Originally Posted by extrashaky (Post 2989129)

I have aftermarket LED tails, LED turn signals and clear side markers (with amber bulbs) in my Subaru. I have European E-code headlights (not DOT compliant) on my Jeep. Both passed Texas inspections twice with no objections about lighting at all.

I keep all my OEM parts, so if it had been a problem, I would have just swapped them long enough to get inspected and put them back.

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding (Post 2989148)

In what part of the state are you?

Originally Posted by Sarlacc (Post 2989174)

Those sidemarkers are clear and set up as turn signals from the factory on all GT86 and BRZ in Japan, Europe and most or all markets except North America.
So I always assumed it was some US legislation requiring the amber lens and different wiring. Same as with the smaller diameter exhaust tips. (Which are 86mm in the rest of the world.)

Originally Posted by BaatLuk (Post 2991331)

Btw, technically US federal regulation requires amber lenses on side markers

Originally Posted by Sarlacc (Post 2989174)

Those sidemarkers are clear and set up as turn signals from the factory on all GT86 and BRZ in Japan, Europe and most or all markets except North America.
So I always assumed it was some US legislation requiring the amber lens and different wiring.

Originally Posted by extrashaky (Post 2991350)

I've seen this thrown out there a few times, and I don't think it's correct. Vehicle lighting is governed at the federal level by FMVSS 108. I've been through it, and I don't see anywhere that it says that amber lenses are required. S7.4.2 says that the "color of light" must conform to Table 1-a. Table 1-a requires two front steady burning amber side markers and two rear steady burning red side markers. If you have amber bulbs in your clear front side markers, the color of light would be amber, and you would be in compliance. Plus using amber lamps to avoid impairing other drivers' night vision is just simple courtesy.

By that same regulation, JDM tail lights, which lack the red rear side markers, would be illegal.



Table 1-a of FMVSS specifically states:

Side Marker Lamps

2 Amber

On each side as far to the front as practicable

Steady burning except may be flashed for signaling purposes. Must be activated when the headlamps are activated in a steady burning state or the parking lamps on passenger cars and MPVs, trucks, and buses less than 80 inches in overall width are activated.

So it's legal to have side markers that flash with your turn signals, as long as they also conform to the other requirements.

Originally Posted by BaatLuk (Post 2991363)

I'd love to convert the side markers to turn signals but I don't know of a way to make them lit in steady state with low beams AND blink in sync with the turn signal. The DIY here shows that the side markers alternate with the turn signals (think Pontiac Sunfire from early 2000s :barf:). To make the side markers blink in sync with the turn signal, they would be off when turn signal isn't activated.

Originally Posted by extrashaky (Post 2991370)

I wonder if there's a two-way turn signal LED and socket that could be adapted to the side marker housing so that half the LEDs stay on all the time and half are connected to the turn signal relay. That way it would behave as if there were two separate bulbs in there, one that came on with the lights, the other than only operated with the turn signal.

I wonder if the folks at @Diode Dynamics might have an answer for that.