How dark can I tint my lights?

trimble · Post by **trimble** » November 6th, 2006, 12:33 am

I'm thinking of tinting my headlights and tail-lights. Is there any law in Ontario against it? Or how dark they can be? Or if it will look stupid even? haha And I'm wondering since I hate my stock rims and am planning to get aftermarket rims in the spring. Good idea to paint my stock rims black for the winter? Has anyone seen it been done before? Opinions please? thanks!

coindex · Post by **coindex** » November 6th, 2006, 8:40 am

here is some info from the ontario Highway Traffic Act regarding lights

Lamps

Lamps required on all motor vehicles except motorcycles

62. (1) When on a highway at any time from one-half hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise and at any other time when, due to insufficient light or unfavourable atmospheric conditions, persons and vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distance of 150 metres or less, every motor vehicle other than a motorcycle shall carry three lighted lamps in a conspicuous position, one on each side of the front of the vehicle which shall display a white or amber light only, and one on the rear of the vehicle which shall display a red light only. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 62 (1).
Attachment that affects lamps prohibited

(7) No person shall drive upon a highway a motor vehicle if either or both of the lamps that are required on the front of the vehicle by subsections (1), (2) and (3),

(a) are coated or covered with a coloured material; or

(b) have been modified by the attachment to the lamps or the motor vehicle of any device that reduces the effective area of the lenses or the intensity of the beam of the lamps. 2002, c. 18, Sched. P, s. 19 (1).

Exception

(7.1) Clause (7) (a) does not apply if the lamps are of the prescribed type or meet the prescribed standards. 2002, c. 18, Sched. P, s. 19 (1).

[u][b]Attachment that affects lamps prohibited[/b][/u]

(7) No person shall drive upon a highway a motor vehicle if either or both of the lamps that are required on the front of the vehicle by subsections (1), (2) and (3),

(a) [b]are coated or covered with a coloured material[/b]; or

(b) [b] have been modified by the attachment to the lamps or the motor vehicle of any device that reduces the effective area of the lenses or the intensity of the beam of the lamps[/b]. 2002, c. 18, Sched. P, s. 19 (1).

Exception

(7.1) Clause (7) (a) does not apply if the lamps are of the prescribed type or meet the prescribed standards. 2002, c. 18, Sched. P, s. 19 (1).

trimble · Post by **trimble** » November 6th, 2006, 2:33 pm

So I guess that means I can't put Niteshadez on all my lights?

Nd4SpdSe · Post by **Nd4SpdSe** » November 6th, 2006, 3:54 pm

*copy/paste from post in Appearance section*

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Stat ... .htm#BK106

Lamps

Lamps required on all motor vehicles except motorcycles

62. (1) When on a highway at any time from one-half hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise and at any other time when, due to insufficient light or unfavourable atmospheric conditions, persons and vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distance of 150 metres or less, every motor vehicle other than a motorcycle shall carry three lighted lamps in a conspicuous position, one on each side of the front of the vehicle which shall display a white or amber light only, and one on the rear of the vehicle which shall display a red light only. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 62 (1).

Lamps required on motorcycles

(2) Subject to subsection (3), when on a highway at any time every motorcycle shall carry two lighted lamps in a conspicuous position, one on the front of the vehicle which shall display a white light only, and one on the rear of the vehicle which shall display a red light only. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 62 (2).

Idem

(3) When on a highway at any time every motorcycle with a side car shall carry a lighted lamp in a conspicuous position on each side of the front of the vehicle which lamps shall display a white or amber light only and a lighted lamp on the rear of the vehicle which shall display a red light only. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 62 (3).

Light requirement

(4) Any lamp required under subsection (1), (2) or (3) shall, when lighted, be clearly visible at a distance of at least 150 metres from the front or rear, as the case may be. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 62 (4).

Exception

(5) Despite subsections (2) and (3), where a motorcycle that was manufactured prior to the 1st day of January, 1970 is operated on a highway, the lighted lamps required under subsections (2) and (3) shall be required only during the period from one-half hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise, or at any other time when, due to insufficient light or unfavourable atmospheric conditions, persons and vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distance of 150 metres or less. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 62 (5).

Strength of lamps

(6) Lamps on the front of a motor vehicle shall be so constructed, located, arranged and adjusted that when lighted as required by subsections (1), (2) and (3) they produce under normal atmospheric conditions and on a level road a driving light sufficient to render clearly discernible to the operator of the motor vehicle any person or vehicle on the highway within a distance of 110 metres ahead of the motor vehicle. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 62 (6).

Attachment that affects lamps prohibited

(7) No person shall drive upon a highway a motor vehicle if either or both of the lamps that are required on the front of the vehicle by subsections (1), (2) and (3),

(a) are coated or covered with a coloured material; or

(b) have been modified by the attachment to the lamps or the motor vehicle of any device that reduces the effective area of the lenses or the intensity of the beam of the lamps. 2002, c. 18, Sched. P, s. 19 (1).

In otherwords, no. Any covering on them is illegal. Even redding out the rear signals is illegal, but Deimos has them, and I was following him the one day, and you cannot tell that they are painted, the red is the same color and intensity as the brake lights. He did a great job, but it could be hard to fight if they decided to give him a hard time for it. But unless you know Mx-3's, you'd had to be beside another one to know that it's different, but who's to say the orange isn't stock?

What I did on mine actually is take the lense off and paint the inside of the housing black, that gives it a tinted look, but the light, reflector and lense are unaffected, so the intensity is not affected, and does not break any of the Ontario highway traffic act laws.

jschrauwen · Post by **jschrauwen** » November 6th, 2006, 6:37 pm

trimble wrote:I'm thinking of tinting my headlights and tail-lights. Opinions please? thanks!

You can't be serious. This definitely goes against the norm when it comes to lighting. While the majority of the MX ownership is striving relentlessly to achieve better lighting due to poor oem design/manufacture, you're trying to make your lighting worse? Worse you ask? Well of course, one can't honestly think their lighting is going to be unaffected by either tinting or or modifying by shaded covers. Wild guess that you're under 20 and you're looking for ways to mod your car. How about more effective and meaningfull mods that will reap better handling and performance benefits. I would strongly suggest against any mod that's going to detract from the effectiveness of your headlights. FWIW, take a look in the images/video forum and see what other members have done for cosmetic mods. You'll note that not even 1% of this membership does anything to take away from their lighting effectiveness. Moreover, you'l find that a good number have even upgraded, modified and /or improved their headlight performance.

trimble wrote: Good idea to paint my stock rims black for the winter? Has anyone seen it been done before? Opinions please? thanks!

Not a great idea if it's sole purpose is for winter wheels. Save your money, time and effort. It has been done before (painted black). Look to a meet in Belleville last October in the images/video forum.

Nd4SpdSe · Post by **Nd4SpdSe** » November 6th, 2006, 7:59 pm

jschrauwen wrote:While the majority of the MX ownership is striving relentlessly to achieve better lighting due to poor oem design/manufacture, you're trying to make your lighting worse? Worse you ask? Well of course, one can't honestly think their lighting is going to be unaffected by either tinting or or modifying by shaded covers. [...] I would strongly suggest against any mod that's going to detract from the effectiveness of your headlights.

My sister got GTO smoked headlight covers, she sould basically have to drive at night with her hi-beams on for them to be somewhat effective cause she liked how they looked, but had a hard time taking them on and off. After about a year (she took them off for the winter) she gave up and took them off. Sure, you can compensate by getting a bright set of fog lights and tinting your lights, but that still doesn't make it lega. And I didn't realise you actually wanted to tint the headlights, but for legality, you can have tinted headlights, but only after dawn and before dusk. As for the tail lights, because they are use all the time (braking), they are not allowed to be tinted in any way.