LED mods..
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RE: LED mods..
when it comes to vehicle lighting, in america all states requiered the same things
Retroreflectors
The most basic vehicle conspicuity devices are retroreflectors (also reflex reflectors or, archaically, cat's eyes - not to be confused with the reflective road markings), which despite emitting no light on their own, are regulated as automotive lighting devices. These devices reflect light from other vehicles' headlamps back towards the light source, that is, other vehicles' drivers. Thus, vehicles are conspicuous even when their electrically-powered lighting system is deactivated or disabled. Regulations worldwide require each vehicle to be equipped with rear-facing red retroreflectors. North American regulations also require amber front and red rear side-facing retroreflectors
Rear position lamps (tail lamps)
Nighttime vehicle conspicuity to the rear is provided by rear position lamps. These are required to produce only red light, and to be wired such that they are lit whenever the front position lamps are illuminated—including when the headlamps are on. Rear position lamps may be combined with the vehicles brake lamps, or separate from them. In combined-function installations, the lamps produce brighter red light for the brake lamp function, and dimmer red light for the rear position lamp function. Regulations worldwide stipulate minimum intensity ratios between the bright (brake) and dim (tail) modes, so that a vehicle displaying rear position lamps will not be mistakenly interpreted as showing brake lamps, and vice versa.
Rear registration plate lamp(License Plate Light)
The rear registration plate must be illuminated by a white lamp whenever the position lamps are active.
Sidemarker lights
In North America, amber front and red rear sidemarker lamps and retroreflectors are required. The law initially required lights or retroreflectors on vehicles made after 1 January1968. This was amended to require lights and retroreflectors on vehicles made after 1 January1970. These side-facing devices make the vehicle's presence, position and direction of travel clearly visible from oblique angles. The lights are wired so as to illuminate whenever the vehicles' parking and taillamps are on, including when the headlamps are being used
Turn signals
Turn signals (properly directional indicators or directional signals, also "indicators," "directionals," "blinkers," or "flashers") are signal lights mounted near the left and right front and rear corners, and sometimes on the sides of vehicles, used to indicate to other drivers that the operator intends a lateral change of position (turn or lanechange). Today, turn signals are required on all vehicles that are driven on public roadways in most countries. Alternative systems of hand signals were used earlier, and they are still common for bicycles. Hand signals are also sometimes used when regular vehicle lights are malfunctioning.
As with all vehicle lighting and signalling devices, turn signal lights must comply with technical standards that stipulate minimum and maximum permissible intensity levels, minimum horizontal and vertical angles of visibility, and minimum illuminated surface area to ensure that they are visible at all relevant angles, do not dazzle those who view them, and are suitably conspicuous in conditions ranging from full darkness to full direct sunlight. Recent styling trends have raised concerns that turn signals with colourless clear lenses may pose special problems in bright sunlight.[26]
Side turn signals
In most countries outside North America, cars must be equipped with side-mounted turn signal repeaters to make the turn indication visible laterally rather than just to the front and rear of the vehicle. These are permitted, but not required in North America. As an alternative in North America, the front amber sidemarker lights may be wired to flash with the turn signals, but this also is not mandatory. Recently, some automakers have begun incorporating side turn signal devices into the sideview mirror housings, rather than mounting them on the vehicle's fenders. There is some evidence to suggest these mirror-mounted turn signals may be more effective than fender-mounted items.
Turn signal colour
Until the early 1960s, most front turn signals worldwide emitted white light and most rear turn signals emitted red. Amber front turn signals were voluntarily adopted by the auto industry in the USA for most vehicles beginning in the 1963 model year, though front turn signals were still permitted to emit white light until FMVSS 108 took effect for the 1968 model year, whereupon amber became the only permissible colour for front turn signals. Presently, almost all countries outside North America require that all front, side and rear turn signals produce amber light. In North America the rear signals may be amber or red. International proponents of amber rear signals say they are more easily discernible as turn signals, and US studies in the early 1990s demonstrated improvements in the speed and accuracy of following drivers' reaction to brake lamps when the turn signals were amber rather than red. US regulators and other proponents of red rear turn signals claim there is no proven lifesaving benefit to amber signals.
Stop lamps (brake lamps)
Red steady-burning rear lights, brighter than the taillamps, are activated when the driver applies the vehicle's brakes. These are called brake lights or stop lamps. They are required to be fitted in multiples of two, symmetrically at the left and right edges of the rear of every vehicle. In North America, the acceptable range for a single-bulb brake lamp is 80 to 300 candelas.
Centre High Mount Stop Lamp (Third Brake Light)
In North America since 1986,a central brake lamp, mounted higher than the vehicle's left and right brake lamps and called a Centre High Mount Stop Lamp (CHMSL), is also required. The CHMSL is also sometimes referred to as the centre brake lamp, the 3rd brake Lamp, the eye-level brake lamp, the safety brake lamp, or the high-level brake lamp. The CHMSL may produce light by means of a single central filament bulb, a row or cluster of filament bulbs or LEDs, or a strip of Neon tube.
Rationale
The stop lamps on vehicles are traditionally placed in the same housing as the tail lights and turn signals. The CHMSL provides a deceleration warning to following drivers, whose view of the braking vehicle's regular stop lamps is blocked by interceding vehicles. It also helps to disambiguate brake vs. turn signal messages in North America, where red rear turn signals identical in appearance to brake lamps are permitted. The CHMSL is required to illuminate steadily; it is not permitted to flash except in certain cases under severe braking
Reversing lamps
To provide illumination to the rear when backing up, and to warn adjacent vehicle operators and pedestrians of a vehicle's rearward motion, each vehicle must be equipped with at least one rear-mounted, rear-facing reversing lamp (or "backup light"). These are currently required to produce white light by U.S. and international ECE regulations. Vehicle manufacturers, faced with the task of localizing American cars originally equipped with combination red brake/turn signal lamps and white reversing lamps, were able to combine the (mandatorily amber) rear turn signal and (optionally amber) reversing lamp function, and so comply with the regulations without the need to add additional lighting devices to the rear of the vehicles.
Retroreflectors
The most basic vehicle conspicuity devices are retroreflectors (also reflex reflectors or, archaically, cat's eyes - not to be confused with the reflective road markings), which despite emitting no light on their own, are regulated as automotive lighting devices. These devices reflect light from other vehicles' headlamps back towards the light source, that is, other vehicles' drivers. Thus, vehicles are conspicuous even when their electrically-powered lighting system is deactivated or disabled. Regulations worldwide require each vehicle to be equipped with rear-facing red retroreflectors. North American regulations also require amber front and red rear side-facing retroreflectors
Rear position lamps (tail lamps)
Nighttime vehicle conspicuity to the rear is provided by rear position lamps. These are required to produce only red light, and to be wired such that they are lit whenever the front position lamps are illuminated—including when the headlamps are on. Rear position lamps may be combined with the vehicles brake lamps, or separate from them. In combined-function installations, the lamps produce brighter red light for the brake lamp function, and dimmer red light for the rear position lamp function. Regulations worldwide stipulate minimum intensity ratios between the bright (brake) and dim (tail) modes, so that a vehicle displaying rear position lamps will not be mistakenly interpreted as showing brake lamps, and vice versa.
Rear registration plate lamp(License Plate Light)
The rear registration plate must be illuminated by a white lamp whenever the position lamps are active.
Sidemarker lights
In North America, amber front and red rear sidemarker lamps and retroreflectors are required. The law initially required lights or retroreflectors on vehicles made after 1 January1968. This was amended to require lights and retroreflectors on vehicles made after 1 January1970. These side-facing devices make the vehicle's presence, position and direction of travel clearly visible from oblique angles. The lights are wired so as to illuminate whenever the vehicles' parking and taillamps are on, including when the headlamps are being used
Turn signals
Turn signals (properly directional indicators or directional signals, also "indicators," "directionals," "blinkers," or "flashers") are signal lights mounted near the left and right front and rear corners, and sometimes on the sides of vehicles, used to indicate to other drivers that the operator intends a lateral change of position (turn or lanechange). Today, turn signals are required on all vehicles that are driven on public roadways in most countries. Alternative systems of hand signals were used earlier, and they are still common for bicycles. Hand signals are also sometimes used when regular vehicle lights are malfunctioning.
As with all vehicle lighting and signalling devices, turn signal lights must comply with technical standards that stipulate minimum and maximum permissible intensity levels, minimum horizontal and vertical angles of visibility, and minimum illuminated surface area to ensure that they are visible at all relevant angles, do not dazzle those who view them, and are suitably conspicuous in conditions ranging from full darkness to full direct sunlight. Recent styling trends have raised concerns that turn signals with colourless clear lenses may pose special problems in bright sunlight.[26]
Side turn signals
In most countries outside North America, cars must be equipped with side-mounted turn signal repeaters to make the turn indication visible laterally rather than just to the front and rear of the vehicle. These are permitted, but not required in North America. As an alternative in North America, the front amber sidemarker lights may be wired to flash with the turn signals, but this also is not mandatory. Recently, some automakers have begun incorporating side turn signal devices into the sideview mirror housings, rather than mounting them on the vehicle's fenders. There is some evidence to suggest these mirror-mounted turn signals may be more effective than fender-mounted items.
Turn signal colour
Until the early 1960s, most front turn signals worldwide emitted white light and most rear turn signals emitted red. Amber front turn signals were voluntarily adopted by the auto industry in the USA for most vehicles beginning in the 1963 model year, though front turn signals were still permitted to emit white light until FMVSS 108 took effect for the 1968 model year, whereupon amber became the only permissible colour for front turn signals. Presently, almost all countries outside North America require that all front, side and rear turn signals produce amber light. In North America the rear signals may be amber or red. International proponents of amber rear signals say they are more easily discernible as turn signals, and US studies in the early 1990s demonstrated improvements in the speed and accuracy of following drivers' reaction to brake lamps when the turn signals were amber rather than red. US regulators and other proponents of red rear turn signals claim there is no proven lifesaving benefit to amber signals.
Stop lamps (brake lamps)
Red steady-burning rear lights, brighter than the taillamps, are activated when the driver applies the vehicle's brakes. These are called brake lights or stop lamps. They are required to be fitted in multiples of two, symmetrically at the left and right edges of the rear of every vehicle. In North America, the acceptable range for a single-bulb brake lamp is 80 to 300 candelas.
Centre High Mount Stop Lamp (Third Brake Light)
In North America since 1986,a central brake lamp, mounted higher than the vehicle's left and right brake lamps and called a Centre High Mount Stop Lamp (CHMSL), is also required. The CHMSL is also sometimes referred to as the centre brake lamp, the 3rd brake Lamp, the eye-level brake lamp, the safety brake lamp, or the high-level brake lamp. The CHMSL may produce light by means of a single central filament bulb, a row or cluster of filament bulbs or LEDs, or a strip of Neon tube.
Rationale
The stop lamps on vehicles are traditionally placed in the same housing as the tail lights and turn signals. The CHMSL provides a deceleration warning to following drivers, whose view of the braking vehicle's regular stop lamps is blocked by interceding vehicles. It also helps to disambiguate brake vs. turn signal messages in North America, where red rear turn signals identical in appearance to brake lamps are permitted. The CHMSL is required to illuminate steadily; it is not permitted to flash except in certain cases under severe braking
Reversing lamps
To provide illumination to the rear when backing up, and to warn adjacent vehicle operators and pedestrians of a vehicle's rearward motion, each vehicle must be equipped with at least one rear-mounted, rear-facing reversing lamp (or "backup light"). These are currently required to produce white light by U.S. and international ECE regulations. Vehicle manufacturers, faced with the task of localizing American cars originally equipped with combination red brake/turn signal lamps and white reversing lamps, were able to combine the (mandatorily amber) rear turn signal and (optionally amber) reversing lamp function, and so comply with the regulations without the need to add additional lighting devices to the rear of the vehicles.