[ZPrime]

I ordered a pair of LCI / Euro tail lights from Schmiedmann (based in Denmark), and I'm now being asked to fill out a customs form that I don't have the slightest clue how to answer. I suspect the concern is that the lights don't have "DOT" stamped on the side somewhere... but neither do thousands of other knock-off chinese crap tail lights that people put on their cars every day.

Anybody else run into this garbage? Fucking government overreach...

[BSMF87]

I'm pretty sure they want you to fill out a customs form for taxes and tariffs, has nothing to do with DOT.

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by BSMF87

I'm pretty sure they want you to fill out a customs form for taxes and tariffs, has nothing to do with DOT.

If you're in Canada, the process is a bit different from what we have here. I know that you guys get charged taxes/duties on basically everything, one of my coworkers is Canadian and was explaining how stupid it is.

I'm being asked to fill out a DOT form. It's attached to this post.
My best guess is that 2A applies, but it might be 2B - except I have no way to know if the lights have the DOT markings on them without seeing the shipment myself, so it's kind of hard to be truthful here.

If anybody has Euro tail lights and wouldn't mind taking pictures of any markings/stampings on them, that would be helpful...

[Mike_OGm2]

I don't have access to my 340i blacklines but I can tell you that the markings probably won't be able to been seen with a photo, it's too small. The euro standard is a circle with the lettering E1 inside it. Hope this helps. I plan to do the same to my m2. Basically i had to use a flashlight to see the markings.

[David1]

The Euro tail are probably not DOT approved just like none of the HID retrofit kits are DOT approved. Customs just happened to catch your shipment. I wouldn't be surprised if BMW has notified customs of importers trying to bring in certain types of parts from various companies.

[Joaco135]

Originally Posted by ZPrime

I ordered a pair of LCI / Euro tail lights from Schmiedmann (based in Denmark), and I'm now being asked to fill out a customs form that I don't have the slightest clue how to answer. I suspect the concern is that the lights don't have "DOT" stamped on the side somewhere... but neither do thousands of other knock-off chinese crap tail lights that people put on their cars every day.

Anybody else run into this garbage? Fucking government overreach...

In the past I had order a set of blacklines for a 135i I had and when the paperwork came just put OEM taillights and they were on my house shortly after. About a year ago ordered euro tial lights for 16 M235i (current car) and no paperwork ever came, both were also bought from Schmiedmann. Few guys at the 2addicts forum have also ordered them thru Schmiedmann with no problems. Just my .02

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by David1

The Euro tail are probably not DOT approved just none of the HID retrofit kits are DOT approved. Customs just happened to catch your shipment. I wouldn't be surprised if BMW has notified customs of importers trying to bring in certain types of parts from various companies.

That's the thing though - DOT doesn't approve or test anything, and they make a big stink about that when people try to say "DOT approved."

Stuff either "conforms to DOT regulations," or it doesn't.

AFAIK, even the European tail lights for our car still conform to DOT regulations. The big things that usually make Euro tails not compliant to the regulations are:

• Brake light area too small (n/a here - brake lights are the same as ours)
• Turn signal area too small (again, n/a here - same size, just a different color, which is permitted - the size/lit area is why the Audi sequential lights don't meet DOT regs, the amber is allowed, but since the "initial lighting" of the element is only 1 sqinch as it strobes across and DOT requires [guessing] 4-5sqinch, that's the failure)
• Running / parking light area too small (once more, n/a - same size as what I have now)
• Lacking side marker light (n/a - US-spec lights don't have a separate side marker, instead the running light wraps around to the side to provide that functionality, and the Euro lights are identical)

From the reading I've done, headlights are required to have a stamping on them somewhere that says "DOT", but I can't find anything that says tail lights have the same requirement.

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

In order to show compliance to FMVSS 108, the lens of each original equipment and replacement headlamp, daytime running lamp (DRL) and certain conspicuity reflectors must be marked with the symbol "DOT." This symbol may be also be applied to complaint signal lighting devices, but is not mandatory.

The only way they would possibly know whether these lights (or rather, the reflectors inside) have those markings is if they not only opened the shipping box, but also opened the lights inside... I suppose it's not outside the realm of possibility, but I don't think they would go that far.

I'm hoping it's just a "lack of documentation" problem at this point rather than a "we want to screw you" situation. I filled out the requested form and sent it back to DHL, now I have to wait another day to see if it will make Customs happy.

Irony of ironies, I want to make the car safer than required by US regulations, and they are trying to make it difficult.

[ZPrime]

DHL status has finally switched to "The shipment is pending completion of customs inspection." I'm hoping this means it was all just lack of proper papers and now it gets through... Don't want to lose $500 of tail lights to customs.

[Free Spirit]

Originally Posted by ZPrime

DHL status has finally switched to "The shipment is pending completion of customs inspection." I'm hoping this means it was all just lack of proper papers and now it gets through... Don't want to lose $500 of tail lights to customs.

I ordered lights from them in April, I received it 5 days later, without a hitch..

Customs rubber stamp stuff like that, I used to work with international cargo, trust me, they don't know the difference between a US or Euro spec taillight, or even care if it's not DOT approved.. They just want to make sure the duty (taxes) has been paid..

[McPurrs]

Customs is not there to make sure what you bought is legal to use on your car. They do not know nor care if you are using it on a car that will be on the road. They simply want their money.

[ZPrime]

OK cool. Then hopefully the holdup on this is just from the lack of paperwork. Presumably I'm going to get a bill from Customs and/or DHL for the duty soon... But DHL said the package was being flagged for "inspection" by Customs.

[ZPrime]

Finally was given clearance.
Took over a week from when it got to the USA.

[David1]

Originally Posted by ZPrime

Finally was given clearance.
Took over a week from when it got to the USA.

[GoneIn4Secs]

Are u doing because of the fog light?

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by GoneIn4Secs

Are u doing because of the fog light?

Nah, rear fog lights already exist on the US taillights. I did order the European light switch though so I wouldn't have to mod my factory switch to make them work.

I wanted orange turn signals, as they are demonstrably safer. Since I actually use mine, I'm all for making them stand out more in hopes that other distracted idiots on the road notice.

Red turn signals are dangerous, silly, and should be illegal (like they are in Europe).

[ZPrime]

I'm completely baffled as to why my clearance took so long. I understand that there were missing forms, but even after getting those filled out, it took almost another week before they cleared them. The DHL team had told me that Customs had flagged them for "further inspection," and I don't know WTF that meant either. I was half expecting the boxes to be opened / etc... but they weren't. They were delivered to me in the original packaging from Schmiedmann, tape still intact.

So I have no clue.

Got them installed on Sunday though - orange indicators FTW!

[Joaco135]

[QUOTE=ZPrime;23608600]Nah, rear fog lights already exist on the US taillights. I did order the European light switch though so I wouldn't have to mod my factory switch to make them work.

Changing the switch by itself will not enable the rear fog lights to work. The car needs to be coded to enable them.

[ZPrime]

Yes, I already did the coding part of the exercise. I just dropped in the new switch once it came in.

[Joaco135]

[mr_lab_rat]

Originally Posted by ZPrime

Nah, rear fog lights already exist on the US taillights. I did order the European light switch though so I wouldn't have to mod my factory switch to make them work.

I wanted orange turn signals, as they are demonstrably safer. Since I actually use mine, I'm all for making them stand out more in hopes that other distracted idiots on the road notice.

Red turn signals are dangerous, silly, and should be illegal (like they are in Europe).

OMG, someone shares my hate for red turn signals!
I'll be getting Euro spec lights for both cars (X1 and M2)

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by mr_lab_rat

OMG, someone shares my hate for red turn signals!
I'll be getting Euro spec lights for both cars (X1 and M2)

Good luck... I haven't found anybody in the US that carries much stock of Euro BMW parts, especially not for a newer car.

Also, they are a little disappointing, at least on the M2. Not nearly as orange as you'd expect. On video / camera, it comes out almost the same... Although I didn't do any shots of the two installed side by side, and that might have helped a little bit with a comparison.

[mr_lab_rat]

Originally Posted by ZPrime

Good luck... I haven't found anybody in the US that carries much stock of Euro BMW parts, especially not for a newer car.

Also, they are a little disappointing, at least on the M2. Not nearly as orange as you'd expect. On video / camera, it comes out almost the same... Although I didn't do any shots of the two installed side by side, and that might have helped a little bit with a comparison.

That's fine, I also want to do it to upgrade my lights to LCI