Smoked Rear Reflectors

[cgtmiles]

Hello

I’m looking to replace the rear lights with the thq smoked LEDs and have a smoked third brake light so to finish off the look from the rear I want smoked (not red) rear reflectors. I wonder whether anyone has seen any reflectors with a smoked/tinted effect that still function adequately as reflectors? I have seen LED replacements for the reflectors and obviously there is the options to tint but as I believe it’s a legal requirement (and sensible for safety) to have rear reflectors I’m worried that these will look naff, be illegal or both. Has anybody found any options for this?

Cheers
Chris

 

[sparkzer]

i'm not sure if its changed in recent years, but the requirement used to be that there must 2 red reflectors on the rear of the vehicle. typically they are in the light clusters, however not always. the rear bumper has 2 reflectors does it not?

 

[cgtmiles]

Yes but I would like to replace these with smoked equivalents ideally but if not available then tint them and I believe if tinted sufficiently to stop them looking red they would not function as reflectors.

 

[sparkzer]

id agree...poss get away with a subtle tint, but it will then be at the discretion of the MOT tester

 

[cgtmiles]

Just been looking again for aftermarket alternatives but still no joy for T6 although there is for T5. Also looked into the legality of tinting and got loads of results from BMW forums almost exclusively where the same question has been asked. Not sure if that’s trying to tell me something

Anyway, thanks for your help

 

[Deaks]

The chap who will be doing the rear window, lights and reflectors soon for me said that its the reflectors that the police get really funny about.
He suggested a lighter tint on the reflectors compared to the lights, the bulbs in the lights are bright enough to push through even what looks like a fairly dark tint.

Car Window Tinting In Bristol from Tintaglass.

HTH

Deaks

 

[cgtmiles]

Good info, cheers. Makes sense and was what I was concerned about as when parked etc reflectors could save it from some drunken fool.

I’m sure some cars have OEM smoked reflectors that work still so was hoping there was an off the shelf solution but maybe I’m wrong about the OEM reflectors.

I think I might tint them gradually

 

[cgtmiles]

I now have the van back from the converters and was going to fit the smoked third taillight I bought today (I thought it would be a quick job that I could get done regardless of hurricane Harry blowing outside). But I have now found a few other posts, one saying that you have to break out the original one and another reporting errors after fitting a similar light!

I really don’t want to get repeated errors (which apparently can’t be stopped even with VCDS) and if I break the original getting it out then there will be no going back so I think I need to go back to drawing board with this whole plan.

Tinting the original as suggested for the reflectors could be a solution but then I’ve wasted £50 on the aftermarket light

Additionally, I’ve been looking at the cars on the road with tinted lights and most I’ve seen still have the reflectors in bright red.

 

[sparkzer]

i also have been looking at car rear light/reflectors as to how red they are...Audi's seem to be tinted, either that or every audi i noticed was dirty!

 

[cgtmiles]

i also have been looking at car rear light/reflectors as to how red they are...Audi's seem to be tinted, either that or every audi i noticed was dirty!

That is another option and one that I often go with with my cars, never wash them, but then you get a one tone dirty brown on the back. Would have worked if I’d gone for a Mojave brown van

 

[Tourershine]

I'm pretty sure @StudleyGlass has done this mod.

 

[Pauly]

There not tinted @StudleyGlass has just painted them black !!
Or is it limo tint ?

 

[StudleyGlass]

I just popped mine out and spray tinted them to the look i wanted, i went quite dark with mine. Easy simple job

 

[cgtmiles]

I bet they look great now but do they still work as reflectors?

 

[StudleyGlass]

I doubt it...just look better IMO

 

[cgtmiles]

100%

 

[StudleyGlass]

As a guide.....

 

[Deaky]

As a guide.....

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Ahhhh I just done a little sex wee

 

[cgtmiles]

As a guide.....

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[48mjvw]

As a guide.....

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hi mate have you tinted these rear lights or are they the factory genuine smoked ones? cheers