Tinting Lights?

[Strudul]

Thinking about tinting my lights. Specifically the tail lights (inc the reverse / indicator / fog lights in the bumper), but considering the head lights too.

 

Spent a while looking around, but just going in circles and now I've got more questions than when i started.

 

All my lights are OEM (except for new LED park light bulbs), so Xenons up front, LEDs in the back, and whatever is in the reverse / indicator assembly (normal bulbs?).

 

Questions:

 

- What actually are the laws on this. Google doesn't seem to bring up anything on tinting lights, just windows. Read stuff that says anything that reduces light output is an MOT fail, and other stuff that completely contradicts that.

 

- How dark can I go while 1) staying legal and 2) not significantly reducing the functionality of my lights.

 

- What's the best product / type of product to use (spray tint or tint film / vinyl)? Want it to be easily reversible, and not a bastard to apply. Also don't want to damage my lights (read stuff about certain products not being suitable for Xenons).

 

- How easy / hard is it to apply products without first removing the lights.

 

- Any recommendations or advice on anything I've missed would be appreciated.

 

Cheers

Edited December 6, 2016 by Strudul

[buster]

i ve used this stuff before....can easily be removed as well

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/60cm-x-106cm-Headlight-Tinting-Perforated-Mesh-Film-Like-Fly-Eye-MOT-Legal-Tint-/251277204634?hash=item3a8149dc9a:g:UxMAAOxydkZRl8Qs

 

 

 

[Strudul]

Did consider that stuff, but heard a lot of bad things about it not looking very good (close up), leaving @*!# on your lights, and not being suitable for Xenons due to it melting or something.

Edited December 6, 2016 by Strudul

[coldel]

Had it on my DE for a few months and absolutely fine. Although it does reduce the light output of the car (regardless of what the manufacturer says).

[Jetpilot]

I used tinting film on front, rear and indicators etc, very happy, passed mot no problem, not like they actually measure the output, just alignment.

[coldel]

Not sure its an MoT fail but the cops can pull you for it I think. In any case, I took mine off as I was driving down poorly lit roads when I had the zed at the time (driving back from work through Dachet and Windsor) and the fly eye stuff took I would say about 30% of the light out, it really wasn't good.

[taybo]

As I understand it tints are illegal but the mesh Fly Eyes are not. They definitely block out more than the 5% of light the suppliers say. Still they are cheap so there's not a lot to loose and I've not has any problems with any melting. http://www.flyeyeskit.co.uk/

[Strudul]

Did you all remove the lights before applying the tint or can you get away with leaving them on?

 

Seems the head/tail lights should be easy enough left on, but the indicator / reverse lights are tucked in and look like they might be hard to do?

[buster]

Did mine without removing

[coldel]

Yes you can put it on without removing the lights, easier if you do, and the rear lights are a doddle to take off.

 

Fly Eye as I understand it is illegal as a tint is as it does reduce the light output of the lights - plod will I am sure put them all in the same bucket.

[Ekona]

Imagine the scene:

 

You've reduced the light output of your lights. Poor weather means you give it more beans than you should, and it's at night. You end up writing your car off, and in the process you cripple Harry Kane who happened to be driving a car on the same street and you had a coming together.

 

Insurance man comes to check on the car as Mr Kane is putting in a multi-million pound claim for his useless legs, when they discover that you've reduced the usability of your lights. Suddenly you have no insurance cover, and every one is coming after you for everything.

 

 

Seriously, don't bother. The MOT issue isn't worth worrying about, insurance most definitely is. If you really must, for shows and that, i'd be grabbing some stick on stuff that you can throw on during the day and then removing for the drive home.

[ilogikal1]

Mr Kane is putting in a multi-million pound claim for his useless legs

 

"Pre-existing conditions, Mr Kane, are not covered..."

 

[Ekona]

:lol:

[Strudul]

Could argue the reverse though - make your lights (or car ) too bright and it could dazzle and distract other drivers.

 

Imagine you're just cruising along in the sea of black / silver cars and suddenly this tangerine on wheels comes flying towards you.

[Ekona]

AFAIK you cannot have lights that are too bright: As long as they're pointing in the right direction as set by the MOT, then they can be as bright as you like.

[Strudul]

Is there anything that says what too dim is though?

[Ekona]

Yes, construction & use regs.

[Strudul]

So if the light output is still above that min, then there should be no issue?

 

If my lights with tints are still brighter than some cars with no tints, then surely it'd be fine?

[Ekona]

Well, no. C&U is down to the car when manufactured. As soon as you do anything to make the lights more rubbish, you break those regs.

 

Also, how do you describe it to the insurer? Unless you can measure the exact output and prove it's still legal, then saying your lights are now more rubbish than OEM isn't going to be something I'd like to be insuring the risk on.

[Strudul]

What if you first replace the bulbs so they are brighter than OEM?

 

The human eye can apparently see the flame of a candle from over 1.6 miles away, so surely it can see some super bright LEDs from a few hundred feet even with a bit of tinting in the way?

[AliveBoy]

You're clearly going to do whatever you want anyway, arguing with genuine, correct and helpful advice with idiotic logic you've pulled from your backside to justify a stupid idea. Why would you want to make it easier for someone to get into an accident with you? Or give your insurers a reason to not pay out if you are in an accident?! When you ring your insurers, please record the conversation.

[Strudul]

You're clearly going to do whatever you want anyway, arguing with genuine, correct and helpful advice with idiotic logic you've pulled from your backside to justify a stupid idea. Why would you want to make it easier for someone to get into an accident with you? Or give your insurers a reason to not pay out if you are in an accident?! When you ring your insurers, please record the conversation.

In my defence, I was asking for advice about how to go about tinting (products / procedures) and if anyone had solid factual evidence about the laws surrounding it.

 

I've got no problems with people sharing their opinions on whether I should or should not tint my lights, but at the end of the day, they are only opinions unless you can back them up with factual evidence. You have your opinion, I have mine, there is no right or wrong, but I'm happy to discuss them, just don't take offence if we don't share the same views.

 

As for pulling logic out of my backside, modifications of any sort being counted as a distraction (increasing the chance of an accident) is something insurers use to justify the additional cost to declare those mods, even if it's something as simple as a sticker.

 

I've not once had an issue seeing the light output from a car with tinted lights. Maybe you've had a different experience, but I'm finding it hard to relate to that point of view.

 

Anyway, apologies if I've somehow upset you. I'm not trying to discredit people's opinions, I'm just taking a more light-hearted approach to the conversation.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Strudul

[buster]

i ll be totally honest and say yes they do dim the lights of it out put

and yes we all know about how crap the lights are already but unless you live in the sticks then there be fine....go for it m8 and if your not liking the end result just remove it.

 

 

do look awesome when done .

[Strudul]

i ll be totally honest and say yes they do dim the lights of it out put

and yes we all know about how crap the lights are already but unless you live in the sticks then there be fine....go for it m8 and if your not liking the end result just remove it.

 

 

do look awesome when done .

Obviously expecting some dimming, it's inevitable if you're blocking light with something.

 

Personally I've not had any problems with the current light output of my headlights. They don't work very well when there are streetlamps about, but at that point the streetlamps do their job and provide enough light to see anyway. Then when it gets nice and dark on unlit roads I find them to be rather good.

 

When it's dark, you eyes are very sensitive to even the smallest light, so I find it hard to believe that even with a 50% reduction of light there would be an issue.

[Irn Bru]

My Zed had fly eye on the lights when I bought it, next day / night, out for a drive and fog decended rapidly, couldn't see a bloody thing and had to drive with my main beam on most of the way home, not one car flashed me to indicate I was dazzling them. Tore it all off next morning. My opinion... don't do it, at least not during winter months, fine for summer and long days, but not for winter driving.