Dec. 3, 2012—The Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) has expanded its automotive lighting testing and standards in order to keep pace with the latest vehicle lighting technology.
CAPA said its new testing requirements now include lighting components such as electric motors, actuators and high intensity discharge (HID) lamps. The testing standards were approved by CAPA’s technical committee, which is comprised of a body of collision repairers, distributors, insurers, technical experts and manufacturers.
CAPA’s updated 301 Lighting Standard now includes the following automotive lighting components: headlamps, taillamps, stop lamps, turn signals and fog lamps. CAPA said parts that have been certified under its lighting standard are marked with the CAPA Quality Seal, which represents independent verification of compliance to both Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108 and comparable performance to car company brand parts.
The updated CAPA 301 Lighting Standard test procedures and tolerances are available on CAPA’s website at capacertified.org.
“I’m proud to report that CAPA standards are keeping pace with the latest technology and complex components used in today’s headlights,” said Jack Gillis, executive director of CAPA, which is the only independent certification organization in the U.S. that tests aftermarket lighting parts for compliance to FMVSS 108. “Thanks to CAPA’s technical committee, which is undoubtedly one of the greatest quality resources in the industry, the CAPA standards enable informed choices in even the very newest products. The fact is, nobody can simply look at an aftermarket light and know if it truly matches the car company brand part or fully complies with FMVSS 108—that’s why CAPA’s independent certification program is so important.”
