davidnclearlaketx

Yep, I guess the law man figures we'll pay our tickets....
..and then when we get pulled over you see cars/trucks/suv's with broken out tail lamp lens, looks like they changed the inspection date with a black Sharpie pen.... expired paper tags...
We pay the "Corvette tax" on more than just parts! No front plate, window tint too dark, etc....
My friend who has a nice 2012 Chevy pickup has a chrome brush guard on the front and it totally blocks the front plate and he's never gotten pulled over for that or when he did get pulled over for speeding and expired inspection, just a warning-no ticket for anything and didn't even mention to him about the front plate not being visible at all....
Must be nice.....

Mattie Num Nums

Any advise where to take a highly modified Vette to get inspected in the Plano area?

davidnclearlaketx

I wish I could help you but I'm down south of Houston, halfway between Houston and Galveston.
I was thinking about your issue... on one hand it might be better to take it to a quick oil change place that's not a big chain store type since all they can try to up sell you a bulb or an air filter and if you accidentally gave them a $50 tip they might let you slide on some things....
Then again if you took it to a little mom/pop repair shop they might be really interested in all your mods and you could talk your way into a passing inspection with a small $ tip to the guy doing the inspection. Maybe look for a younger guy who's into performance cars.... just hard to say.
Not that I'd ever suggest anything not on the up and up...
but you know how things go... you gotta do what it takes...

silver408z

I am all for this law. Keeps every guy with $40 from putting hids in his 1996 pickup and blinding the drivers coming head on. I understand that even with projectors it increases the amount of light output but it also causes other problems that effect other people.

davidnclearlaketx

I agree with you, if you install HID's and it effects the aim of the light's it would be the driver/owner's responsibility to re-adjust the aim of the headlights as not to blind oncoming traffic.

Trouble is now days there is not too many shops that have the older headlight adjustment machine that used to roll on two metal rails/tracks and it would be in front of the car and could be rolled in front of the left/right headlights and adjust them.

I remember years ago the inspection places would always try to get a couple of extra bucks to adjust your headlights (showing my age now..) but I've tried several inspection places and nobody has those machines anymore so you just have to adjust them on your own.

There is some charts available online that shows how you can have your car so many feet away, on level ground, and aim them at your
garage door and get a pretty close adjustment. If I remember correctly you use the painter's tape to make marks on your garage door after measuring with a yard stick then back up the car xx feet back and then start adjusting the screws. Also if doing it yourself make sure you don't have a load in the back of a truck and your tire air pressure is all good, etc...

Good luck!

AMGPilot

Good! It is about time they started coming down on people that put HID bulbs in standard housings and blinding the crap out of people!

If you want HIDs then put the proper bi-xenon projector beam housings in your car. It is not that expensive

TheRadioFlyer

6000K bulbs may be clear, but they emit a bluish-tint light. (we call it sky blue) HID bulbs in the factory housings technically violate NHTSA standards and will fail in most states and in some counties.

The best option is to use Projector optics with HID bulbs, This not only prevents glare to oncoming traffic but effectively focuses and distributes the light from the HID light source to cover significantly more road area than a reflector headlight.

Further reading:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...at-doesnt.html

LoneStarLizzard

This regards the Texas state regulations in post #2 above, specifically paragraph 6, subparagraphs b. and l. which state:

b. Lamp is improperly connected and does not light the proper filament for different switch positions.

i. Lamp switch or dimmer switch does not operate properly and is not convenient to the driver.


What do you bet that a Hi-4 wiring-configured C5 with ACA housing and HID low beams (which causes the HID Low beams to remain lit when the high beams are switched on) will be sited as a failure of one or both of the above provisions?

My car now has that Hi-4 configuration. I intend to do the research needed so that I can eliminate that Hi-4 configuration, but not actually eliminate the Hi-4 feature unless/until someone here posts a warning that the Hi-4 feature will flunk the inspection.

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

The Lizzard

wjnjr

FWIW, I've done the hi -4 thing with my trucks since 2001 and never had any inspection problems.

LoneStarLizzard

Well, I haven't had an issue with my Hi-4 connection with either of the last two inspections on my C5. That said, the OP's comment was that the State of Texas DOT is effectively raising the bar (or, if you will, requiring strict enforcement) for compliance with their regulations. So my curiosity is whether the Hi-4 connection is one of those things that will be challenged vis-à-vis a strict reading of the regulations.

Hope not, but only time will tell.

The Lizzard

TheRadioFlyer

I'm willing to be it doesn't. The regulation is that no more than 4 forward projecting lights be on at any given time. The shutting off of the high beam was designed to allow the low beam to operate with the fogs. When the high beams are activated, the low beams (and sometimes fog lights too) shut off.

davidnclearlaketx

I'd go to a little mom and pop type place, hopefully a place you use sometimes for oil changes, tire balance, etc.. and give it a shot. I've seen lots of times the smaller (no chain) type places will let you slide on things the bigger places might get picky on.
I don't think you'll have an issue.
Good luck!

onspeed

Get proper housings or don't run HID lamps. As cool as you may think they look, it just blinds the crap out of other drivers.

davidnclearlaketx

Some of the eBay sellers I've seen are finally offering the housing with the proper optics and design to do it the right way but you have to read carefully on what you are exactly getting and they are more expensive to do it the right way but I certainly agree with onspeed.
You get what you pay for and this is something not to cheap out on.