Question: Are there specific standards for how clear a car’s headlights have to be to pass a safety check? When I took my car in for a safety check, the mechanic said he would not pass my car because the headlights were too cloudy. He said he could replace them for about $300 or call in a detailer to try and restore them for about half the price, with no guarantee they would pass inspection. I have seen many other cars with headlights worse than mine with a current safety sticker. Friends think the shop was trying to rip me off, and one suggested I try to clean the headlights myself with a slightly abrasive cleanser like Ajax, Comet or Softscrub. I did; it worked and cost me nothing. I took my car to a different shop, and it passed.

Answer: The state Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Safety Office pointed us to Section 19-133.2 of the DOT’s administrative rules regarding the inspection of lamps and reflectors on motor vehicles.

Specifically, the provision that says no certificate of inspection shall be issued if “any required lamp or reflector is missing, damaged so that light shines directly through the damaged portion of the lens (placing tape over the damaged portion is not adequate to pass the inspection) or moisture is present inside the lens, not properly installed, not of an approved type or color, obscured in any manner, inoperable, or any lens is covered with material that will diminish the function of the lens so as to put it out of conformance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and County ordinance.”

The burden of proof of conformance is on the vehicle owner, and the key phrase is “obscured in any manner,” said an official with the safety office.

However, he said that when the rules were developed, the objective was to prevent people from placing stickers or tint over the headlamps. No one anticipated a problem caused by headlamp lenses becoming cloudy, he said.

The DOT advises inspectors to handle these situations by first testing headlamp aim.

“If the light is so dispersed that a hot spot cannot be detected and used to determine the aim, then it is reasonable to fail the lamps,” the official said.

If the lamps can be properly aimed but cannot project light adequately to meet the required conditions, the vehicle also should be failed, he said.

“However, since this second (criterion) is not very practical, because of space limitations at inspection stations, it is not used except in extreme cases where the light emitted is very obviously inadequate (probably due to a defective light source rather than the lens).”

That means if the lamps can be aimed but the inspector can’t prove that the light produced does not meet the required criteria, the vehicle should be passed, he said.

He also said, “It would be appropriate for the inspector to inform the vehicle owner of the cloudy lens and suggest that removing the cloudy condition may result in better nighttime visibility.” 

Question: Is there a day care center for seniors on Oahu, and is it run by state or private agencies?

Answer: Call the city Department of Community Services’ Elderly Affairs Division’s Senior Helpline at 768-7700 to get a list of adult day care services.

Or go to the department’s website — www.elderlyaffairs.com — scroll down and click on “find services and products,” then type in adult day care. Three dozen private facilities are listed.

The Elderly Affairs Division, in partnership with American Savings Bank, also has published a “Senior Information and Assistance Handbook” that provides a comprehensive listing of services in the community available to seniors and caregivers.

You can download the brochure on the website by scrolling down and clicking on “publications and brochures.”

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Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.