Quad beam setup

[Bernie]

Be aware though that the Quad Beam mod is for off-road use only, and is illegal under FMVSS-108 for use on the highway.

 

[thunderstruck]

Be aware though that the Quad Beam mod is for off-road use only, and is illegal under FMVSS-108 for use on the highway.

I thought that it is illegal if you have more than four headlights working at once. After all, the GMT900 trucks have the quad-beam setup from the factory.

 

[ScottyBoy]

Its only illegal if you have another set of lights such as foglights on. 4 bulbs lit is the max. That's why most fogs are wired from the factory to turn off once you turn on your highbeams.

 

[Bernie]

From the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards:

[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 5]
[Revised as of October 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR571.108]

[Page 239-313]

TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION

CHAPTER V--NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT
OF TRANSPORTATION

PART 571_FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS--Table of Contents

Subpart B_Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

Sec. 571.108 Standard No. 108; Lamps, reflective devices, and associated
equipment.
S.5.5.1 Each vehicle shall have a means of switching between lower
and upper beams that conforms to SAE Recommended Practice J564a Headlamp
Beam Switching, April 1964 or to SAE Recommended Practice J565b, Semi-
Automatic Headlamp Beam Switching Devices, February 1969. Except as
provided in S5.5.8, the lower and upper beams shall not be energized
simultaneously except momentarily for temporary signalling purposes or
during switching between beams.

(Section 5.5.8 cited above allows exceptions where the manufacturer of the vehicle specifically designs the headlamps so that both lamps are on to provide the illumination required for upper beams. In all cases the lamps and the system must meet very strict photometric standards regarding light output, the shape of the beam, beam spread, height, glare, etc. Unless the manufacturer specifically designed the vehicle to need both lamps on in the upper mode, and designed that system to meet the FMVSS-108 requirements, having both lamps on at the same time is a violation of Federal law.)

I know this shiz backwards and forwards because I used to be a state inspector, and I designed lighting systems for emergency vehicles.

 

[Bernie]

Now... Your chances of actually being stopped for it depend a lot on how pissed off the officer in question gets. If you've just blinded him with your lights you can probably expect a pretty hefty fine. Oh, and under that same Federal law your vehicle can be legally impounded and destroyed since it does not meet Federal Safety Standards. It's extremely rare for that to ever happen, but it has happened. The last time I actually know of it having been done was back in the 90's, and the vehicle had already been impounded by US Customs at a border checkpoint for another violation. The driver was a asshat though, who proceeded to totally piss off every agent at the border crossing, especially when he refused to deal with the agent assigned to work out a release for the vehicle because she was a woman. That completely pissed off the "big boss" of that border crossing, who also just happened to be female. Since he refused to cooperate (and was being such an asshat) she had no problems at all ordering the vehicle crushed.

Oh, and the female agent that he first refused to deal with? That was my wife.

 

[OPGMC]

Its not like he will be driving around with them on in traffic. I wouldn't worry about the legal aspect at all. If they only come on when you would be using your brights then I don't see a problem.

 

[Bernie]

Its not like he will be driving around with them on in traffic. I wouldn't worry about the legal aspect at all. If they only come on when you would be using your brights then I don't see a problem.

Like I said, his chances of actually being stopped for them are pretty slim. But, if he lives in a place with annual safety inspections (like NY or VA), he could end up failing the inspection.

As with anything else in life, it's always best to know the rules before you do something, so you can make an informed choice about what you plan to do.

 

[drperry]

Its not like he will be driving around with them on in traffic. I wouldn't worry about the legal aspect at all. If they only come on when you would be using your brights then I don't see a problem.

Like I said, his chances of actually being stopped for them are pretty slim. But, if he lives in a place with annual safety inspections (like NY or VA), he could end up failing the inspection.

As with anything else in life, it's always best to know the rules before you do something, so you can make an informed choice about what you plan to do.

He could always wire an interrupt switch into the relay trigger wire

Almost everyone with non-factory HID's is breaking your DOT laws

Canada's laws are pretty lax on that... We have a maximum lumen output, and our light bulbs must be clear, and we can only have a maximum of 4 lights on at a time.

 

[Bernie]

Its not like he will be driving around with them on in traffic. I wouldn't worry about the legal aspect at all. If they only come on when you would be using your brights then I don't see a problem.

Like I said, his chances of actually being stopped for them are pretty slim. But, if he lives in a place with annual safety inspections (like NY or VA), he could end up failing the inspection.

As with anything else in life, it's always best to know the rules before you do something, so you can make an informed choice about what you plan to do.

He could always wire an interrupt switch into the relay trigger wire

Almost everyone with non-factory HID's is breaking your DOT laws

Canada's laws are pretty lax on that... We have a maximum lumen output, and our light bulbs must be clear, and we can only have a maximum of 4 lights on at a time.

Different states have different additional requirements, but all of them have the FMVSS as the baseline. And some are just strange. For example, in VA, if you have any additional lights installed on the vehicle, and they aren't covered when you bring it in for inspection, then those lights all have to function to pass inspection, even if they're not required for highway use. I found that out when my truck was first inspected, and I had a bulb burned out in my lightbar. I had to replace the bulb to pass inspection. In NY, a broken bulb in a taillight can net you up to five tickets, or five separate failures on an inspection, because on some vehicles a single 1157 bulb acts as a parking lamp, brake light, side marker, turn signal and license plate lamp in some housings. And in Maryland, you can fail inspection for rusty doors. (My old E-350 failed that way once)

Interestingly, most aftermarket HID kits do meet FMVSS and DOT requirements, because they're sold as a complete assembly, and the assembly meets the requirements.

 

[drperry]

The HID kits themselves meet the DOT standards, but only for use in HID approved housings... I think

Depending on the state, though... Don't ask me which one does what...