Mot and HIDs

KekseKaempfer

KekseKaempfer

A2OC Donor
According to the way I read it. As of May 2018, hid bulbs in a headlamp designed for halogen headlights will be an automatic mot failure.

"Some vehicles may be fitted with High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps. It is not permitted to convert existing halogen headlamp units for use with HID bulbs. If it is clear that such a conversion has been carried out, rather than replacing the entire unit with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs, the headlamp should be rejected."

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...lasses-3-4-5-and-7-from-20-may-2018-draft.pdf
 
Mine were converted before I took ownership Chris. The car has had a couple of MOTs with them fitted that I know of and no rejections thus far. Whilst the letter of the law is quite clear, perhaps it depends on how stringent the tester is.
 
Same as Darren,we had HIDs fitted and i told the mot tester before the mot test and he said not to worry. My opinion is if the headlamp is correctly aligned and has HIDs fitted it's far safer than the original headlamp output and you should be congratulated to improving road safety rather than being penalised.
 
...one to watch.
We all know that most HID conversions went against the letter of the MoT. Since 2014 I consider myself fortunate that the tester has passed my car. If the rules are applied more strictly, I’m not sure what I will do.
As my MoT is late in the year, I won’t be a pioneer

Andrew
 
The actual wording of the MOT relating to HIDs focusses on the Auto Levelling and headlamp washers.
It quite clearly states that headlamp washers and self levelling should be working if HID are used.

BUT, it then goes on to state that this ONLY applies if the car was fitted with self levelling and headlamp washers when it left the factory.

That looks like it will all change if the above rule comes into power in 2018, but currently retrofitted HIDs do not have to have headlamp washers and self levelling retrofitted too.

I have spoken to a few MOT testers about this too and some of them started off saying that you HAD to have the washers and levellers fitted if you have retrofitted HIDs. But admitted that this is just what they THOUGHT was the case, but the rules are public and they do not force these options.

This is my opinion, if you want the facts it is worth googling the MOT laws and making up your own mind if you want a conclusive answer, just asking your MOT tester will give you different answers.

Steve B
 
KekseKaempfer said:
According to the way I read it. As of May 2018, hid bulbs in a headlamp designed for halogen headlights will be an automatic mot failure.

"Some vehicles may be fitted with High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps. It is not permitted to convert existing halogen headlamp units for use with HID bulbs. If it is clear that such a conversion has been carried out, rather than replacing the entire unit with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs, the headlamp should be rejected."

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...lasses-3-4-5-and-7-from-20-may-2018-draft.pdf
Click to expand...

This is exactly how it should be I think HIDs in without self levelling and especially in non HID design casing are very anti social and dangerous to other road users.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The section I quoted is in the compliance section, not the auto levelling section. and is from the 2017 fifth edition. Things may change for you folk with Hid installs.

If you plonk a HID bulb in a reflector housing designed for halogen, you can expect a fail.

YMMV.
 
KekseKaempfer said:
The section I quoted is in the compliance section, not the auto levelling section. and is from the 2017 fifth edition. Things may change for you folk with Hid installs.

If you plonk a HID bulb in a reflector housing designed for halogen, you can expect a fail.

YMMV.
Click to expand...

Yes I know but the police will can fine you regardless of if you passed the MOT with it or not. As the arc from HIDs is very different than the standard light bulbs and will blind other road users on dark roads especially when going over the ridge of a hill.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If I have to convert back, then I'll do so. As I said, I bought the car with the conversion in place, so I didn't make any conscious decision to 'break the law' or set out to be anti-social. I don't do much night driving as mine isn't a daily driver either.
 
Darren C said:
If I have to convert back, then I'll do so. As I said, I bought the car with the conversion in place, so I didn't make any conscious decision to 'break the law' or set out to be anti-social. I don't do much night driving as mine isn't a daily driver either.
Click to expand...
Can we please get one thing straight.

I too HATE the cars that have poorly fitted HIDs, they look stupid and are downright dangerous, I hate them.

BUT there are many on here that have HID installs that DON'T dazzle and to me that is the most important point.

HIDs are not dangerous.
Badly fitted and adjusted HIDs are dangerous.

I avoid them altogether and decided to go for a bi-Xenon option, that has a very sharp and clearly focussed beam pattern due to the specially designed lens.

So not all aftermarket HIDs are rubbish, just most of them.

Steve B
 
Birchall said:
Darren C said:
If I have to convert back, then I'll do so. As I said, I bought the car with the conversion in place, so I didn't make any conscious decision to 'break the law' or set out to be anti-social. I don't do much night driving as mine isn't a daily driver either.
Click to expand...
Can we please get one thing straight.

I too HATE the cars that have poorly fitted HIDs, they look stupid and are downright dangerous, I hate them.

BUT there are many on here that have HID installs that DON'T dazzle and to me that is the most important point.

HIDs are not dangerous.
Badly fitted and adjusted HIDs are dangerous.

I avoid them altogether and decided to go for a bi-Xenon option, that has a very sharp and clearly focussed beam pattern due to the specially designed lens.

So not all aftermarket HIDs are rubbish, just most of them.

Steve B
Click to expand...

I don’t think you can ever get the beam pattern right to be honest.

You can fit an aftermarket HID kit to a UK vehicle, and as long as the beam pattern is correct, the light is predominantly white or yellow-white, there is no glare for other road users, and the light passes all the standard MOT test checks such as being secure and pointing in the right direction, then you should be able to pass an MOT and not break the law.

BUT, this doesn't necessarily mean you will be road legal as you will be driving a car which has parts which have been modified and these parts won't have been subjected to the approval processes which manufacturers have to go through.

So, even if you pass an MOT and don't attract attention from the police, you may still find yourself in trouble if you crash, or cause somebody else to crash, and it is discovered that you've made modifications to your vehicle.

And, of course, you may invalidate your insurance if you perform a modification which you haven't told them about.


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All I am saying is the same as you, if it doesn't glare and if it has a correct cut off pattern, then fine, but if it isn't I would be happy to see the police take action, I am tired of being dazzled by bad installations or sub-standard or parts that are not designed for the car in which it is being used.

Almost every time I am dazzled by an obvious HID / LED white beamed headlamp you find that it is an older car that has had them retrofitted.

I would rather see a GOOD HID installation than the weak standard headlamps that many A2s have.

My prime driver is safety, for the driver as well as for other drivers on the road. That can be achieved by uprated safe headlamps, the standard A2 headlamps are not quite bright enough to be totally safe (just my opinion).

Steve B
 
I didn't want to start an argument re hids (again) just thought it might be a heads up for the new mot check for those lucky enough to be able to see where you are going..
 
From what I read, I think there may be worse news than HIDs...

"Engine Management Light is now a major fail. It must come on with the ignition and then turn off when the engine is started."
Click to expand...

Well, that's most FSI's fubared then ...​
 
if retrofitted hids are installed in a standard reflector then I would imagine the headlamp image would be incorrect in which case it should fail mot regardless the image should be sharp and kick up to left for uk roads , then the correct aim has to be achieved , I myself have never ventured to hids but would be interesting to see the beam pattern on a retrofitted unit
 
Birchall said:
All I am saying is the same as you, if it doesn't glare and if it has a correct cut off pattern, then fine, but if it isn't I would be happy to see the police take action, I am tired of being dazzled by bad installations or sub-standard or parts that are not designed for the car in which it is being used.

Almost every time I am dazzled by an obvious HID / LED white beamed headlamp you find that it is an older car that has had them retrofitted.

I would rather see a GOOD HID installation than the weak standard headlamps that many A2s have.

My prime driver is safety, for the driver as well as for other drivers on the road. That can be achieved by uprated safe headlamps, the standard A2 headlamps are not quite bright enough to be totally safe (just my opinion).

Steve B
Click to expand...
I am more often dazzled by badly adjusted or poorly fitted OE headlights than modified headlights. Yes, badly fitted HID dazzle more though their numbers are insignificant in my experience compared to faulty OE.
Until the police clamp down (never going to happen due to budget constraints) I don't see things getting better as people seem increasingly incapable of maintaining their vehicles.
 
Mark Reilly said:
if retrofitted hids are installed in a standard reflector then I would imagine the headlamp image would be incorrect in which case it should fail mot regardless the image should be sharp and kick up to left for uk roads , then the correct aim has to be achieved , I myself have never ventured to hids but would be interesting to see the beam pattern on a retrofitted unit
Click to expand...
The reason that some HIDS do have the correct beam pattern and others don't is due to the position of the bulb output. Different lengths will have vastly different effects. But if we start talking physics, the "hood" in the reflector determines the cut off pattern, so the only difference between a HID bulb and a normal bulb (regarding pattern) is the point at which the illumination emanates from.

A normal bulb has no directional shading on it (the end is blanked off but so are the HID bulbs) so the only variable (as far as pattern shape) is the clear section of either bulb, the length of the clear section and the position of that clear section is what matters, so SOME HID bulbs will be OK, I guess that most WON'T be OK but we can't just say that HID bulbs cannot provide the correct beam patter. Some trusted and knowledgeable members have had these fitted for a long time and they are thoughtful and safe drivers and they can confirm that theirs is ok.


My basic point is just that I don't believe we can say HID bulbs cannot provide the right beam pattern.

Steve B
 
sciroccorrado said:
From what I read, I think there may be worse news than HIDs...


"Engine Management Light is now a major fail. It must come on with the ignition and then turn off when the engine is started."


Well, that's most FSI's fubared then ...
Click to expand...
Is that a proposed change to the MOT test then? Currently it is not a fail.

Steve B
 
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