What is the Law regarding smoked rear lights?

[Rkive]

I am looking at getting some smoked rear lights off ebay, and was wondering what are the regulations surrounding them? How dark can they be? Does a reflector need to be visible? anyone know?

Thanks

[march109]

All the lights need to be the correct colour and bright enough to be visable, and a red reflector must also be visable.

[Rkive]

These are the lights im hoping to put on,



The light shines through fine but the reflector I dont think will work, could I just place a sticky one over the lights to make it legal?

[grantfk10]

I'd place a sticky reflector below rather than on the light cluster itself?

[BadDave]

Sticky reflector will work for the MOT

As for the legality of the smoked light clusters it would be down to the individual mot tester or copper to decide
They'd probably come up with something along the lines of "contrary to Construction and Use regulations"

I've got ones that look about the same as the ones you intend fitting
For the MOT(next couple of days) I've just put the originals back on and will change them back later in the week

[binxy69]

hav u seen mine lately lol, went thru an MOT ok

[Rkive]

Cool, has anyone had experience with tinting their e30 lights themselves? If so what did you use and was it easy?

Its just the lights in the pic are in ebay for like £50+£20 postage which is steep.

[binxy69]

I put 2 coats of silver paint and 2 coats of laquer on a set of tech 1 lights and they were fine. I get mixed opinions as to having body colours lights but hey it was a laugh and I had a spare set if things went wrong.

[DanThe]

£50 + £20 post!!!!

Can of tint spray is about £5

[Rkive]

Yeah I think il go with the spray lol. Makes sense.

[binxy69]

Indeed, got 2 b careful to get an even coating, but its not rocket science.

[Rkive]

So is it just simply spray it on then laquer, do you need to prepare at all?

[binxy69]

I gave mine a quick going over with some wet and dry to help it stick. But other than that, yeh wack it on, but go easy, you want a good covering but not too good that the light doesn't come thru. I found the best way to judge it was in my garage in the evening, shine a leadlight thru the back of the lense to make sure they illuminate ok.

[1an]

hav u seen mine lately lol, went thru an MOT ok

how the hell did your lights go through! you cant even see the brake lights when i was follwing you.

[tailoutcharlie]

have a gander here fella
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... chtint.htm

[J_Mac]

mine cost a tenner all in all, in my sig

[Rkive]

Nice pair, J_Mac.

Who is she?

[maxfield]

A copper once told my Dad his were illegal.

[fuzzy]

Nice pair, J_Mac.

Who is she?

i didnt even notice the "she". i thought the pair you were refering to was the 2 pics of the e30
i believe you must show a reflector but that can be an additional one stuck on your bumper . the white reverse lights wont matter for the mot as reverse lights arent tested in the mot.
dont indicators have to flash orange though? and i think you will be treading on thin ice in regards to the darkness that youve sprayed them and the amount of light that will shine through because of this.
id expect a few pulls from the boys in blue with them and to always be aware of the person behind you not seeing your brakelights and rear ending you and then blaming your dodgy lights resulting in a messy insurance claim .possibly.
personally i wouldnt go as dark as that as thats an 1980's throwback mod

[J_Mac]

I think i'm at a limit with the light grade, seem's to be bright enough still.
Touch wood no pull's as yet after a year, altho a copper who know's his stuff would probably have something to say, that where reflectors would help in the blaggin









And that my friend is next door nikki

[fuzzy]

i once failed an mot because the brake lights were not of a similar brightness due to spraying tint on. one was slightly darker than the other.

[A1BMW325iSport]

I think i'm at a limit with the light grade, seem's to be bright enough still.
Touch wood no pull's as yet after a year, altho a copper who know's his stuff would probably have something to say, that where reflectors would help in the blaggin









And that my friend is next door nikki

i got mine done the same

[pnd]

the law is if you have smokedlights you look like a plonker.

[J_Mac]

ah very helpful input there, i missed that law, is it in the highwaycode or something?