jus been speaking to mot man next door at work, and apparently mots are getting strict on hids.

vosa are making the rules and he said that only standard hid will pass.

headlamp washers must be on the hid's ( like on factory fitted ones)

and also they must be self leveling (meaning they adjust themselves up and down automatically)

rules are official yet but it will be happening soon, jus a quick warning to those who have modded after market hid kits

anyone wlse heard owt and whats people views

Check out this post: HID's

They have always had them rules in place just don't think they have been very well enforced.

I am a MOT tester and this is the first i have heard of this, There is rule's by vosa/police that if you get pulled you can get done for them but as far as mot's are i am not aware of anything else but will keep everyone informed if i hear different!

well my local mot man have a random inspection which took like 3 hours and they told him they bringing it in as a offical rule dno when its coming in but its coming apparently. mot man told me caus he knows I've jus fitted hids to my car

We keep going over and over this. From January 1st 2012 it will illegal to have aftermarket HID's fitted to any car no matter what modifications are carried out to conform to the current rules (auto levelling and washers). It will also be illegal to sell HID kits. The only cars that will pass an MOT or VOSA/Police inspection with HID's is if they were fitted as a manufacturer accessory from new.

Matt

I cant really see how this will be enforced. Driving about with all the optional upgrades known for every car on a list?

worst case scenario: Can't you just put normal bulbs in for the mot?

Its a purely bullshit law designed to take more money from motorists pockets in the form of fines from the Police and also people having to get rid of their aftermarket kits (which aren't cheap!). But oh wait, you can't even sell them on because thats illegal too!

Its complete lunacy, they improve visibility at night, and they only blind people if not properly set up, which happens with old lights too if not aligned!!

Why ban something which is only improving something the car already has. I have had them in past and can safely say they are a LOT better than standard yellow xenons.

Do they actually give a reason for banning them other than: "Because we can, so we will."

If the model of car was available with HID's as an optional extra and they were retrofitted in their entirity (with self levelling and washers) into the same model using OEM parts there probably wouldn't be an issue.

They're hardly difficult to spot, and it'll be a reason for the police/VOSA to pull you over, which isn't a good idea if your car is running other grey area mods (poke/stretch for instance).

They're banning them because they're dangerous to people driving the other way. I've been blinded a number of times by people running aftermarket HID kits as the beam pattern is so scattered you can never aim them properly. My headlights are just as bright as HID's, but they have a proper beam pattern so you can aim them perfectly and not blind people.

Yeah, HID's in reflector headlights are shite, they just scatter the blinding light all over the place.

Would have thought they'd fail the MOT anyway for the beam pattern.

In projector headlights I've got nothing against HID's, but there is a reason why manufacturers have to fit washers and self-levellers to them, so guess that's why the new rules are about.

They're banning them because they're dangerous to people driving the other way. I've been blinded a number of times by people running aftermarket HID kits as the beam pattern is so scattered you can never aim them properly. My headlights are just as bright as HID's, but they have a proper beam pattern so you can aim them perfectly and not blind people.

Agreed, theres a few Fiesta's and Saxos around my way that have them and i get blinded by them and then have those stupid dark spots in my eyes for ages!!

Anything with a similar design to the mk2 saxo lights is a huge no-go for HID's. No beam pattern and almost 100% scatter.

Tested it out on my Saxo and at night it was like driving without lights on. so straight off and back in with normal bulbs.

The reflectors in my mk3 polo give a still give the same beam pattern with HID's as they do with normal bulbs, only adjustment that was made was the height as HID's need to be set at a lower angle to line up with the target lines on the test unit, once that was done the beam pattern lines up perfectly with the lines on the unit. Tester commented that there was actually a more definable pattern with the HID's.

Edited 17 April, 201115 yr by Cymro

They're banning them because they're dangerous to people driving the other way. I've been blinded a number of times by people running aftermarket HID kits as the beam pattern is so scattered you can never aim them properly. My headlights are just as bright as HID's, but they have a proper beam pattern so you can aim them perfectly and not blind people.

Agreed, theres a few Fiesta's and Saxos around my way that have them and i get blinded by them and then have those stupid dark spots in my eyes for ages!!

bloody worse when its behind you and you see it in your mirror.... really fucks me off.

Anyone told essex racing about the new laws? March Golf+ pg. 16

There really trying to push there H4 bi-xenon kits. Lol.

How will I stand with my HIDs? I have a 6n2 Polo E (base model) but the previous owner fitted genuine GTI HIDs from a doner car. But I dont have the washer jets for them, is this going to be a problem?

Yes it probably will be, you'd have to also add the washers to be legal.

my mk3 polo has hid it also has headlight washers and self leveling so doubt

they can fail its mot.

They're banning them because they're dangerous to people driving the other way. I've been blinded a number of times by people running aftermarket HID kits as the beam pattern is so scattered you can never aim them properly. My headlights are just as bright as HID's, but they have a proper beam pattern so you can aim them perfectly and not blind people.

Agreed, theres a few Fiesta's and Saxos around my way that have them and i get blinded by them and then have those stupid dark spots in my eyes for ages!!

I'm not surprised by what u just said about Essex mate, theres apparently loads of 'boy racers' down there according to my missus anyway

I'm not surprised by what u just said about Essex mate, theres apparently loads of 'boy racers' down there according to my missus anyway

Yup, Tesco's everynight is filled with crap cars,

my mk3 polo has hid it also has headlight washers and self leveling so doubt

they can fail its mot.

are they leveling (switch on dashboard) or self-leveling (fully automated)?

automated self-levelling is pretty pointless anywhere outside of an Urban setting. There just as bad if not worse than badly fitted HID when used in the country.

Edited 20 April, 201115 yr by Cymro

From January 1st 2012 it doesn't matter if you've got headlight washers, self levelling or a complete mk6 polo front end welded onto your Mk3 HiD's will be illegal, end of.

I'm not surprised by what u just said about Essex mate, theres apparently loads of 'boy racers' down there according to my missus anyway

No shit sherlock!

My HIDs don't blind people.

HID > Halogen

From January 1st 2012 it doesn't matter if you've got headlight washers, self levelling or a complete mk6 polo front end welded onto your Mk3 HiD's will be illegal, end of.

There still only going to be looking for 6k+ hids, and if I do get pulled for mine I have a set of 3k halogens in my spare wheel well, should wind them up a bit as there identical to my HID's.

Edited 21 April, 201115 yr by Cymro