Headlights upgrade - Page 2 - Saxperience

cairoc · 13th April 2015, 20:20

Aftermarket HID kikts aint legal?..as far as I know if they are set up correctly and are passed by an mot station they is legal. BUT im happy to be wrong.

Dont get me wrong,I've seen lots of blue,chaved up HID setups that deserve to be knicked, bit like peeps who drive with fog lights on, those who drive like freeking idiots and have no regard for others etc.

Peace and love

cairoc · 13th April 2015, 20:31

I have a Vectra C which i have retro fitted HIDs. The question I have is regarding Headlight washers.

In the MOT manual section 1.7 it says

"Vehicles equipped with High Intensity Discharge (HID) or LED dipped beam headlamps may be fitted with headlamp washers"

This suggests to me, in the word may, that some cars fitted with HID's come without headlight washers, so therefore it is not possible to fail a car not fitted with headlight washers, and the only reason to fail a car would be if the headlight washer were fitted but did not work?

Regards
Dear Mr *******,

Thank you for your email enquiry dated 21st August, 2013 concerning a
headlight washer enquiry.

You are correct if aftermarket HID lights are fitted and headlight washers
are not then there is no reason to fail. Where they are fitted they must
work.

I hope this information has assisted you with your enquiry, but if you have
any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Kind Regards

Christina M Joseph
VOSA Customer Service Centre
Operations Directorate
Tel: 0300 123 9000 Reply Reply With Quote

Ross^p · 13th April 2015, 22:41

Hid lamps also require automatic self levelling or to be fitted on a car with self levelling suspension. Amongst other things.

cairoc · 14th April 2015, 05:53

mot pass works for me.
im outta this one.

DaCrazyOne · 17th April 2015, 21:46

Well after seeing HIDs and some tests in shops compared to what I got at the min sticking to night ones. As blue tints look ok to some degree but also very blinding when seeing others id rather have legal lights not blinding other road users and to in danger others. Given them a good clean also found where out of alignment too so since got that done and work a lot better now.

AXracing · 26th April 2015, 18:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by cairoc

Aftermarket HID kikts aint legal?..as far as I know if they are set up correctly and are passed by an mot station they is legal. BUT im happy to be wrong.

Dont get me wrong,I've seen lots of blue,chaved up HID setups that deserve to be knicked, bit like peeps who drive with fog lights on, those who drive like freeking idiots and have no regard for others etc.

Peace and love

It is a bit more complicated than that. Your average car as most of us use have to comply with a list of requirements before they can legally be used on the road. Vehicle lights are covered under said regulations. If you have a relatively modern vehicle such as the Saxo and it is registered for day and night time road use then it has to comply with one of two sets of regulations. It can comply with British standards or European standards.

The British standard is a relatively old one and does not permit HID lighting. So there is no way to legally use HID lights under such regulations.

The European system does allow HID lighting systems under there approval system. This is how some new cars come already fitted with HID lighting. There are NO approved HID bulbs that simple drop in to systems originally designed for Halogen bulbs. So all those kits you see are not road legally. There is simply no way for them to be so.

You could theoretically at least replace the hole lighting unit and its appropriate sub system with European approved parts to legally retrofit HID lights to a Saxo. Practically speaking however this can get rather complicated.

The easiest way to fit HIDs legally is to retain Halogen dipped beam. This is as it would be impractical to replace dipped beams. But you can simply fit some HID driving lights perfectly legally. If your using something like morrettes you could potentially replace the Hi beams with a complete approved assembly legally. This is as vehicle Hi beams have far fewer restrictions than dipped beams so all you really have to get is approved optics, bulbs, electrics and fit as required to legally have Hi beams.

As for the MOT test, it is important to understand it is not a comprehensive test of a vehicle legality. Don't be fooled in to thinking just because a vehicle has passed a MOT it is road legal or even legal at all. So your lights may pass a MOT but can still not be road legal. Same is true with other aspects of your car such as window tints for example. Your MOT tester may think some tints are ok but if the police pull you for having illegal tints your MOT certificate is not going to help you.

JackyBoy94 · 30th April 2015, 09:34

I know it's probably not good, but I got some upgrades from halfords that project a blue white light, cheap and pretty good

MuZiZZle · 30th April 2015, 10:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackyBoy94

I know it's probably not good, but I got some upgrades from halfords that project a blue white light, cheap and pretty good

from the bottom of your sideskirts onto the floor?

stevo67 · 30th April 2015, 14:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackyBoy94

I know it's probably not good, but I got some upgrades from halfords that project a blue white light, cheap and pretty good

That should read cheap & pretty nasty.

02FiveO · 10th March 2018, 22:28

Had Nightbreakers 110% in my old 99 Corsa. Fitted them one evening at my mates place. Left his place near midnight in heavy driving rain, having to drive on high ground and through some tricky corners on a 60mph road. What a difference! Was able to do just over 50mph (fairly safely) on the more straight parts, eyes not straining instead of about 40mph with standard bulbs and struggling a bit to see!
Although I did slow right down for the known aquaplaning areas!

02FiveO · 10th March 2018, 22:33

P. S. Will be getting a set of 110% Nightbreakers for my Furio very soon!
Standard hi-beam is adequate, but low-beam is a struggle!

Manu · 11th March 2018, 12:38

thread from the dead.

I'm running Philips Xtreme vision 130%, lol at the old Osrams.

MartinObviously · 11th March 2018, 14:04

Let's wake the thread!

After May this year, any non standard bulb will be a fail for MOT.

If your car came from the factory with Haolgen lights, it must have halogen lights fitted.

So NO retrofits will be a pass, even with a good pattern. These will become "major" fails.

Manu · 11th March 2018, 14:32

About time, I'm tired of seeing those chav boxes with shitty blinding lights. There's one in my street with the old blue 1.4 mg, he's got police blue bulbs front and back, rags it day and night as if he was in a hurry to finish that head gasket.

AXracing · 16th June 2018, 18:37

Interesting, I did not realize they were including this in the MOT.

MartinObviously · 17th June 2018, 12:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by AXracing

Interesting, I did not realize they were including this in the MOT.

Since the rules are now in effect, I'll ask my pal who's an MOT tester to see if those made it into the final manual.

I'm pretty sure they did.

Manu · 19th June 2018, 16:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manu

About time, I'm tired of seeing those chav boxes with shitty blinding lights. There's one in my street with the old blue 1.4 mg, he's got police blue bulbs front and back, rags it day and night as if he was in a hurry to finish that head gasket.

either failed the MOT or got pulled over, the shitty lights have disappeared.