Rant#3 Misaligned headlights and green turnsignals!

Daniel Abranko · #1 08-21-2001, 08:05 PM

More and more idiots are driving around my area with badly aimed headlights, and those riced up multi colored, or even clear turnsignals... Last I remembered, both of these offenses are ticketable... why dont cops bother anymore?

-dan

DavidW · #2 08-21-2001, 08:47 PM

I have also seen clear turn signals. But they corresponded with colored light bulbs.

Misaligned headlights can be turned back onto the driver with accurate rearview mirror aiming [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] Make sure it's not law enforcement [img]images/icons/blush.gif[/img] But I figure if the car in the rearview mirror has perfectly aligned headlights, it's most likely a cop.

JoeyL · #3 08-21-2001, 08:48 PM

I agree with you. In fact what I really can't stand are the new High Intensity Discharge lamps on the high end automobiles. They look like high beams all the time. I'm sure they're great for the driver but they blind oncoming traffic for 1/4 mile. I think it's just plain stupid.

Cyclops942 · #4 08-22-2001, 02:56 PM

I like the new Xenon HID lights. My eyes are bad, and extremely sensitive to glare, and they don't bother me. They do, however, do a great job of standing out from a hazy background (dusk/dawn, bad weather, poor visibility in general).

As for the stupid-colored turn signals, I've also seen blue, and the clear ones I've seen most usually do not have colored bulbs in them. I'd like to be able to point out to them just exactly how unsafe and illegal that is, but I realize they wouldn't listen, anyway.

Brock · #5 08-23-2001, 06:23 PM

I agree that bright brights are a great advantage. However I am a firm believer in standard "dims" and leave them aimed quite low (where they are suppose to be). When my brights come on they trigger a relay to kick on my extra driving lights. So I have 45w lows and 100w brights with an additional 100w driving lights. I NEVER use my brights when another car is anywhere in sight, I believe it is dangerous, annoying, and irritating to other drivers. I sometimes even flash my brights at other cars that leave their driving lights on for no apparent reason or have them misaligned. It is one of my pet peeves.

NightShift · #6 08-23-2001, 07:57 PM

I just upgraded my lighting system over from sealed beams to H4 replaceable bulb units. They consist of 2 units running xenon superwhite 90w lows and 4 units running xenon superwhite 100w high beams. These all are also triggered by relays and re-wired with heavy guage wiring. Also have 55w fog/driving lights always running. All are properly aimed and give me good light. Only on dark roads when nobody else is around do I turn the night-time roads into day time [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Nobody has yet flashed their lights at me once, which I am surprised about, but i guess they just dont bother people and are properly aimed.

Bart · #7 08-23-2001, 10:59 PM

What may look like misaligned headlights may just be those high-wattage headlight bulbs that the ricers put on to make up for the usable light that is lost from the blue coating. I've heard people talk about how they have 85+ watts for their low beams. I think it's ridiculous. As far as real HIDs are concerned... they are OK. Probably not worth the $1000+ to obtain them though. I do agree that they are a little too bright though... but only when I cross their beam. I live in a hilly area so their low beams hit my windshield quite often.

cave dave · #8 08-25-2001, 02:00 PM

Recently my Low beam on the right side burnt out. Repalcing the bulb requires tools, an I'm lazy. So I've been driving with the high beams on all the time. Before someone gets upset let me note that:
1) I aimed the headlights further down.
2) The crappy Plastic lenses on my Crysler Concorde have turned so yellow that not much light gets through anymore.
3) nobody has flashed me yet in two weeks.
I think my highs are less bright then some of them fancy BMW low beams.
I like it so much I might just keep it that way (at least until inspection time [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Brock · #9 08-25-2001, 10:49 PM

Ok cave dave we forgive you. I agree that it totally depends on how the lights are aimed. I also don't like people who put light on their houses/garages that shine right down the road. It is almost funny to imagine someone walking to their front door with their own porch light shinning right in their eyes, what are they thinking? Oh well...

**DONOTDELETE** · #10 08-26-2001, 11:05 AM

Brock, I concur. In neighboring Malibu there is an ordinance that states all house and path lights must be 'dim and downward cast' -- good idea!
But here in Ventura the (grid-tied) neighbors aren't as evolved, pointing glaring lights up off their property, up the hill, to light up my shack. When the wind blew at night the tree branches would make a nice strobe effect that I'm sure could induce fits in the more susceptible. Complaints to police, maybe, made them take them down. Now they put up just one souped-up yellow (sodium vapor?) very bright light, placed in a clearing pointing up at me, unobstructed by trees, not illuminating their own place whatsoever...since they are grid-tied they just leave it on all night.
Myself being solely solar-powered, I can't return the favor...but, some day, soon...heh heh heh...I'll say no more...but, heh heh heh...