Are Amber (Euro) Rear Turnsignals in USA Fixtures DOT Compliant?, Rear Euro Sidemarker in USA Fixture is Amber, not Red Options

[Spoke]

Just wondering if putting Euro rear lenses on USA fixtures with active sidemarker is USA DOT compliant. The Euro rear lenses have amber turnsignals which should be acceptable. However, the USA fixture has a sidemarker bulb which is red with the US rear lens and amber with the Euro lens.

This sentence was copied from a description of lighting:

"In the United States, the lens of a side marker, made of high impact, translucent plastic, is amber-colored for the front of the vehicle and red for the rear."

And this one:
Effective January 1, 1968, all passenger cars built for sale in the United States were required to display amber lights or reflectors on the sides of front fenders, and red lights or reflectors on the sides of rear quarter panels.

From Washington State Legislature:
RCW 46.37.100
Color of clearance lamps, side marker lamps, backup lamps, and reflectors.
(1) Front clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the front or on the side near the front of a vehicle shall display or reflect an amber color.
(2) Rear clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the rear or on the sides near the rear of a vehicle shall display or reflect a red color.

The LED boards that I make have amber sidemarker LEDs for amber rear turnsignals. It makes me wonder if the amber sidemarker LEDs should be shut off or constructed with RED LEDs.

Thoughts?

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

not back when the car was manufactured. These days most cars have the red amber installed so today they are just fine

Just wondering if putting Euro rear lenses on USA fixtures with active sidemarker is USA DOT compliant. The Euro rear lenses have amber turnsignals which should be acceptable. However, the USA fixture has a sidemarker bulb which is red with the US rear lens and amber with the Euro lens.

This sentence was copied from a description of lighting:

"In the United States, the lens of a side marker, made of high impact, translucent plastic, is amber-colored for the front of the vehicle and red for the rear."

And this one:
Effective January 1, 1968, all passenger cars built for sale in the United States were required to display amber lights or reflectors on the sides of front fenders, and red lights or reflectors on the sides of rear quarter panels.

From Washington State Legislature:
RCW 46.37.100
Color of clearance lamps, side marker lamps, backup lamps, and reflectors.
(1) Front clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the front or on the side near the front of a vehicle shall display or reflect an amber color.
(2) Rear clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the rear or on the sides near the rear of a vehicle shall display or reflect a red color.

The LED boards that I make have amber sidemarker LEDs for amber rear turnsignals. It makes me wonder if the amber sidemarker LEDs should be shut off or constructed with RED LEDs.

Thoughts?

[GregAmy]

Officer: "Do you know why I pulled you over?"

Guy: "Um, no sir."

Officer: "Your reg shows that's a 1972 car"

Guy: "Yes, sir?"

Officer: "You have amber rear turn signal lenses."

Guy: "Um, ok...?"

Officer: "Please step out of the car, sir, with your hands in clear view."

[DRPHIL914]

Officer: "Do you know why I pulled you over?"

Guy: "Um, no sir."

Officer: "Your reg shows that's a 1972 car"

Guy: "Yes, sir?"

Officer: "You have amber rear turn signal lenses."

Guy: "Um, ok...?"

Officer: "Please step out of the car, sir, with your hands in clear view."

I know you are joking tongue and cheek here or I hope so- unless you are in the
(Admin Edit: ***no politics***) it’s not going to happen, as Doc said it is now fully legal for amber according to SC and fed guidelines . I spent some time researching this both state dot website state law etc and discussed with several law enforcement officers before covering to my euro spec lenses here. My 914 now is essentially same as the Boxster- now the did say an uninformed officer could mistakenly pull someone over thinking they should have amber when the just had red, but when the law changed it actually specifies that boy ways are legal and this was done to allow for the change and variation with newer and older vehicles. So you are good to go-
Phil
ps- I have a copy of that from the state DOT in my owners manual just in case but I don’t think that’s going to happen .

[rhodyguy]

If the WSP is bored on a Friday night the law might be enforced. Happened to me. The Euro lenses might have confused people behind me. Then I was confused but knew better than to argue. told the trooper I had a dot spec set and would put them on. Never did.

[DRPHIL914]

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/do-turn-...have-to-be-red/

[Montreal914]

About 10 years ago, I got red rubber covers from my local flap to put over the rear side marker bulbs. The result was interesting. The whole amber lens corner was actually red when lights on but became flashing orange when the blinker was on. The power of the blinker bulb was far greater.

I did this after un-successfully looking for a red bulb for the side marker bulb size. After a few short years the red cover lost its color...

Fast forward to LED light era, I recently found red LED side marker bulb and put them on. The LED isn’t as strong as the incandescent so the result is not perfect but you get the idea...

If you are currently offering the updated side marker LED board, you might want to try assembling one with red LEDs and see the result. Obviously, keep the orange LEDs for the blinker.

[Maltese Falcon]

A small square of red translucent film, apply like a decal and this works too ! This one has 30 years on it might be time to replace the film.

[Wyvern]

Or use Euro lenses with a RED LED . brighter, less draw and the illumination is red

[dcecc1968]

Looks like North Carolina law is silent on side markers and side marker color, but interestingly enough red OR amber stop lights are OK. I've never seen an amber stoplight

[Mark Henry]

I used a bit of duct seal aluminum tape to make a refector divider so the side marker didn't light up the turn signal area as much.

[Spoke]

So did Euro 914's which were manufactured with amber turnsignals have a sidemarker bulb at all?

I'm tempted to build a set of amber turnsignals with red sidemarker LEDs to test out how well the red comes through the amber lens.

[Mikey914]

It's not a problem till it's a problem.
If someone rear ends you and they are knowledgable enough to know it's not stock, there is an arguement that they might not be at fault as your lights are not compliant.
Odds are slim to none, but a possibility.

[mepstein]

So did Euro 914's which were manufactured with amber turnsignals have a sidemarker bulb at all?

I'm tempted to build a set of amber turnsignals with red sidemarker LEDs to test out how well the red comes through the amber lens.

I don't believe they used the bulb.
I have a euro lens if you want to test.

[bbrock]

So did Euro 914's which were manufactured with amber turnsignals have a sidemarker bulb at all?

I'm tempted to build a set of amber turnsignals with red sidemarker LEDs to test out how well the red comes through the amber lens.

While trying to find more information on this, I found some European regulations that said side markers are allowed, but not required. If present, they could be either red or amber so with or without that bulb in a Euro lens, they would be legal there.

Seems like if we could get the side markers to light up through the amber lenses, it would be a win-win for US/Canada drivers.

[Montreal914]

So did Euro 914's which were manufactured with amber turnsignals have a sidemarker bulb at all?

I'm tempted to build a set of amber turnsignals with red sidemarker LEDs to test out how well the red comes through the amber lens.

To my knowledge, the EU cars do not have the rear side marker bulb in. It would be consistent with the fact that there are no side markers in the front.

Please run a test with red LEDs for rear side marker to be used in combination with amber LED for the turn signal. I have been lurking at your products for a while now and would definitely appreciate that option. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Superhawk996]

If the WSP is bored on a Friday night the law might be enforced. Happened to me. The Euro lenses might have confused people behind me. Then I was confused but knew better than to argue. told the trooper I had a dot spec set and would put them on. Never did.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[Spoke]

Please run a test with red LEDs for rear side marker to be used in combination with amber LED for the turn signal. I have been lurking at your products for a while now and would definitely appreciate that option. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

I have a euro lens if you want to test.

Thanks Mark, I have euro lenses on my 914. I tested a red 911 sidemarker board that I make. It has 12 LEDs on it. I placed the 914 lens from my car in front of the red LEDs measuring light through both the amber section and the red brake section.

At 1 meter, I measured 27Lux though the red brake lens and 32Lux through the amber section. How about that? The red LED gave more light through the amber lens than the red lens. And the light through the amber lens was indeed red as projected on the wall.

Based on this test, it would seem one could run red LED turnsignals through amber lenses. I will start making the amber turnsignal boards with red sidemarker LEDs which will be compatible with DOT specifications.

I'm going to post this same topic on Pelican in my LED brake thread since the same thing is going on in the 911 with euro rear turnsignals.

[Mark Henry]

Seems like if we could get the side markers to light up through the amber lenses, it would be a win-win for US/Canada drivers.

This my ghetto duct seal tape solution. Just bent a piece of alunimum tape and stuck it on making a bit of a divider/hood.

[mrholland2]

Just wondering how that new board would work with a US Spec lens? Would you have amber turn signals?

Please run a test with red LEDs for rear side marker to be used in combination with amber LED for the turn signal. I have been lurking at your products for a while now and would definitely appreciate that option. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

I have a euro lens if you want to test.

Thanks Mark, I have euro lenses on my 914. I tested a red 911 sidemarker board that I make. It has 12 LEDs on it. I placed the 914 lens from my car in front of the red LEDs measuring light through both the amber section and the red brake section.

At 1 meter, I measured 27Lux though the red brake lens and 32Lux through the amber section. How about that? The red LED gave more light through the amber lens than the red lens. And the light through the amber lens was indeed red as projected on the wall.

Based on this test, it would seem one could run red LED turnsignals through amber lenses. I will start making the amber turnsignal boards with red sidemarker LEDs which will be compatible with DOT specifications.

I'm going to post this same topic on Pelican in my LED brake thread since the same thing is going on in the 911 with euro rear turnsignals.