I'm looking into installing sidemarkers to go on the front fenders of my vehicle so that people beside me at night are better aware of my intention to change lanes.

As I'm looking at the multitude of aftermarket lenses available, I find these LED units that look pretty decent, and seem to be pretty easy to install:

http://toucan.accrisoft.com/index.php?src=directory&view=products&srctype=display&back=products&id=57105&view=products&submenu=Eurolite&category=Side+Markers&pos=30%2C15%2C35&pos=30,15,35

The problem, is that they only come in blue, red, and white illumination.

I know the blue is illegal.

I know the white will most likely be illegal.

What about the red? Is flashing red from the side permitted? Or only amber?

Thanks!

Let me suggest you look into the Hella LED units that come on VW's and such. They are very nice and use 3 sueprflux LED's. Stay away from anything up front except amber unless you want to possibly risk a ticket.

http://www.truckstuffusa.com/sidemakertruckledlampsbyhella.html

I don't know where you live, but in Canada you can have white or amber turn signals at the front only. Red or amber in the back.

I live in Tennessee, so I know the Canadian rules won't apply. I'd be more hesitant to use white than I would red, to be honest.

I looked at those Hella units about a week ago, but don't like them for a couple reasons:

1 - I haven't found any concrete information on how they install..? I'd prefer a single hole to be drilled for the install, and NOT have to cut out a precisely shaped opening in the sheetmetal.

2 - I'm not too fond of the looks.

I could probably get over #2 if I knew the facts behind #1.

Thanks.

Well, you would have to cut a larger hole. That is necessary. As far as legality goes, in the US the following applies:

Front- Amber
Rear- Red or Amber

Clear/white is technically not legal although most states you won't have a problem. I wouldn't however use white light, by Clear/white I mean the lens color itself, not the color it projects from the bulb.

In North America the following colors are mandatory:

headlamps: white
front parking lamps: amber or white (must be the same color on both sides)
front turn signal lamps: amber
front side marker lamps: amber
front side reflex reflectors: amber
rear side reflex reflectors: red
rear side marker lamps: red
rear turn signal lamps: amber or red (must be the same color on both sides)
rear stop lamps: red
tail lamps: red
backup lamps: white
license plate lamps: white

108, how come the red rear turn light is still allowed? I can see that classic vehicles has them out of simplicity, but I cannot see any reason that new vehicles need to have them red. The advantages in saftey of having them amber should outweigh the flexibility in cosmethical design.

If there were, the U.S. would have mandated amber rear turn signal lamps a long time ago. The problem is that while logically, having a distinct color seems prudent, the fact is that we have not been able to find any crash avoidance performance difference between red and amber equipped vehicles. Because the expence is so high, the cost of requiring them does not outweigh the unknown benefit.

At the risk of sounding naive, mr108, by lamp do you mean the bulb or the lense? I run amber bulbs behind a clear/white lense and have not encountered any problems.

- joe

either by using an amber lens and an amber or clear bulb, or buy using a clear lens and an amber bulb.

What about tail lights? Can they be perfectly clear or white with a red bulb?

Historically, lamps made clear lenses and using red bulbs were not to comply. Newer bulbs with transluscent red coatings may be able to make red stop, tail, turn, and side marker lamps comply. Certainly, we have seen in recent models, the use of clear LEDs that emit red light, and these do comply, even though when illuminated by sunlight, they are harder to see. We do not regulate that aspect of performance, but research is being done by the University of Michigan to determine what performance criteria may be necessary.

So, yes they can be legal, but the technology of making filament bulbs emit red light has significantly lagged the demand for them.