Done for HID headlights.
Discussion
I will say, a lot of modern cars have stupidly bright headlights that do my head in!! So I should feel smug now, but I really do think what happened to you was harsh...
If that's what your car had as standard, then that's fair enough. And if you had a choice of replacing them with 400 quid Renault ones or 60 quid ones from Halfords or wherever then I would have done the same. Doesn't sound any different to me in that sense than a different tyre brand or pattern wiper blade. Seriously, how can they do you for something as trivial as that??
So yeah, I would be unhappy right now and wanting to do something about it if I were you OP....
If that's what your car had as standard, then that's fair enough. And if you had a choice of replacing them with 400 quid Renault ones or 60 quid ones from Halfords or wherever then I would have done the same. Doesn't sound any different to me in that sense than a different tyre brand or pattern wiper blade. Seriously, how can they do you for something as trivial as that??
So yeah, I would be unhappy right now and wanting to do something about it if I were you OP....
Please don't think I am talking out of turn here, when you fitted your replacement bulbs did you have to fit the ballast unit as well? If so then your car like a lot of meganes are projector headlights with halogen bulbs, and you have fitted a hid kit, which unfortunately is illegal, all hid equipped cars in the uk must have self levelling and headlight washers as per this link http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadla...
If your car did have hid as oem then you could have just bought replacement bulbs and not had to fit a ballast unit etc and would have self levelling and washers. Unfortunately you got caught and the police in this instance were doing their job, although hid kits in projectors are far less annoying than hid's in reflector housings.
If your car did have hid as oem then you could have just bought replacement bulbs and not had to fit a ballast unit etc and would have self levelling and washers. Unfortunately you got caught and the police in this instance were doing their job, although hid kits in projectors are far less annoying than hid's in reflector housings.
cuprastu said:
Please don't think I am talking out of turn here, when you fitted your replacement bulbs did you have to fit the ballast unit as well? If so then your car like a lot of meganes are projector headlights with halogen bulbs, and you have fitted a hid kit, which unfortunately is illegal, all hid equipped cars in the uk must have self levelling and headlight washers as per this link http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadla...
If your car did have hid as oem then you could have just bought replacement bulbs and not had to fit a ballast unit etc and would have self levelling and washers. Unfortunately you got caught and the police in this instance were doing their job, although hid kits in projectors are far less annoying than hid's in reflector housings.
Thanks for your reply and the link.If your car did have hid as oem then you could have just bought replacement bulbs and not had to fit a ballast unit etc and would have self levelling and washers. Unfortunately you got caught and the police in this instance were doing their job, although hid kits in projectors are far less annoying than hid's in reflector housings.
They are definetley HID specced , I only replaced the ballast on both sides and one bulb.
Like I said, I've not seen one car the same as mine that has the Xenons fitted with washers and levelling. They are all just Xenon.
JoPo1 said:
Like I said, I've not seen one car the same as mine that has the Xenons fitted with washers and levelling. They are all just Xenon.
If you are absolutely sure your car was supplied new by Renault with HID headlights but no washers or auto-leveling, it's Renault you need to contact before you argue with the courts because Renault have sold you a car that isn't UK type approved. I bought a Honda Accord Type-R new in 1999 which had HID headlights and the washers and levelers were definitely a requirement then, so would have been in 2002.Did you buy your car new and are you absolutely sure the HID lights were no fitted by a previous owner?
Caulkhead said:
If you are absolutely sure your car was supplied new by Renault with HID headlights but no washers or auto-leveling, it's Renault you need to contact before you argue with the courts because Renault have sold you a car that isn't UK type approved. I bought a Honda Accord Type-R new in 1999 which had HID headlights and the washers and levelers were definitely a requirement then, so would have been in 2002.
I could believe it if it was a Mitsubishi EVO or something which has come in via the SVA scheme. But a fully EU type-approved car with HIDs but no self-levelling? Is your Megane built for the EU market rather than the US or Middle East or something?Caulkhead said:
If you are absolutely sure your car was supplied new by Renault with HID headlights but no washers or auto-leveling, it's Renault you need to contact before you argue with the courts because Renault have sold you a car that isn't UK type approved. I bought a Honda Accord Type-R new in 1999 which had HID headlights and the washers and levelers were definitely a requirement then, so would have been in 2002.
Did you buy your car new and are you absolutely sure the HID lights were no fitted by a previous owner?
I dont mean to be rude, but I have said numerous times that these cars come with Xenon headlights without the washers. I bought it second hand but loads on auto trader have the same spec without the washers too.Did you buy your car new and are you absolutely sure the HID lights were no fitted by a previous owner?
Even the Ballasts it came with say 'Renault Siemens' on them.
Renault know they dont have them.
JoPo1 said:
Caulkhead said:
If you are absolutely sure your car was supplied new by Renault with HID headlights but no washers or auto-leveling, it's Renault you need to contact before you argue with the courts because Renault have sold you a car that isn't UK type approved. I bought a Honda Accord Type-R new in 1999 which had HID headlights and the washers and levelers were definitely a requirement then, so would have been in 2002.
Did you buy your car new and are you absolutely sure the HID lights were no fitted by a previous owner?
I dont mean to be rude, but I have said numerous times that these cars come with Xenon headlights without the washers. I bought it second hand but loads on auto trader have the same spec without the washers too.Did you buy your car new and are you absolutely sure the HID lights were no fitted by a previous owner?
Even the Ballasts it came with say 'Renault Siemens' on them.
Renault know they dont have them.
If you can show the court that you are right and that they were sold new that way, you might be able to convince the court to dismiss the case.
JoPo1 said:
Me neither, had them 2 years with no issues. Replacements been in a year. Dont know if its to do with the 'crackdown' and stopping cars they beleive aftermarket or what. No idea.
So.. you say it came with them as OEM. But, you say in your first post its been 3 years since you had them fitted - and in the above post 1 year since replacements were fitted. So you have gone through two lots of Phillips kits in three years, or you converted the car to HID three years ago and needed to replace them again a year ago?? Confused 
JoPo1 said:
Well, After 3 years of having them fitted I was stopped by traffic police for having an Unauthorised lamp fitted.
The headlights are approved for Xenon/HID lamps and the HID kit and ballast are E marked only for use in the correct approved housing which mine are.
But when i was stopped they asked to see under the bonnet. I obliged and they looked at them and because they are 'aftermarket' kit they are immediately illegal. I told them the above that both were OEM equipment other than the HID's being made by a different company.
They said because my car doesnt have self leveling headlamps and washers that they are illegal. But, None of the cars the same as mine that have these as standard have either of these things aswell?
So mine was the same as a factory model fitted with them except because i replaced my dead ones with aftermarket, Im a criminal?
The done me anyway and told me to remove them. £30 lighter.
P.s They are not blinding and are correctly fitted and alligned.
Tis a pity they don't take it upon themselves to start stopping cars with defective lights, ie lights not working, one stuck on full beam, no indicators, must I go on........The headlights are approved for Xenon/HID lamps and the HID kit and ballast are E marked only for use in the correct approved housing which mine are.
But when i was stopped they asked to see under the bonnet. I obliged and they looked at them and because they are 'aftermarket' kit they are immediately illegal. I told them the above that both were OEM equipment other than the HID's being made by a different company.
They said because my car doesnt have self leveling headlamps and washers that they are illegal. But, None of the cars the same as mine that have these as standard have either of these things aswell?
So mine was the same as a factory model fitted with them except because i replaced my dead ones with aftermarket, Im a criminal?
The done me anyway and told me to remove them. £30 lighter.
P.s They are not blinding and are correctly fitted and alligned.
My only gripe about these Xenon/HID lamps are they are bloody bright, and 9 times out of 10, blind other motorists. Are they necessary at all for urban driving.
As said, I don't think Renault, selling cars on passive and active safety, would supply a 2002 Xenon car without washers or levellers.
But, like I said before, I can hardly believe the BiB pulled you over to look under your bonnet if absolutely nothing looked "off". I'm betting either:
1) your car was obviously blinding
2) the colour of the HIDs you installed was particularly non-factory
Otherwise they wouldn't be able to keep up with taking cars off the road to check them for factory-fitted HIDs.
But, like I said before, I can hardly believe the BiB pulled you over to look under your bonnet if absolutely nothing looked "off". I'm betting either:
1) your car was obviously blinding
2) the colour of the HIDs you installed was particularly non-factory
Otherwise they wouldn't be able to keep up with taking cars off the road to check them for factory-fitted HIDs.
t here....Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff