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added HID to 07 Camry, covered up squirrel spotter, but now I can't see highway signs
I finally installed my HID kit and covered up the squirrel spotters.
The cut-off line is clean. However, I've run into a problem. I'm having a very hard time
seeing highway signs. This isn't much of a problem in the city, but I drive mostly in rual
areas.
Using the highway isn't really practical, becuase there's a lot of on-coming traffic.
My Camry doens't have fog lights...
I'm wondering if I should go back and punch out a tiny hole in the covered-up
squirrle spotter hole, so I can get just a little bit of light to point up at the highway signs...
Interesting problem...I don't have this problem despite covering up the squirrel spotters. But I have foglights, which is probably what illuminates the road signs. I drive with all possible lights on in the night. Maybe if I try to drive with just the HIDs I'll notice the same problem...
I do NOT recommend reversing your squirrel spotter mod because the glare for others will just be horrible!
__________________ 2008 Camry Hybrid | Magnetic Grey on Grey Leather | Bi-Xenon H1 4300K Retrofit | Italian Hertz Sound System (dash 4" EM 100, front 6.5" ECX 165, rear 6" x 9" ECX 690, 10" ES 250D sub in custom trunk enclosure, HDP5 5-channel amp, 1320W total power) | 4-sensor Rear Parking System | 20% Metallic Tint | Weathertech Floorliners | 17" ASA AR1 Rims | Toyo Garit KX (winter) | Toyo Versado LX II (summer)
I covered up the squirrel spotter by patching up the hole completely with JB Weld.(just like what othes have done on this forum) Did this during the same day I coverted the HID lights.
What if I had not used JB Weld to do a complete cover-up of the squirrels? If all I did was pushing the shield down, would I still have problem seeing the highway signs? From what I've read, just pushing the shidled down would have left some glare, but how bad could it have been?
I do have another set of new '07 Camry headlight housings. Perhaps I'll trying putting that set on my car next week to see what the difference is...
Mine are the same way. Turning on the fog lights seems to be the cure for me. Those fog lights throw out a lot of halogen glare and lights up the signs (well, makes them reflect back). If you don't have fog lights, might want to get some.
There might be a modification you can do to the stock cut-off shield to give you some controled glare above the cut-off line. The stock halogen squirrel finder is a retangular slot under that flap. The RX330 HID projector has three small holes under that flap. Since you have an extra set of lights, open the set up that you already modified and see what you can do? See pics of RX330 shield here. Just an idea, I plan on retrofitting mine.
__________________ 2011 Camry SE - Magnetic Gray Metallic 2011 Rav4 - Black Forrest Pearl
Mine are the same way. Turning on the fog lights seems to be the cure for me. Those fog lights throw out a lot of halogen glare and lights up the signs (well, makes them reflect back). If you don't have fog lights, might want to get some.
Unfortunately, the county police and state troopers here do give out tickets for using
fog lights. (except in inclement weather like rain or fog.... duh!) They especially like
to stand around highway toll booths at night. If a driver slows down to pay toll and
the officer(or trooper) sees fog lights shinning, he/she waves you over to the shoulder area
where you're given a $63 ticket for "improper use of vehicle lights"......... Strangely, they
don't care about improper/illega xenon/HID headlights, even the really blue 8000k+ ones.
Last edited by ToyotaLexus; 08-07-2007 at 12:30 AM.
Unfortunately, the county police and state troopers here do give out tickets for using
fog lights. (except in inclement weather like rain or fog.... duh!) They especially like
to stand around highway toll booths at night. If a driver slows down to pay toll and
the officer(or trooper) sees fog lights shinning, he/she waves you over to the shoulder area
where you're given a $63 ticket for "improper use of vehicle lights"......... Strangely, they
don't care about improper/illega xenon/HID headlights, even the really blue 8000k+ ones.
Wow, sorry to here that. I thought the laws here in California were funny... Your's takes the cake. Let me know if you want to mod the cut-off shield. I can give you measurements on the hole locations of the RX330's squirrel finders. I'll be up in LA for the rest of the week so I can get you the measurements on Saturday when I get back home. Also, I noticed that the RX330's shield is painted with a flat grey paint and the camry's is shinny silver. Might it help if the shield is painted with flat paint? Anyone have a comment on the shield paint?
__________________ 2011 Camry SE - Magnetic Gray Metallic 2011 Rav4 - Black Forrest Pearl
I covered up the squirrel spotter by patching up the hole completely with JB Weld.(just like what othes have done on this forum) Did this during the same day I coverted the HID lights.
What if I had not used JB Weld to do a complete cover-up of the squirrels? If all I did was pushing the shield down, would I still have problem seeing the highway signs? From what I've read, just pushing the shidled down would have left some glare, but how bad could it have been?
I do have another set of new '07 Camry headlight housings. Perhaps I'll trying putting that set on my car next week to see what the difference is...
if you just push the shield down there is still going to be a bit of light going through, this may seem like very little light but trust me you'll induce a significant amount of glare to ongoing vehicles as well as pissing off vehicles in front of you where they will be blinded by the very bright hid lights.
__________________ 07 Camry SE I4 Hybrid grille, 4300k HID kit, and more
if you just push the shield down there is still going to be a bit of light going through, this may seem like very little light but trust me you'll induce a significant amount of glare to ongoing vehicles as well as pissing off vehicles in front of you where they will be blinded by the very bright hid lights.
Be careful of those shield flaps in there. If you bend them around too much they'll break off. That's what happened to me. I first started playing with the angle of those to try to reduce the glare, but after putting metal tape and then JB welding a piece of aluminum, all the bending made the metal fatigue and break. Made it easier to cover the squirrel finders but there's no going back to halogen now.
__________________ 2011 Camry SE - Magnetic Gray Metallic 2011 Rav4 - Black Forrest Pearl
This might be a dumb question, but when you guys say "covered up the squirrel spotters", are you refering to pushing them down or using JB Weld to get the gap covered up even though you pushed them down all the way?
This might be a dumb question, but when you guys say "covered up the squirrel spotters", are you refering to pushing them down or using JB Weld to get the gap covered up even though you pushed them down all the way?
Covered up the squirrel spotters to do it right you must use JB weld to cover the rectangle 100%. Simply push the flap down will actually make it worse because glare will be all over.
Do a search on the thread "Glare still there..."
__________________
Back on stock height and love it!
I used a soda can. What if I just take the headlight off again and poke a couple of tiny
holes in that little piece of soda can I used? I'm thinking something really tiny, like the
size of the eyeballs of this smiley: (probably use a sewing needle to poke them)
I used a soda can. What if I just take the headlight off again and poke a couple of tiny
holes in that little piece of soda can I used? I'm thinking something really tiny, like the
size of the eyeballs of this smiley: (probably use a sewing needle to poke them)
I used a piece of soda can also. For the trouble you are going through, I suggest you really take a look of the aftermarkdet fog light. I did.
__________________
Back on stock height and love it!
Is there any adjustment in the x-y axis of the headlight or are they 'fixed'? See nothing in the manual and haven't grubbed around in behind to find an adjustment screw. Might seem like they are aimed a bit low.
__________________
2007 V6 Camry LE, Built TMMK 27 September 06
"People who think they know it all are particularly irritating to those of us who do."
I used a piece of soda can also. For the trouble you are going through, I suggest you really take a look of the aftermarkdet fog light. I did.
I live in a police state where they frequently give out tickets for using fog lights when there
is no fog or rain.... The fine for first offense is $63, but no points. Second offense
bumps the fine up to about $200 and three points on your driving record. Third offense
is $500 fine and 6 points. (all are considered moving violations)
Like I said, the local county cops and the state troopers are very strict when it comes to this.
Driving in the rain without turning on low-beam headlights will also attract their attention.
However, they don't seem to care at all when someone drives around with 8000k or 10000k HID lights.
Last edited by ToyotaLexus; 08-07-2007 at 11:06 AM.
I live in a police state where they frequently give out tickets for using fog lights when there
is no fog or rain.... The fine for first offense is $63, but no points. Second offense
bumps the fine up to about $200 and three points on your driving record. Third offense
is $500 fine and 6 points. (all are considered moving violations)
Like I said, the local county cops and the state troopers are very strict when it comes to this.
Driving in the rain without turning on low-beam headlights will also attract their attention.
However, they don't seem to care at all when someone drives around with 8000k or 10000k HID lights.
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added HID to 07 Camry, covered up squirrel spotter, but now I can't see highway signs
(probably use a sewing needle to poke them)
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