Aftermarket HIDS illegal.

wassap · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:32

Well according to this weeks AutoExpress.

I cant find the article online, but its in the mag, basically the aftermarket kits are illegal, despite what vendors have been telling punters, not a surprise tbh, i have never been able to get my head round how a xenon bulb can work well without a projector and behing a patterned glass.

Will try and scan the article tomorrow if anybody is interested.

[TW]Fox · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:34

With respect, this 'news' was in Auto Express.

All they are really any good at is collating adverts and press releases and convincing people to spend £1.80 on it..

NickXX · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:34

Are they really? My car with it's 'illegal' Xenons passed its MOT today with no advisories.

wassap · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:35

Actually there was a quote from the Dft in there too, stating that it is not permissable to fit aftermarket xenons.

[TW]Fox · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:37

Is this a super top-secret law or something?

Hate · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:38

its technically illegal to have aftermarket exhaust too.

Faithless · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:38

We need to clarify this. Are yours (nick and Fox) not OEM jobbies? In which case they are legal as they contain the right lumen bulbs correct temp ranges and ballasts?

I think this really applies to real cack sets made for generic motors

tonyyeb · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:39

NickXX said:
Are they really? My car with it's 'illegal' Xenons passed its MOT today with no advisories.

I think the illegality might be like tinted front windows. A quick scan over the MOT manual and i cant find anything about a car with tinted windows failing (front windscreen not included). So the xenons might be illegal in one sense but not in the aspect of the MOT... i hope that makes sense... and if anyone knows different about tinted windows then please post.

[TW]Fox · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:39

Aftermarket but with correct bulbs, ballasts, headlight washer system, etc..

Firestar_3x · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:40

lol that was posted on another forum i visit. totally stupid!

wassap · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:42

[TW]Fox said:
Is this a super top-secret law or something?

Dunno, just posting what i have read dude, The problem probabaly stems from the amount of poor xenon kits doing the rounds.

But then again you probabaly wont get stopped anyway, how many fog light morons, or cars with duff lights do see on a regular basis.

Serj · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:42

Hate said:
its technically illegal to have aftermarket exhaust too.

Really?

wassap · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:43

[TW]Fox said:
Aftermarket but with correct bulbs, ballasts, headlight washer system, etc..

How many aftermarket kits have all of that, i havent seen many with washer or self levellers?

NickXX · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:43

Faithless said:
We need to clarify this. Are yours (nick and Fox) not OEM jobbies? In which case they are legal as they contain the right lumen bulbs correct temp ranges and ballasts?

I think this really applies to real cack sets made for generic motors

They are 6000k (OEM is 4300k). Look slightly bluer. I got mine aligned by an MOT place after I fitted them . The guy said the colour temp was totally legal, and he sorted the angle out too.

[TW]Fox · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:44

wohoo said:
How many aftermarket kits have all of that, i havent seen many with washer or self levellers?

No idea, car already had the washers etc.

wassap · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:46

[TW]Fox said:
No idea, car already had the washers etc.

Is that still classed as an aftermarket kit then, or is it the same as putting on an oem lamp? Yours is already a projector beam is it not?

I think they are worried about the folk that are just slapping in the 'bulbs' into a normal lamp

Faithless · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:46

I *think* from reading around the subject that the problem stems from the lack of self levelling. Proper OEM HID Xenons 'wink' when you turn the lights on. They dip down then up to a default angle and setting. Some even come with the option of flicking a little switch to swap between LHD and RHD.

This is the grey area but it appears MOT testers and Police either don't care or cant be bothered. As long as the light is aligned correctly whats the problem?

Phate · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:47

Hmm I am planning this mod for my car, hoping to get clear glass for the front as well so they are like the xenons I had on the Astra.

NickXX · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:48

Faithless said:
This is the grey area but it appears MOT testers and Police either don't care or cant be bothered. As long as the light is aligned correctly whats the problem?

Exactly.

Bear · 4 Jan 2007 at 19:49

Hate said:
its technically illegal to have aftermarket exhaust too.

No its not, its technically illegal to fit an aftermarket exhaust that is louder than original equipment, but yes nearly all aftermarket systems happen to be louder as they are more free flowing systems.