Technical Fiat 500 headlights

[TrevC]

No it won't pass a mot, my mazda has a hid conversion you cannot even tell its converted beam pattern is correct but still a mot fail.
My advice, leave well alone stick standard use Phillips Extreme bulbs, check the various connectors for good continuity and quality of earth connection

I think the requirements for HID lamps include a washer system and self levelling for the lamps, so an MoT centre that's on the ball should fail a car without those. Personally that's the type of test centre I'd rather use!

 

[Bobupndown]

No it won't pass a mot, my mazda has a hid conversion you cannot even tell its converted beam pattern is correct but still a mot fail.
My advice, leave well alone stick standard use Phillips Extreme bulbs, check the various connectors for good continuity and quality of earth connection

Yes it will.
I have an hid conversion in my Landrover Freelander, passes every year without comment.

 

[Nuforce]

I successfully installed the facelift projector headlights in my wife's 2014 500C, looks much better now.

I also drilled out the rivets holding the bumper hangers in place as the tabs had broken preventing proper fitment on one side.

I also ordered facelift tail lights from ms racing and plan on adding a facelift rear bumper off a breaking car, easy to fit.

 

[Marko89]

Apologies for reviving an old thread with my first post - I'm maybe not 100% on using the search on here yet.
We are picking up a 500 Lounge (2016) a week tomorrow and I'm looking at low hanging fruit to fill an afternoon with (air filter, cabin filter, spark plugs, wipers, etc). Sticking with halogen bulbs are Osram Night Breakers and Philips Racing Vision GT still generally viewed the way to go for maximum brightness (even if lifespan isn't brilliant)? I've not had anything with halogens since 2021 so a bit out of touch now.


Have read up already on the dipped being pretty straight forward and the mains being a pain.

 

[blue monkey]

I just upgraded the headlght bulbs to LED. Massive improvement and cheap.

Note: you may need to keep the old bulbs and put them back in for the MOT though. That's what I did.

 

[Marko89]

I just upgraded the headlght bulbs to LED. Massive improvement and cheap.

Note: you may need to keep the old bulbs and put them back in for the MOT though. That's what I did.

Cheers for coming back, much appreciate. Did you need to do anything to avoid the canbus errors? On our Astra a few years ago I needed to fit resistors as the system was fairly sensitive to voltage drops.

 

[jrkitching]

I just upgraded the headlght bulbs to LED. Massive improvement and cheap.

but unfortunately not legal in the UK, however well intentioned.

The sort of thing that's fine... ...until something goes wrong and it isn't.

All depends on your attitude to risk, I guess.

IMO the UK lighting regulations are firmly stuck in the last century, and badly need bringing up to date. But it is what it is; you can change the bulbs for an MOT, but you can't change them as the car is being taken away by the police for forensic investigation after a fatal accident.

The way that blame culture has developed these days, personally speaking, there are some risks I'd rather not take.

 

[A3jeroen]

Dipped and main beams are not controlled via CAN.
Regarding UK regulations: The term candle in the wind comes to mind...


gr J

 

[GettinBetter]

Dipped and main beams are not controlled via CAN.

Out of curiosity, how do you know this?

IMO the UK lighting regulations are firmly stuck in the last century, and badly need bringing up to date

I agree, but I'm not sure there's anyone suitably qualified to do the job.....judging by what's going on today regarding MOT requirements, and actually policing them, nobody actually knows jack shite about the whole individual technologies involved or what's coming down the pipeline. The people in control (as in much of society these days) are the manufacturers, whose sole aim seems seems to be to out do their competitors in the brighteness of the lights on their latest models.

 

[A3jeroen]

When a bulb from either one goes there is no message in the dash. You'll have to see for yourself in the reflection of the car in front of you. AFAIK all my Fiats since my first Stilo (H7 destroyer) are the same in this respect.

gr J