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Dublin

Well-known user
Mar 8, 2012
108
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Dublin
My first task will be to service my car and add some HID lights.
I can get the service kit fairly cheap from motor factors but i was thinking of not taking the air filter and installing an induction kit instead, can anyone recommend one ?
As for the HID lights would ebay be the best ?
 
D1CKL said:
Be aware that the fitting of HID lights is now an MOT failure unless you have washers on your headlights and levellers on your front dampers.
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This is true but I find most testers turn a blind eye to it. I have been running HID's for 4 years without any issues at all + they are miles brighter than the best standard bulbs you can buy.
 
Products on the lens or light source that obviously reduce the light's intensity or change its colour will become a reason for failure – applies to front/rear position lamps, registration plate lamps, stop lamps, rear fog and direction indicators,
Headlight requirements are updated to take account of the particular characteristics of High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps.
HID headlights can cause dazzle if they are dirty or aimed too high, so they are generally (if light output exceeds 2000 lumens) fitted in conjunction with headlamp cleaning and levelling systems. Where HID or LED dipped beam headlamps are fitted the tester will switch on the headlamps and check the operation of any headlamp levelling and cleaning devices fitted.
The car will fail if a headlamp levelling or cleaning device is inoperative or otherwise obviously defective.
If a headlamp bulb is not seated correctly the resulting beam pattern will be indistinct and this will result in a test fail.

Note is sais generally and not compulsory though I do believe if you don't have projection lamps it is compulsory to have self levellers (y)
 
D1CKL said:
Be aware that the fitting of HID lights is now an MOT failure unless you have washers on your headlights and levellers on your front dampers.
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No, this isn't quite the whole story.

It's rather complicated, but the manual doesn't reject HID lamps where they have been fitted on an older vehicle. ProComm is much closer to what the manual actually says (are you an NT Procomm?) is that if a levelling device is fitted, along with washers they much function; there is no prescriptive term that they must be fitted with the appendages mentioned above.

From the NT's perspective providing the colour and aim are correct on a vehicle using an aftermarket kit then there is nothing in the manual to allow a rejection.
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m4s01000701.htm Is the page from the latest edition of the manual to my knowledge.

BUT does this make fitting HID lamps on an older car legal, well, this comes down to an entirely different set of regulations covered by 'Road Vehicles (Constrution and Use) 1986' legislation.... I'll just post a link for you to digest that:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/contents/made

Essentially, there is nothing to reject them in the MOT manual, but it must be remembered that an item that passes an MOT does not necessarily make the vehicle compliant under C&U or the RTA.

Lamps show a great example of this in action here, if headlamps are not fitted to a vehicle this is not a reason for rejection (providing the vehicle is claimed to be used during the hours of daylight) however once that vehicle is driven on the road and smoke blows across the carriageway (hypothetical I know) and you can't turn the lamps on.... You guessed it, you're in contravention of the RTA... Vehicle is unroadworthy in that instance, but has an entirely valid MOT pass recorded.

To clarify:

- If required by law your vehicle must have a valid MOT certificate.
- An MOT certificate does not confirm roadworthiness.
- Roadworthiness is goverened by legislation in turn by circumstance.

**phew**

Basically, yes they'll pass an MOT, but don't confuse this with them being 'street legal.'

Also, I believe (but am not certain) there is a revision to an EU regulation (I don't have the time to find it, but feel free to do my research for me!) which makes self-levelling lamp and headlamp washers a mandated item to vehicles fitted with HIDs made after x-date. 2008 rings a bell, but I could have dreamt that.

Regards,
Andy
 
They should pass but unfortunately, as with any industry, interpretation is involved and I know some testers who believe that any car fitted with after market hids that don't self level will fail, end of. That might be fair or right but that is how some read the regulations. As rightly said, an mot does not mean a car is roadworthy....far from it
 
Bottom line here is they do make a difference to you as a driver as you can see miles better with them but you might fall foul of the MOT tester. Easy option is to run HID's all year and just swap standard bulbs back in for MOT to be sure it will pass.
 
D1CKL said:
Be aware that the fitting of HID lights is now an MOT failure unless you have washers on your headlights and levellers on your front dampers.
Click to expand...

That leaves me in a tricky situation then as i'm in Ireland, as far as i'm aware they just check alignment here

spjmorris said:
yes, fit a panel filter, no heat soak to worry about or cold air feed to fanny about with ;) combined with an ST200 airbox you get a lovely noise!
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Where would be the best place to get one of these ? My car is the 2.0l version
 
Dublin said:
Where would be the best place to get one of these ? My car is the 2.0l version
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Ah I did wonder when posting!

ok so ST200 box is out then, I have a K&N in mine that I got for a very good price from a fellow member.
Hmm....eBay/Amazon I guess.........don't listen to my half guesses wait for an informed Zetec driver to offer an opinion.
 
Can anybody who has had HIDs rejected at the MOT have a look for their "fail sheet" and see the wording given?

Now with the VOSA system testers should only be using VOSA specified wording on VT30s, just wonder what grounds are being used.

Regards,
Andy
 
benham said:
Can anybody who has had HIDs rejected at the MOT have a look for their "fail sheet" and see the wording given?

Now with the VOSA system testers should only be using VOSA specified wording on VT30s, just wonder what grounds are being used.

Regards,
Andy
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Well I have had 4 MOT's with them fitted and I did talk to my tester about the "NEW" MOT rules coming into force. He did not seem that bothered about them as long as they work and the beam was not to high on the machine they use to test them on.
I will ask the question again next year and see if things have changed but if I end up failing on them I will just do the bulb swap.
 
I can't see how a fair NT could reject them, but I've been out of the game for ten years now.

The "new" rules are the one that I posted, but there does seem to be much misinformation and confusion amougst the public with regards to them.

My personal view is that HIDs simply aren't needed to be retrofitted, a trip to Specsavers is what's needed if you are struggling in the dark, not more powerful bulbs.

In my opinion they also don't give a decent image through a lot of headlamp lenses (not tried them on the Cougar lamps that I remember though), so although they can be aligned so as not to fail and MOT, the actual scatter can be "odd" to say the least.
That varies by lamp though.


Regards,
Andy
 
benham said:
I can't see how a fair NT could reject them, but I've been out of the game for ten years now.

The "new" rules are the one that I posted, but there does seem to be much misinformation and confusion amougst the public with regards to them.

My personal view is that HIDs simply aren't needed to be retrofitted, a trip to Specsavers is what's needed if you are struggling in the dark, not more powerful bulbs.

In my opinion they also don't give a decent image through a lot of headlamp lenses (not tried them on the Cougar lamps that I remember though), so although they can be aligned so as not to fail and MOT, the actual scatter can be "odd" to say the least.
That varies by lamp though.


Regards,
Andy
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Well the reason I fitted them was due to the very poor visibility in the dark with standard bulbs fitted. Out of all the changes I have made and done to my car I find this to be in my top 5 easy. They make a massive difference.
Also I am guessing this is why Ford changed the headlight design in the facelift model as well. If you have not fitted them to a Cougar then you would not see or understand the difference they can make.
Only my opinion but I am very sure they are plenty of members running them as well due to these reasons.
 
Peter Froud said:
Well the reason I fitted them was due to the very poor visibility in the dark with standard bulbs fitted. Out of all the changes I have made and done to my car I find this to be in my top 5 easy. They make a massive difference.
Also I am guessing this is why Ford changed the headlight design in the facelift model as well. If you have not fitted them to a Cougar then you would not see or understand the difference they can make.
Only my opinion but I am very sure they are plenty of members running them as well due to these reasons.
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I don't want a debate about it chap, remember I'm the person saying there is no valid reason to reject them on the MOT test....
 
benham said:
I don't want a debate about it chap, remember I'm the person saying there is no valid reason to reject them on the MOT test....
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No debate here chap, just pointing out that it has nothing to do with a trip to specsavers. Just a poor headlight design as to why many of us run HID's in our cars and in answer to the op's question then I would go for it and fit them.
 
I have also been running with HID's on my dipped and Full beams for four years, but, at last years MOT my tester told me about the new regulations coming into force and that I would have to get rid of them this year. That is why I have removed them and replaced with 100 Watt Xenon bulbs which are almost as good as the HID's.
 
100W Xenon bulbs are no different to HIDs in terms of the C&U Regs.

Must just be me who thinks the standard lamps are quite good then?! Then again I have contact lenses in when I drive :cautious:

I think a lot of testers were fed a lot of 'bull' in the run up to the new manual, no doubt the network of Chinese whispers -or- the draft was changed for some reason late on?

Regards,
Andy
 
Peter Froud said:
No debate here chap, just pointing out that it has nothing to do with a trip to specsavers. Just a poor headlight design as to why many of us run HID's in our cars and in answer to the op's question then I would go for it and fit them.
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Thats why i'm putting them in, the dipped beam is atrocious at night, you nearly need the full beam on to make it seem normal. It's not only me either as ive had others say the same when i let them drive it
 
It all really depends on the tester I have taken mine with a transit back box welded on when it was in shake down after the 4x4 conversion our tester just shook his head and passed it anyway a couple of days later i was getting a powerflow exhaust fitted so I just called at the test centre to show it him.
 
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