What I didn't know about HIDs and LEDs

Non-Suzuki related topics. Anything can go here.
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KuroNekko
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Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

SamirD wrote:FMVSS and DOT, like all standards, requires testing and submission to get approved. And that costs money--money that companies that do this will not get because the cheap chinese knockoffs will sell on Amazon and their genuine product will not. So...no one bothers with the approvals. Kinda like being UL listed--every product used to do that, and now no one does.
There's no point with HID or LED kits. They are illegal because the DOT law states that any bulb system installed other than with factory original equipment is illegal. Hence, there is absolutely no point in getting certifications for something that is by design and purpose not going to qualify. It's pretty much up to the consumer to seek out quality brands and retailers. This is the reason I'm running a Morimoto kit from TRS. Their kits are made with higher quality materials that resemble the OE factory materials and quality. In fact, you can even upgrade the kits to OE quality bulbs from Philips and Matsushita in some applications. I've been running my Morimoto XB35 kit with the same bulbs and ballasts now for over 5 years, exceeding their very generous warranty period. Well worth $150, IMO.
Even the closeout sale ACME brand LED bulb kit I bought around 4 years ago is running perfectly. It features Philips ZES Lumileds emitters yet the kit was about $35. They are my DRL/High beams.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
SamirD
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KuroNekko wrote:
SamirD wrote:FMVSS and DOT, like all standards, requires testing and submission to get approved. And that costs money--money that companies that do this will not get because the cheap chinese knockoffs will sell on Amazon and their genuine product will not. So...no one bothers with the approvals. Kinda like being UL listed--every product used to do that, and now no one does.
There's no point with HID or LED kits. They are illegal because the DOT law states that any bulb system installed other than with factory original equipment is illegal. Hence, there is absolutely no point in getting certifications for something that is by design and purpose not going to qualify. It's pretty much up to the consumer to seek out quality brands and retailers. This is the reason I'm running a Morimoto kit from TRS. Their kits are made with higher quality materials that resemble the OE factory materials and quality. In fact, you can even upgrade the kits to OE quality bulbs from Philips and Matsushita in some applications. I've been running my Morimoto XB35 kit with the same bulbs and ballasts now for over 5 years, exceeding their very generous warranty period. Well worth $150, IMO.
Even the closeout sale ACME brand LED bulb kit I bought around 4 years ago is running perfectly. It features Philips ZES Lumileds emitters yet the kit was about $35. They are my DRL/High beams.
There are actually ways to get aftermarket stuff DOT approved as the collision companies do it for aftermarket parts on headlights and tail lights--it's just so expensive that unless you know you're going to have high volume, you can't invest in it. TYC (the company that was making Altezzas for everything, lol) is actually one of the largest aftermarket light manufacturers, and they make the aftermarket collision parts that a lot of body shop use. When I had the auto parts franchise, they were pushing us to carry that stuff, but we heard that they leak so we didn't. :lol:
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