Hid

[johnw]

From January next year the MOT will cover HID lights. A car with HID will fail unless the whole headlamp housing is E marked as being designed specifically for HID.

The info I have isn't 100% clear but it looks as if the car will also fail unless it has headlamp washers and self levelling.

 

[Vance]

From January next year the MOT will cover HID lights. A car with HID will fail unless the whole headlamp housing is E marked as being designed specifically for HID.

The info I have isn't 100% clear but it looks as if the car will also fail unless it has headlamp washers and self levelling.

Isn't this old news?

 

[dronenrs]

and probably the 15 millionth repost of it in some form

 

[dave]

its another stupid law, there are plenty of cars that can have hids kits fitted that don't cause no problem to other drives that will now be illegal, there are also way too many new cars fitted with them that shouldn't be as they blind everyone ie 4x4's and vans but they will still be allowed, the self levelling is pants as well be ok if we had perfectly flat roads but we don't, so we end up with cars headlights constantly bouncing up n down making it look like they are flashing or giving a strobe affect.

Its just another halfarsed ill thought out law to attack the car modifier

 

[johnw]

Isn't this old news?

These things have always been unlawful but not part of the MOT. This is the first time I have seen a specific date for them to be part of the MOT.

 

[johnw]

and probably the 15 millionth repost of it in some form

I only got my notification that this would soon be part of the MOT test yesterday.

I posted here to try to be helpful to people who have HID fitted. I must have missed the 15 million posts. Sorry if my trying to helpful offended anybody.

 

[Andy Monty]

about time too there is some (probably really nice person) who drive a VAG car i pass every morning who runs HID in his standard lamp units in winter he blinded me almost every morning, at first i flashed my high beam and he flashed his only just saw the high beam bulbs light above the HID glare.... :bang:

 

[ChrisUK]

I have to side with dave on this one. I know lots of people with aftermarket ones and the majority of them do a better job than the OEM ones.

The majority of my night driving glare is caused by new OEM fitted HID's.

 

[The Beard]

Thanks for the info johnw. Whether or not it's a repost is relatively unimportant, but if we are forearmed then we can avoid getting our vehicles prohibited at the MOT station. If people want to debate whether or not it is necessary then that's fine, but there will be no point in folk on here moaning that they've been caught out.

As a matter of interest I don't have HID lights. As for attacking the modifier, it wouldn't be the first time. In the '70s builders and drivers/riders of choppers and almost any car with flames painted down the side and side exhausts was pulled over and without a shadow of a doubt there were some dodgy modifiers out there then.

I had 4 Cibie 50,000,000 (possibly) candlepower spot lights on me Chevette HS, that left an indellible impression especially as they were wired through the main beam switch.

 

[johnw]

The new MOT rules don't stop you modding your car. There is no problem with fitting HID lights as long as you do it properly.

Judging from the cases I see, the vast majority of modding is sensibly done. Unfortunately a small percentage is very badly done and those are the ones that get noticed.

In the fairly recent past I have seen a full racing harness fitted instead of the three point seat belt. Only problem was that it was looped around the seat and not secured to any part of the frame of the car.

I also saw a car that had been fitted with a much bigger engine and all sorts of underbonnet stuff that left no room for the battery. So he cut a hole in the bulkhead and put the battery in the passenger footwell. Not covered or secured in any way. The cables passes through the bulkhead with no grommet or padding and the insulation had already been partly cut by the sharp edges. His response to the police officer - who had stopped him for crossing double white lines - was that he is a good driver and had never rolled a car and that meant the battery was safe.

 

[Andy Monty]

In the fairly recent past I have seen a full racing harness fitted instead of the three point seat belt. Only problem was that it was looped around the seat and not secured to any part of the frame of the car.

I also saw a car that had been fitted with a much bigger engine and all sorts of underbonnet stuff that left no room for the battery. So he cut a hole in the bulkhead and put the battery in the passenger footwell. Not covered or secured in any way. The cables passes through the bulkhead with no grommet or padding and the insulation had already been partly cut by the sharp edges. His response to the police officer - who had stopped him for crossing double white lines - was that he is a good driver and had never rolled a car and that meant the battery was safe.

how on earth did you manage to keep a straight face when they were in front of you

 

[jimboy]

Old news indeed, but people should be aware as said. Again I will side with... if it's done properly. My Coop standard lights are pants. Many Coop owners fit HID'S This helps you see much more clearly, a must in my neck of the woods.

 

[dave]

Old news indeed, but people should be aware as said. Again I will side with... if it's done properly. My Coop standard lights are pants. Many Coop owners fit HID'S This helps you see much more clearly, a must in my neck of the woods.

but properly in the eyes of the law and the new mot rules isnt the same as what we call properly

 

[dronenrs]

dont forget the fact that this wont stop people. they will just remove the HID's once a year go through test and put them back in

 

[mzhussein]

The new MOT rules don't stop you modding your car. There is no problem with fitting HID lights as long as you do it properly.

Judging from the cases I see, the vast majority of modding is sensibly done. Unfortunately a small percentage is very badly done and those are the ones that get noticed.

under the new MOT legislation, i fail to see how anyone could ever retro-fit HID's and have them pass....

I run HID's, ive put countless hours into making them not glare but still bright on the road..IMHO i havnt seen an OEM car do a better job....mine will still fail due to lack of washers and levelling....for that reason ill be switching back to halogens come next MOT...btw mine just went through another MOT...had retro HIDs for 4 years....not once been flashed or questioned on them...

 

[jimboy]

Yes near impossible to do this unless you're spending a fortune to satisfy the law. Reverting back to standard at MOT time has been well discussed on various forums.

I've never really come across many over zealous "feds" but I'm well aware of post code lottery.

I wouldn't mind, but in all honesty, this is not a cool looking mod for me, as I said before, my Coops standard lights were not very effecient

 

[johnw]

btw mine just went through another MOT...had retro HIDs for 4 years....not once been flashed or questioned on them...

Which is why I posted the info. Although HIDs have been unlawful for a lot of years (unless properly fitted) the chances of being caught are small. You either need a particularly well informed traffic cop or an insurer looking to avoid a big pay out.

The changes to the MOT will catch a lot of people but I am not sure if they will be checking self levelling and washers. The info I have is clear about having to use an e marked housing but just says that a fail will be issued in circumstances where self levelling and/or washers are mandatory. No one i have spoken to seems to know exactly what that means.

 

[mzhussein]

read it again, and read the new proposed MOT booklet (avail online)

If you have HID's and they dont have a self leveling system, headlight washers or are not in an E marked housing (you need all three to be legal) you will fail....seems pretty clear cut to me...also there was some talk about failing just because they are after-market bolt on kits

 

[jnoiles]

Judging from the cases I see, the vast majority of modding is sensibly done.

And judging from the cases I've seen around here HIDs are fitted by blind people after 12 pints. They angle all over the place and I get routinely blinded by them. Ban them all I say. If you need HIDs to be able to drive you really shouldn't be driving.

 

[johnw]

read it again, and read the new proposed MOT booklet (avail online)

The new guide has the words "where mandatory" all over it. Does that mean specified in statute law or does it mean specified in C&U regs or does it mean mentioned in a Statutory Instrument or does it mean mentioned in the MOT testers rules?

I don't know - you obviously do, so please tell me.