looking lights.

Someone took the original stock headlights, crudely cut them out and inserted square DOT sealed beam lights.

Imagine how that looks and think about excuse the driver can tell the policeman who will write up a notice for government inspection when he/she sees it.

Apparantly this is a mod that passes BC inspection for Keis that came with composites (though gluing in a housing that takes a bulb is preferable to a sealed-beam):
http://www.japanoid.com/cardata.php?listing=64
http://www.minitrucktalk.com/showpost.p ... stcount=43
And why not as long as it's solid and adjustable?
I agree it might look pretty freakish on an L400 though.

The L400 lenses are glass. /fail

[Green1]

also note that the L400 lenses adjust the beam pattern, so any compliant light mounted behind the stock L400 lens will no longer be compliant from a beam pattern perspective (also it is illegal to put any form of cover in front of a compliant light)

[EnviroImports.com]

mostly true, somewhat wrong.... true you can't mount another light behind the patterned glass as it will still shine into oncoming traffic, but you can mount a set of Projector headlights from any motorcycle shop, hard mounted to the inside of the Stock Frame work of the original light if the glass is removed and you CAN cover that with plexi/lexan, I believe that is what was the process that went into the first few sets of Skyline headlights that passed inspection,

The Motorcycle projector lights are Cheap and have the DOT and other markings going around the lens on the trim, you can actually mount them with out the cover as they are designed to be exposed, but will have to be inspected and Pass, they DO pass inspection with a Paternless covering on them .
Part of the inspection process is Aiming the headlights on a gov certified machine for where the beam shines. they cant be shaky, cant be easily shifted . Some that I have seen look AMAZING and some look terrible , the bad ones will not pass,

I would take an inspectors authority over someone thinks SHOULD or SHOULD not be legal . as the lights have to be PHOTOGRAPHED , documented and the picts stored for 3 years on hard drive accessable to icbc to prove the vehicle passed inspection at the time , so if there is any dispute later they can prove that it was legal at that point and the owner must have changed it.
Its a cover the heiny law....

[dasein]

Buyers too stupid to realize they just got ripped off for a $1k set of lights.

If anyone is paying 1K for L400 lights, they're getting bent over.

The headlights cost around 350 euro's for a set. Add air shipping between two overseas countries plus customs duty and you get close to $1,000.

The other comments are not necessary.

Actually, the ones I have found are 380 euro each. I won't ask my buddy in Munich to price shop, so that is the best I will do.
He can, however, have them here in two weeks.
So I am paying $1500, after many hours of dead ends and busted leads. But I will have lights...

[Green1]

you CAN cover that with plexi/lexan,

While I can't speak with 100% certainty on BC legalities of this, I can guarantee that it is illegal in Alberta, and I have never heard of any jurisdiction that allows you to cover a compliant fixture with ANYTHING.

As for testing the lights beam pattern on some mystical machine.. yeah right, no inspection shop does that in Canada. If they did they wouldn't be looking for that stupid little stamp on the lens.

[EnviroImports.com]

you CAN cover that with plexi/lexan,

As for testing the lights beam pattern on some mystical machine.. yeah right, no inspection shop does that in Canada. If they did they wouldn't be looking for that stupid little stamp on the lens.

Every gov aproved inspection shop that i have been in has the headlight aiming machine, Ive seen it in use, ive sent people to get theirs aimed properly.

Perhaps here in Victoria we have more strict following of the laws for inspections as Motor vehicle inspections is Based here and do surprise inspections on approved shops,
but to get the inspectors licence a facility has to be inspected and ALL the mystery machines have to be there.

If you come to the island I would be More than happy to buy you a coffee and take you on a tour of the different shops so you can explain to the owners and managers that what they do is crap and they don't do legal work, you can argue that with each shop until your happy....
the lights have to be aimed , just because a light is E-coded does not mean it wont shine into on coming traffic, they have adjustments on the lights for a reason...

and the headlights DO PASS inspection in Alberta. but they still have to be inspected and be a solid job.
I get the feeling you are imagining modifications done with duct tape and zap straps...
If i say the sky is blue , will you say that it another color , just because I said it?
You don't have to like the laws that are in place about the different lights, but I'm Very up to date on what is legal for compliance.

Last summer I was talking with Mr Kanga from motor vehicle inspections who was in a local inspection shop to do an inspection of some modified lights his word is the final word for different mods like this and determin if these mods are legal.. and he approved the covered projector lights, funny enough the lights were in use and tested on the Mystical headlight aiming machine.
perhaps you should call him up I can PM you his phone number if you like.

[Green1]

I'm Very up to date on what is legal for compliance

This is obviously not the case, being that you have already posted at least one "legal truth" that is not now, nor has it ever been, legal.
When I get home tonight if I have some time maybe I'll dig up the relevant laws about covering compliant lights, but I can guarantee it's illegal in Alberta, and I have a strong suspicion that it is illegal in BC as well. (and just because something passes inspection doesn't mean it's legal, our inspection process is a joke)
As for a headlight aiming machine, I know the Alberta OOP manual doesn't specify even checking the aim of lights, again, I can't speak for BC on this one.

[loki]

When I get home tonight if I have some time maybe I'll dig up the relevant laws about covering compliant lights, but I can guarantee it's illegal in Alberta, and I have a strong suspicion that it is illegal in BC as well.

so that then would make the clear film that people apply to their lights to protect them from stone chips and to make cleaning bugs off easier illegal then? that would suck, I would like to be able to protect my lights if they cost as much as the L400 lights.

[Green1]

so that then would make the clear film that people apply to their lights to protect them from stone chips and to make cleaning bugs off easier illegal then? that would suck, I would like to be able to protect my lights if they cost as much as the L400 lights.

Yes, they are illegal. I had a nice conversation with a peace officer about this one at one point... (after which I looked up the actual law, which is why I'm so sure about this one)
That said, I plan to continue to apply that stuff, with the hope that the cost and likelyhood of the ticket is less than the cost and likelyhood of having to replace damaged (and expensive) compliant lights.

[jessef]

Green1, Noel is right about using DOT headlamp/signal assemblies for permanent use. It is legal in BC. As is using plex/film on existing headlights with the provision that the beam pattern is not altered.

Also I can concur that all the shops I've been to use the laser machine for aiming headlights. It's mandatory to pass OOP.

When you guys talk about what is legal and what is not, keep in mind that OOP and MVA laws differ between BC and AB. Maybe make a note of which province you are referring to when citing laws.

[Green1]

it is possible that BC actually uses headlight aiming machines, that I won't argue without some proof.
However I highly doubt that BC allows you to put covers on your headlights, if so they would be the first place in the world that I know of to allow it.

[EnviroImports.com]

The covers are a clear lexan or plexi type material,
it looks the same as any newer vehicle with projection lights,
all new mercadies ,Volkswagen .... They are projection headlights with plastic covers.
I still sell this style of headlights into Alberta for skylines and they pass gov inspection.
I don't know if AB must aim the lights but I know that ig they don't the headlights will
point up at the moon...

[Green1]

the difference is, new vehicles have had their headlights approved with the covers in place, this is completely different from taking a light that was approved without a cover and adding one.

[Manitoba deli]

I can only speak for Manitoba, here covers are legal as long as they are clear and have no pattern on them. If they are tinted, smoked, or even yellowed or dulled from age, they fail. We also aim headlights, not only for compliance, but for every mechanical saftey. (At least at the shop where I work)

Jason

[Drumster]

Wow. This is all a bit confusing. My L400 came from Brave with new compliant headlights and the original JDM lights in boxes. Both new ones have "E13" in a circle. However, the left light has an arrow pointing left and the right has an arrow pointing right, making me think someone made a boo boo. From what I'm reading here, both arrows should point right for RHD roads. The two sides cast totally different beams; the right is much higher than the left. It's been a concern since I got the van but I thought it must be normal. Now I'm not so sure.
Any comments?