[Don Clarence]

Has anyone installed this:
http://www.drivah.com/marketplace/product_info.php/products_id/224
The light in the picture looks different than the one on E.

 

[tcristy]

Be aware that you could be setting yourself up for a ticket if you put these on your E.

There are strict federal standards for the color, location, size, luminosity, etc of lights and reflectors on vehicles. There are a ton of aftermarket lighting products (especially clear ones) out there that are illegal. The DOT has recently started fining manufacturers and ordering recalls to try and get these off the market.

Specifically, vehicles under 30 ft in length (including passenger cars) must have an amber side marker light and amber reflector near the front corner and a red side marker light and red reflector near the rear corner that are visible from the side of the vehicle. Most vehicles sold in the US combine the reflector and light in one unit by using a reflective colored lense over the light. If you replace a combo amber light/amber reflector side marker (like the E has from the photos) with a clear lense/amber bulb light side marker, you must also add an amber reflector to the vehicle in the same general location to stay legal.

 

[hunterbase]

It is legal to install clear lenses behind the front wheel-well, if not, why would companies like Audi do it?
http://www.audiusa.com/family_attributes/0,,familyId-1_attribClass-1_,00.html

The Japanese Element does not have the orange signal before the front wheel-well, just the clear one after.
http://www.honda.co.jp/ELEMENT/exterior/

But the question is, does the Element's lack of an orange reflector (aside from the combo reflector/turn signal on the US version) on the side make the Japanese version illegal here?

And if one were to install the Japan market turn signals, would it be done in place of the existing ones, or where it's supposed to go? Doesn't make much sense to have 2 sets of turn signals surrounding the front wheel.

 

[tcristy]

If you look at the picture of the Audi, it has the required amber side marker light and reflector at the rear of the headlight pod, so it is legal. The clear one behind the wheel well is just an additional light. From the picture, the Japanese E lighting is not US legal.

You could add the Japanese side marker light to a US E in the location the Japanese one has if you left the current legal side marker in place. It would mean running new electrical and cutting a hole in the body panel.

 

[Aykew]

The japanese Element does have the amber side markers; it's just hard to see from the side. (On the main menu, click on the square near the hood, and it'll change to a straight-on view of the Element)

It's a shame to know they're not legal, though... the Element would look pretty darn cool with cleared lenses.

 

[Don Clarence]

Got an answer back from HondaSUV. You guys are right about the side makers being installed behind the front wheel well like those on the Japanese Es. That means I have to cut into the panel to install it. I'm gonna pass on this since I don't think it will look nice with 2 sets of lights.