Smoked tail lights legal?

[BoSNiaN]

Hey guys, looking to get new tail lights and I've got a couple of options:

1)smoke out my current lights (with paint designed specifically for tail lights)
2)buy aftermarket tail lights online that are not smoked out (and maybe paint them later myself)
3)buy aftermarket tail lights online that are smoked out

I live in Ontario, and on all these tail light paint kits it says "FOR RECREATIONAL USE ONLY". Is it street legal? Like will I actually get a ticket for it, or is it like the muffler sound law, it exists but no cop is going to enforce it? I don't want to get a ticket but more importantly don't wanna paint anything and then be told its not legal so I have to buy another pair...

[Tanner]

Regarding smoked out lights, it's probably illegal. It's stated in the HTA: http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/sta...es_90h08_e.htm. Search for "Regulations as to lights on vehicles".

[BoSNiaN]

"(c) prescribing types of, or standards for, lamps coated or covered with a coloured material that may be used for the purpose of subsection (7.1);"?

Hmmm, painting them (or tinting them) might fall under the same guidelines as tint (can't be past a certain contrast)....I think I'll just call my local police station and report back and no where in there does it specifically mention it, nice find anyway though .

[Siggiepop]

just use a tint film, at least its reversible.

[Tiny2000]

Yes, many people use Lamin-X and it's pre-cut to fit the taillights already, and that gives you the option of doing your headlights as well (added protection against rock-chips)

[Crucible35]

Not sure why this is a poll exactly.......but as mentioned above, do something that is not permanent. Many in the B8 A4 forum will avoid tinting/smoking tails like the plague. Consider it too "rice" for an Audi. On some of oour vehicles I would agree that it's a bit tacky. If you like it...then go for it.

[boravr6]

i wouldnt waste my time calling the police station. If you call 3 times and speak to 3 different police you will get 3 different answers.

On another tint note, anyone see the article of the Toronto woman who got a fine for having a blue plate cover? Pig who ticketed her claimed "he could not see the plate" !!! What a douche!

[Tanner]

No need call them 'pigs' now... But anyways the highway traffic act does state no covers can be put on the plate which could obstruct the numbers from being clearly visibly, well, he is partially right.

[orangelmo]

I think you can still have plate covers on, as MTO does sell them over the counter, as long as they aren't coloured i.e. must be clear.

[brainpan]

Just asked my buddy, he says it's the officers discretion, just like tint.

[BoSNiaN]

Yes but I don't think the tint looks very good...painting it looks MUCH better, except its perminant (which is only an issue if its illegal). The tint can start to peel off, if a nightmare to install from what i've been told, and can even leave a residue if you do want to take it off.

I have a friend doing a ride along with a cop in a week (Ottawa) so I'll get him to ask then...I'm not sure about Toronto but 50% of the tuners in Ottawa have smoked out taillights so it might vary by city too (even though its provincial legislature).

What I'll most likely do it, instead of buying aftermarket tail lights right away (which I was going to do), ill just paint my stock ones with those transparent black paint kits and if I get a ticket/warning for it, ill go ahead and buy aftermarket ones.

[CONTROL ONE]

What it comes down to is that it's a surefire way to attract the wrong kind of attention from the cops.

If you feel that slightly darker taillights are worth that risk, then do it.

I haven't even used tinted plates for over 6 years as it's just not worth it.

[BoSNiaN]

Tinted plates? And they wouldn't be slighty darker...I'd paint them like this:




p.s I ordered that alpine decal too (got a new alpine deck so its allowed lol).

[Siggiepop]

^ that is black. Not tinted lol. Get street glow!

[BoSNiaN]

^ that is black. Not tinted lol. Get street glow!

Yah when the cars off. When its on, the red light shines through fine, just looks alot dimmer...

[Mr. Goodwood]

i wouldnt waste my time calling the police station. If you call 3 times and speak to 3 different police you will get 3 different answers.

On another tint note, anyone see the article of the Toronto woman who got a fine for having a blue plate cover? Pig who ticketed her claimed "he could not see the plate" !!! What a douche!

That actually happen to me. Drove with one for 10+ year then one day out of the blue my wife got pulled over on her way to work. So yes, they will give you a ticket for tinted tails if they feel bored. I read on the Star that someone got a ticket for having their GPS suction cupped on the windshield as well.

As for opinion about tinted tails. I would leave that to the ricers and the mustangs. But if you like it do it, it's your car.

[BoSNiaN]

Its hard to argue that it doesn't look good, because it does and its alot cheaper than buying aftermarket taillights ($30 vs $300). Theres also nothing wrong with supping up a car, theres nothing better than a supped up luxury car....Ricer only qualifies if the driver is asian and so is the car, so I met neither requirement . Its not just business people in suits driving Audi's...theres students like me who like going out on the town and like doing so in a nice ride.

[bunnn]

I wouldn't say film does not look good or belongs on ricers car. Most people could not tell I had film on my tail lights..
picture before I upgraded to LCI tails:


Isn't it funny that most ricers in Toronto aren't Asians these days?

[BoSNiaN]

I wouldn't say film does not look good or belongs on ricers car.

Hmmm ok, where did you buy the film from, price, and whats the installation process like? That doesn't look half bad, I'd just go for a darker tint if possible...

[bunnn]

Shinzo did it for me, I think it was like $80 installed?? Anyways, this is the lightest smoke, I'm not a fan of blacked out tail lights.

[mianol]

Ricer only qualifies if the driver is asian and so is the car,

so what do you call a white dude driving a flamed out focus/neon with a fart can and chrome all around?
last time i checked a ricer is any1 that does a car thats all show & no go

[BoSNiaN]

so what do you call a white dude driving a flamed out focus/neon with a fart can and chrome all around?
last time i checked a ricer is any1 that does a car thats all show & no go

An idiot? idk, not a ricer tho...ricer = rice =asian, think about it.

[bunnn]

An idiot? idk, not a ricer tho...ricer = rice =asian, think about it.

Perhaps, you're the one that needs "think about it," and look up the definition of a ricer. It's a factitious word - you just chose to associate it only with the Asian race. Granted rice is one of the many trademarks of the Asian society, according to the dictionary of factitious word, ricer is also a derivative of the Latin word, Ricarius. Funny thing is, people who like to use the words "souped-up" or "supped- up" in your case, shows strong correlation to ricers.

[theKB]

Your poll is missing the "depends" for an option...

Another option is to go with an aftermarket light made by a manufacturer that receives certification for the European Union... (ECODE)

I know for the MK5's you could get smoked tails that were made by HELLA which of course is a VW/Audi OEM supplier and most of their lights are certified to european standards which are also an accepted standard in Canada... I know for my B8 I want to get a hold of the European outer LED tails so I can get the amber turn signal...

Many cars come with smoked tails... B5.5 Passats and Second Generation Touaregs both come with smoked tail-lights and are perfectly legal (you just have to have the bumper reflectors or a reflector in the light housing)

[BoSNiaN]

Your poll is missing the "depends" for an option...

Another option is to go with an aftermarket light made by a manufacturer that receives certification for the European Union... (ECODE)

I know for the MK5's you could get smoked tails that were made by HELLA which of course is a VW/Audi OEM supplier and most of their lights are certified to european standards which are also an accepted standard in Canada... I know for my B8 I want to get a hold of the European outer LED tails so I can get the amber turn signal...

Many cars come with smoked tails... B5.5 Passats and Second Generation Touaregs both come with smoked tail-lights and are perfectly legal (you just have to have the bumper reflectors or a reflector in the light housing)

Ok cool, thanks for the input. I've decided ill be going with tint actually...I'll be making them really dark and if I get a warning for it (doubt ill get a ticket right away) I'll just peel it off. Cheaper than buying aftermarker tail lights right out of the gates and not as permanent as painting my stock ones

[mrleftlane]

I might be a bit late on this one but here goes....

The only requirement that you must have on the rear of every car in Ontario is a red reflector. If your tint or spray job prevents the tailight from reflecting a headlight from another motorist approaching from behind signalling the tail of a parked car as an example, you will get a ticket and will lose in court.

When 1st gen clear tailights came out, (Marketed as Altezza lights) they were missing the reflector and kids got pulled over. All of those were quickly discontinued. Since then manufacturers have offered the "projector tail" option, but the required red reflector is set in the bumper. (Think Mazda as an example). Any modification will attract more attention and by the letter of the law, lowered suspension, aftermarket wheels etc are all "breaking the law". One can easily argue that a factory replacement was not available at the time and get out of that one.

To answer your question...is it legal, NO. Will you get pulled over, depends. Is it worth the hassle...of course if you fall back in love with your ride!