Yellow high beam bulbs legal?

[mclasser]

Come this winter, I'm will be doing a lot of night and early morning driving for work. My Accord still has the original 9005 high beam bulbs and I'm looking to change them. The yellow bulbs put out by Nokya and Hella look pretty cool but are they legal? I'm not trying to get pulled over due to some stupid bulbs.

 

[fsdork]

They would not be legal here in Alberta. As for your state, you'd have to check the local regulations.

 

[901Memphis]

I don't see any reason to use yellow bulbs here, have you considered 9011 tab mod? That's what I use for my Buick high beams, they are ridiculously well focused beams.

Yellow is legal enough that you won't get pulled over especially since you shouldn't be running high beams around other drivers and the DRL being yellow will look similar to amber DRL

 

[901Memphis]

Some discussion here

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?241011-What-is-allowed-to-have

 

[buck91]

1. Make sure you lenses/housing are in good shape.
2. Ensure your bulbs are getting max voltage by installing headlight relays with heavy gauge wiring.
3. Consider upgrading bulbs. I like Philips Extreme vision. Actually, IIRC the 9005/9006 bulbs can be directly replaced with HIR versions for roughly double the output (9011 and 9012 bulbs).

 

[bvance554]

They look cool? You don't want to get pulled over for stupid bulbs. The only thing stupid would be changing to a bulb because it looks cool, but may not be legal.

 

[eljefino]

The yellow wavelength has less backscatter and has its place.

I would just get yellow fog lights and mount them as low as possible without setting them up for damage. With snow, this would add "dimension" and you can read the ruts better. White high beams and yellow fogs is a great combo when the snow has finished falling but is still on the road.

 

[Johnny2Bad]

Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) being mandatory in Canada for coming up to 30 years now, The Big Three lobbied governments to enact legislation that allowed any colour that would otherwise be legal on the front of a vehicle to be a legal colour for DRLs. So, you can have Yellow DRLs. But you still must have the proper white-ish Colour Temperature for Low and High Beams even if your DRLs are Orange or Yellow.

Still, if you are resident in the US, it would pay to check the state legislation on the matter. Some states only require that the vehicle meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) when on the dealer's new car lot, and anything goes (almost) after the vehicle is delivered to the retail customer. (For the record, all Canadian Provinces require all road-going vehicles meet (Canadian) FMVSS at all times).

This was done so that early implementations of DRLs for Canada Domestic Market (CDM) vehicles could use the identical hardware as United States Domestic Market (USDM) vehicles, with DRLs implemented in the wiring harness only but using the same bulbs, reflectors, lenses, etc. as non-DRL models.

On a practical basis, I agree that Yellow supplemental (Fog) lamps mounted low is the way to go, even if it's discovered that in your local jurisdiction you could run Yellow HiBeams legally.

 

[mikered30]

Yellow, specifically selective yellow, belong in fog lights not high beam. Go with the 9011 philips bulb trimmed to fit. Even if you had yellow bulbs in the high beam, I am not sure how you would be "caught" by police since you have to dim high beams for oncoming traffic. If your low beams are 9006, go with GM Bulb Part# 2334252 and trim it to fit.

 

[DoubleWasp]

There are still plenty of Mercedes and Lexus running around with their factory yellow high-beams.

Had to be legal at some point in time.

 

[JustinH]

Texas code says that driving lamps need to be white and auxiliary lamps can be white or yellow.

Several Lexus Suv's and Sedans have yellow fog lights from the factory, and I duplicated this in my Rav4.

 

[UG_Passat]

Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
There are still plenty of Mercedes and Lexus running around with their factory yellow high-beams.

Had to be legal at some point in time.


No, they were fog lights, not high beams.

 

[SHOZ]

They are legal in Illinois.

Quote:
(b) All other motor vehicles shall exhibit at least 2 lighted head lamps, with at least one on each side of the front of the vehicle, which satisfy United States Department of Transportation requirements, showing white lights, including that emitted by high intensity discharge (HID) lamps, or lights of a yellow or amber tint, during the period from sunset to sunrise, at times when rain, snow, fog, or other atmospheric conditions require the use of windshield wipers, and at any other times when, due to insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions, persons and vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distance of 1000 feet. Parking lamps may be used in addition to but not in lieu of such head lamps. Every motor vehicle, trailer, or semi-trailer shall also exhibit at least 2 lighted lamps, commonly known as tail lamps, which shall be mounted on the left rear and right rear of the vehicle so as to throw a red light visible for at least 500 feet in the reverse direction, except that a truck tractor or road tractor manufactured before January 1, 1968 and all motorcycles need be equipped with only one such tail lamp.


http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K12-201

 

[53' Stude]

In PA those would be illegal for headlights

 

[Smokescreen]

For long distance throw that high beams provide, you would want the purest untinted glass providing the purest incandescent beam possible for max performance and best color rendition.

The selective yellow was used in fog previously as it was perceived to allow better vision feedback in fog etc. If you are using your high beams it wouldn't be in this type of weather needing the selective yellow "advantage". 9011 HIR would be the best best indeed. I have them in my high beams and they truly deliver.