HID conversions and the new MOT regs - 20th May 2018

I, as will many others, have changed the headlights over to HID bulbs for several years now and they were a big improvement in visibility. The new MOT regulations that will fail aftermarket HID conversions come into effect from May 20 this year. What a people planning on doing, refitting the halogens just for the MOT or reverting to halogens full stop or do nothing and see if it gets picked up?

I think I'll probably go for the refitting halogens just for the MOT. Be interesting to see how this one goes, if its turns out to be a new regulation that testers will adopt with zeal or turn a sympathetic blind eye to.

I'll be leaving in my HID's and see what happens. My MOT man has never been fussed when it came to emission so can't so the HID rule as an issue either. Worst case I'll just get him a big bottle of Whiskey

Does this count for LED headlights as well?

Just get some cheapo bulbs for afew quid on eBay and chuck them in for the mot. No need to remove the HID ballast etc

Hmm, I remember a certain customer's MKIV, 60MPH at night down a country road, been flashed a few times for dazzling people with the maladjusted dipped beams, when one headlight went out. No worries, only 30 miles to go. A few seconds later the other went out and I smelt burning... Poked about in the shittiest wiring job ever, but at least there was plenty of salvageable insulating tape, like really plenty Just a fag lighter and some cable yanked from the equally hilarious rear fog light, soaking wet and cold, 40 minutes of serious swearing and I had some sort of illumination again from I think a front fog. Please fit the things properly if you must have them High volts and stuff rattling around inside the area under the headlights, Chinese ballasts and plug and pray bulb holders....

I thought it had always been the law, just that more effort was going to be made to enforce it? Either way, it's been the law in NI for years and as our testing system is different (we can't go to a garage for an mot, it is carried out in a govt testing centre) we don't get away with it. I used to swap mine out for MOT but got fed up fannying around (not that it's much effort, but my mot is mid-winter and I feel the cold now that I'm old ) and just replaced them with Osram nightbreakers - still nowhere near as bright as HID's, but way better than the standard bulbs.

just replaced them with Osram nightbreakers - still nowhere near as bright as HID's, but way better than the standard bulbs.

Coincidentally, I purchased the duo HB3 9005 Osram Nightbreakers this afternoon just in case I find its too much trouble to swap and then swap back. I've come around to thinking I will probably just fit the Osram bulbs and leave them seeing the car rarely comes out these days and its even rarer for it to come out after dark.

I thought it had always been the law, just that more effort was going to be made to enforce it? Either way, it's been the law in NI for years and as our testing system is different (we can't go to a garage for an mot, it is carried out in a govt testing centre) we don't get away with it. I used to swap mine out for MOT but got fed up fannying around (not that it's much effort, but my mot is mid-winter and I feel the cold now that I'm old ) and just replaced them with Osram nightbreakers - still nowhere near as bright as HID's, but way better than the standard bulbs.

Yep its always been illegal to use them just that now its been added to the mot, before as long as they passed

the light pattern test they passed the mot.

My BM's mot is up just before the change date so no problem for me, i drove up to my car coming the other way

in the dark and didn't get any glare or dazzle off them so happy to leave them be.

I've always been told that it was fine as long as you had projectors. Oh well, we'll see how that pans out.

It was previously okay to fit them to headlights that had projectors, level adjustment and washer jets.

So HID's may still be street legal with a U.K. spec headlamp set up?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/aftermarket-hid-headlamps/aftermarket-hid-headlamps

I pulled this part from the page above

In summary: it is not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlamp unit for use with HID bulbs. The entire headlamp unit must be replaced with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs and it must be installed in accordance with the rules stated above.

I’m going to leave my hids in. I thought they had always been an mot fail but never had a problem. People who have no cats and need to use a ‘friendly’ mot tester probably don’t need to worry about their headlights either....

Fitted the Osram Night Breakers this afternoon, replacing the HID units. Filed down the tabs so the bulb would seat in the headlight unit then wondered why the loom connector wouldn't seat. Forgot about the two ribs inside the bulb connector needed removing, so some more filing later and they are in.

Had one side on the original 'J' halogen and one on the 9005 Night Breaker and from the garage wall there does look a big difference in colour (yellow to white) and much higher intensity on the new bulb. Should have take a picture but I didn't so people will just have to take my word that its not quite up to HID levels but close enough to not worry about MOT man.