WARNING: HID's and the law

Hi this is a 'heads up' to those who have already fitted HID units to their Supras and a warning to those contemplating such a change:Pling:

Whilst on holiday back in dear old blighty I read an article in the Auto Express about the current trend in fitting HID's (also referred to as Xenon) light conversions. Apparently they are illegal as they do not comply with current legislation regarding their fitments and use.

This stems from the regulation that requires headlamp lens cleaning and self leveling units. Apparently when headlamps with HID's get dirty in bad weather the light tends to 'bounce' inside the unit referred to as 'scatter' which is why headlamp washers must be fitted and used.Also with changes in road surfaces and cambers number of passengers etc the HID units must be self leveling to compensate.

Most cars that have HID lamps fitted at the factory have specially designed lenses and reflectors fitted together with a wash system.

Most cars that people 'retrofit' HIDs have headlamp lenses and reflectors that were designed for halogen bulbs and never designed for the different pattern from HID's and thus will fail a headlamp beam test in the MOT.

Even if the testing station passes the car you may still get stopped by the police if they feel that the opposing vehicles lights have dazzled them and if they find that the vehicle is fitted with HIDs and there is no self levelling or washers they can give you an expensive ticket and order you to have a headlamp test and produce documents to show they are legal - which according to the article after market HID's will not!

So as most kits cost 3-4 hundred plus is the risk of prosecution or failing the MOT test worth the gains? Just a word to the wise so to speak

I've seen this before, there was a thread on pistonheads a few weeks ago, and no MOT tester on there, or any that i've spoke to know anything about it. As long as they produce the correct beam pattern and are correctly aligned at the time of the test, they will pass....unless anyone knows differently?

Hmm, I can see original UK spec bumpers coming into fashion....

So as most kits cost 3-4 hundred plus is the risk of prosecution or failing the MOT test worth the gains? Just a word to the wise so to speak

My kits cost £90 each (3 sets) and yes they are worth the gains.

Thanks for the tip (scaremongering)

mine passed with em:d

its another one of those laws that nobody knows anything about, even the police.

Its a bit like the undercar neons which are apparntly illigal, but arnt.

My kits cost £90 each (3 sets) and yes they are worth the gains.

 

Thanks for the tip (scaremongering)

Sorry Gamer but when I said worth the gain I meant this is relation to value versus fine or failure. Not meaning to be a scaremonger but just letting people know that the 'boys in blue' have yet another way of lightening pockets!!!

I'm certain it's more dangerous to not have them as well - the bloody j-spec lamps are pants!

its another one of those laws that nobody knows anything about, even the police.

 

Its a bit like the undercar neons which are apparntly illigal, but arnt.

Another loop hole - Neons are not illegal to buy or sell only to use hence many retailer add ' for show or off road use only' this covers them as they know they are illegal to use:innocent:

Nope..

You can fit neons and use them on the road if you read the legislation correctly.

Neons can be on the car can & working as long as the "bulb" or the "source of illumination" is not visable the "glow" on the road from the neon is perfectly legal.

So if you fit the neons correctly so u cant actually see the tube from outside the car they are perfectly legal to use on the road.

Look it up

I've seen this before, there was a thread on pistonheads a few weeks ago, and no MOT tester on there, or any that i've spoke to know anything about it. As long as they produce the correct beam pattern and are correctly aligned at the time of the test, they will pass....unless anyone knows differently?

True if at the time of test the pattern is acceptable they will pass - but as I wrote before , if you don't have a wash system or self leveling the police can and usually will stop and book, and they will have a idea if it is not a new motor - i'm just letting people know that they might get pulled as different forces have different priorities from the bosses as to where the easy money is!

if you don't have a wash system or self leveling the police can and usually will stop and book

Are you speaking from experience or is this what you "think" may happen?

Nope..

 

You can fit neons and use them on the road if you read the legislation correctly.

 

Neons can be on the car can & working as long as the "bulb" or the "source of illumination" is not visable the "glow" on the road from the neon is perfectly legal.

 

So if you fit the neons correctly so u cant actually see the tube from outside the car they are perfectly legal to use on the road.

Look it up

I could look it up but I don't personally like neons as they are a bit naff - but as the topic is HID's i would rather not go off topic!

I know.

Just using it as a example of the laws that some people dont know

Are you speaking from experience or is this what you "think" may happen?

Hmmm, neither as I was referring to the article where people had been stopped for using HID's Remember I'm in China and don't have a car only a bike!!

Hmm, I can see original UK spec bumpers coming into fashion....

The were never not in fashion

I have the article at home, it's a piece of crap.

All it showed was that badly fitted, poor quality HIDs in unsuitable headlamps are potentially dangerous and don't give as much light as correctly fitted OEM bulbs. It was pure drama for the sake of filling a few pages, check out the advertisers in Auto Express, quite a few bulb companies in there each month, coincidence?

I'll stick with my nice UK lights, self levelling and headlamp washers - as a nice gesture to other traffic I also tilt them down a notch, I don't have to because they were setup on a proper MOT machine but I'm nice like that.

Ooo the drama!

I know.

 

Just using it as a example of the laws that some people dont know

Very true Ric which is exactly why I started this thread to make people aware of the situation so that they do know:innocent:

I actually like the UK front bumper dildo's but unfortunatly I have a JSpec

To much effort to fit the bumper and washers innit.....

I have the article at home, it's a piece of crap.

 

All it showed was that badly fitted, poor quality HIDs in unsuitable headlamps are potentially dangerous and don't give as much light as correctly fitted OEM bulbs. It was pure drama for the sake of filling a few pages, check out the advertisers in Auto Express, quite a few bulb companies in there each month, coincidence?

 

I'll stick with my nice UK lights, self levelling and headlamp washers - as a nice gesture to other traffic I also tilt them down a notch, I don't have to because they were setup on a proper MOT machine but I'm nice like that.

 

Ooo the drama!

"in unsuitable headlamps " - care to elaborate? unsuitable in what way? not designed for HID patterns????

I have the article at home, it's a piece of crap.

 

All it showed was that badly fitted, poor quality HIDs in unsuitable headlamps are potentially dangerous and don't give as much light as correctly fitted OEM bulbs. It was pure drama for the sake of filling a few pages, check out the advertisers in Auto Express, quite a few bulb companies in there each month, coincidence?

 

I'll stick with my nice UK lights, self levelling and headlamp washers - as a nice gesture to other traffic I also tilt them down a notch, I don't have to because they were setup on a proper MOT machine but I'm nice like that.

 

Ooo the drama!

"in unsuitable headlamps " - care to elaborate? unsuitable in what way? not designed for HID patterns???? plus you are lucky to have a UK spec so fitting quality HID's not a problem but what of JDM's and poor quality units - how do you find out? after you've paid your money usually!

"in unsuitable headlamps " - care to elaborate? unsuitable in what way? not designed for HID patterns????

Indeed, I don't have the article to hand or a photographic memory but I seem to remember them using an old Renault?

It's fair to presume that some light units will deal with HIDs better than others, the distance the bulb sits from the reflector and lens has to be a factor in the end results. On the Supra things seem spot on, probably helped by the projector beam setup, I'd be so bold as to suggest that Auto Express tried kits on a few cars and then chose the worst for the article.

I've been a subscriber to the magazine for years but in recent months the quality of tests like this has become a joke IMO, it's like doing a tyre test on 15" rims but fitting 16" tyres.

The only sensible thing it highlighted was that some companies are willing to spout any old sales talk in order to get your cash, if anything there should be more documentation listing vehicles that the bulbs are unsuitable for, in my eyes the Supra wouldn't be one of them.

Indeed, I don't have the article to hand or a photographic memory but I seem to remember them using an old Renault?

 

It's fair to presume that some light units will deal with HIDs better than others, the distance the bulb sits from the reflector and lens has to be a factor in the end results. On the Supra things seem spot on, probably helped by the projector beam setup, I'd be so bold as to suggest that Auto Express tried kits on a few cars and then chose the worst for the article.

 

I've been a subscriber to the magazine for years but in recent months the quality of tests like this has become a joke IMO, it's like doing a tyre test on 15" rims but fitting 16" tyres.

 

The only sensible thing it highlighted was that some companies are willing to spout any old sales talk in order to get your cash, if anything there should be more documentation listing vehicles that the bulbs are unsuitable for, in my eyes the Supra wouldn't be one of them.

OK point taken but except those with UK spec cars there is still the problem regarding washers and self leveling which could still have them fall foul to the "old bill"!

My kits cost £90 each (3 sets) and yes they are worth the gains.

 

Thanks for the tip (scaremongering)

where did you get these from? need to get me some new ones after they've failed

My old soop past it's first MOT with HID 2 years ago and i guess if Rich who bought my supra reads this he'll confirm that it's past MOT since.