I have installed JDM front for my tegy and now i cant pass the lamp inspection... yeh i kno... before i ran in to this problem i didnt even heard of sae or dot...

so my question is, is there anything i can do to pass it without having it convert back to USDM front.

thanx

 

Swap the headlights out for the OEM lights for the inspection then swap them back. Of course theres not DOT stamp on your JDM lights.

 

to change it back i will have to change the whole front tht means weld a diffrent radiator support plus get the all the USDM parts cuz mine were damaged... if it was just lights tht i could change i would...

 

only way to do it is to etch in the DOT or SAE logo into the lens from the inside.

 

wana do it for me? lol

 

i live in canada
lol

 

Wow, this is the first I've heard of this ever happening before. Do you live in California? You'd think this would be more of a problem, with as strict as they are on inspections and all that crap.

Are they actually looking at the headlight beam pattern, or are they just looking at the headlight lens?

 

yeh i live by sacramento in california.

there just lookin for the markings with SAE or DOT wich i dont have since its Japanese...

 

lol that is not going to work unless the person doing the inspection is blind.

 

I've been pulled over many times in my jdm front itr and they have never said a thing about the front end. Is the car being blue tagged or being inspected by the CHP for being totaled? If so you should of left on the usdm front end until after the inspection because they check all the safety equipment and lights and you will not pass with the jdm front end unless you get lucky and they don't check the lights. Your best bet is to try to secure the usdm front without swapping the support out, you better have a lot of zip ties.

 

its not inspected by CHP i just need to get the papers for dmv tht it passes lamp brake and smog.... my front was damaged so i got JDM... i dont even have USDM parts

 

Do the JDM lights have nipples? The lack of nipples is what probably tipped off the inspector.

 

uh what? USDM 3rd gen Integras don't have "nipples" on the headlights either. Neither does my mom's 2007 Camry or my dad's 2006 Tacoma. My wife's 96 Corolla does, but I'm pretty sure newer Corollas do not.

 

That's what I'm thinking...the JDM lights are more "conventional" so maybe that's the first thing the inspector looked for. I don't think the mounting nipples are even used anymore. My friend in Hawaii has JDM lights on his EG and I don't think the RECON inspector even cared that there were no mounting nipples.

Maybe this inspector happened to notice the lack of nipples, or he just simply noticed no DOT stamp.

 

Check to see if there's some kind of function test they can do to see that the lights illuminate the road correctly.

I think some kit cars and older cars refitted with newer lights (ie, custom hot rods) were able to get a pass after demonstrating that their reflex reflectors and headlights passed the standards of the time.

 

no i dont think they care about the nipples, just that it doesn't say DOT on it...

 

where are you trying to get your inspection done? Pm me I might point you in the right direction.

 

nipple's? LOL

that has nothing to do with why they are not DOT/SAE approved.

jdm headlights do not require a headlight bulb shield (shield infront of the bulb). this in turn decreases visibility and also is more powerful upclose. plus japan doesnt have a dot/sae system like ours.

as for getting it passed. take to a different place and have it inspected maybe they will miss it.

 

i know about 10 guys that did this on their headlights and passed it. if you have the right tools anything can be done.

 

And there's the issue.

It is illegal to remove DOT approved (and mandated) lighting to replace with non-approved lighting.

And JDM headlamps are terrible to use in the US, as the passenger side (where light can shine up higher) is now oncoming traffic.

The only way to actually be legal (lighting wise), is to put legal headlamps back on the car. Do any of the companies making aftermarket headlamps (for example, the halo lamps) offer a DOT approved headlamp for JDM fronts?

You could try using a set of Accord headlamps. Even if they don't fit 100%, they'll have the DOT markings on them.

Of course, the car already has had the US crash standard approved front end removed and replaced with a non-legal front end, so trying to actually conform to 100% legality isn't possible. Just do the minimum necessary to pass inspection.

 

i think they need to fit 100%

 

wats are the tools used for this?

 

I thought USDM lights were geared more towards shinging upwards since not all their road signs are illuminated and the upwards light would reflect off the reflective road signs (unless I'm confusing US and EU lighting standards).

 

JDM Integras have projector headlights just like USDM Integras, which have a cutoff shield inside just like all low-beam projectors on all cars everywhere in the world. The difference is the step in the shield that makes the cutoff higher on the passenger side of the car. On LHD cars the higher side of the cutoff is on the right, and on RHD cars it's on the left.

OE JDM HID Integra headlight cutoff:



USDM HID projector cutoff:



Most newer reflector lamps and all low-beam projector lamps in the US have a flat cutoff, with an upward flare or step oriented toward the right (passenger) side of the car, off to the side of the road. This helps direct more light off to the side of the road, which can help with signs, but headlights should NEVER be aimed with the cutoff rising at an upward angle. It should always be directed slightly below horizontal. The federal US requirement is 2.1 inches of fall per 25 feet in front of the car.

 

Quick question. My car got salvaged after damage from a theft attempt, and I've yet to get my car's brake and light test. In the the time I've put on a JDM front and didn't think about not passing the inspection.

So my question is, who does the inspection? If I go to a shop that I know, can they just sign off that my car is cool, or will someone at the DMV/CHP do it?

Another off topic question, Is there any way to reverse the cut off with the JDM headlights so you can aim on the right side of the road? Thanks.