HIDs

[board]

Has anyone retrofitted them and going to run them through an MOT this year or swap them out for something else?

If the latter then what are you looking at replacing them with to get the same lighting quality/effect?

Has anyone tried out the various halogen options from PIAA, Phillips, Osram etc?

 

[r37]

this was in a which? magazine a few months ago. They found the osram nightbreaker plus and the phillips x-treme power to be the best bulbs. Both cost just under £20 for a pair. IIRC the nightbreakers were better on main beam and the x-treme better on the standard headlight but both consistantly put out more light than their stock car. Strangely the halfords own brand high power bulbs were worse than stock at everything. Can dig out the actual figures if anyone wants them.

EDIT: They also found that nothing compared to a HID kit in terms of brightness and listed these bulbs as next best thing.

EDIT2: Just been to book in for an MOT and the tester said my 6% lamin-x tint might need to come off and also that running with no lenses in the headlamp over the indicator might also be cause for a fail. He wasnt 100% sure on these so take it at your own risk, when asked about re-maps he said he had no way of testing them and didnt really care. Shame i'd need a chip in the ECU which he said might fail depensing on how observant the tester was.

 

[board]

Is the tester looking for aftermarket hids too and would he have failed it previously for having them fitted?

 

[Gio]

From what I have read about the new MOT, after market HID's will fail unless you've add headlight washing and auto-leveling.
Also I think if you add coloured headlight bulbs, that are different from standard, then this is also a fail.

 

[g8jka]

Apparently according to Gookah who took his beastly 206 to be MOT'ed last week, HID's will be subject to the following:

If they are fitted as a manufacturer standard option, they must have the headlight washing system along with auto levelling. These must be working correctly for them to pass the test.

If the car has an aftermarket HID kit fitted, they will be legal providing they work. No headlight washing system or auto levelling will need to be fitted.

This was according to the MOT tester, he said that he would not fail a car with an after market HID kit providing they work.

I'm sure Gookah will be along at some stage to confirm what he was told or to correct me :-?

 

[r37]

found this on the AA website regarding MOT's

VOSA, the government agency responsible for the MOT, has indicated that 'failures' relating to the new test items will be treated as 'advisories' in the first three months.

i also found this on there

Vehicles fitted with aftermarket HID systems must also be fitted with properly working washer and levelling systems.

seems the jury is still out on this one.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/ca ... -2012.html

where i got it form if anyone is interested.

 

[gookah]

If the car has an aftermarket HID kit fitted, they will be legal providing they work. No headlight washing system or auto levelling will need to be fitted.

This was according to the MOT tester, he said that he would not fail a car with an after market HID kit providing they work.

I'm sure Gookah will be along at some stage to confirm what he was told or to correct me :-?

Thats what the tester told me on Saturday when I specifically asked.
I know the AA site says they have to be fitted, but The AA wont be doing your MOT!

I also found this: From the VOSA website.an extract from the 2012 MOT test manual

"Vehicles equipped with High Intensity Discharge (HID) or LED dipped beam headlamps may be fitted with headlamp washers and a suspension or headlamp self levelling system. Where such systems are fitted, they must work;"

and from their website.
linky
look at section 3 and either download the complete manual (its page 28). or browse to section 1.7.

no mention of a requirement to fit washers or levelling to after market HID's or even aftermarket HID's as a separate case, backing up MOT testers comments.

 

[board]

Passed with HIDs installed so doesn't appear to be an issue :-bd

 

[simonbud100]

Just a quick question on everything said above.

I have aftermarket HID headlights and factory washers, do the washers need to work (as mine don't)?

If this is the case I may be on the look out for a set of front lamps, bloody annoying as I have just sold my old set #-o

 

[board]

could always unclip them and stick some tape over the hole for the mot if it does fail for them not working