Retro fit HID lights

[cjb1]

Can anyone confirm if aftermarket HID headlights are illegal or legal? No opinions, no bar room lawyers, just actual substantiated facts please. My son got pulled by the police today and told to change them, the MOT centre that recently did his test advised that they are still legal.

Does anyone know the facts?

[LCR265]

A quick google - this may be of some help?

From 2010 though so it may well have changed.

[jagracer]

cjb1 said:

Can anyone confirm if aftermarket HID headlights are illegal or legal? No opinions, no bar room lawyers, just actual substantiated facts please. My son got pulled by the police today and told to change them, the MOT centre that recently did his test advised that they are still legal.

Does anyone know the facts?

I don't know the legalities of them but they will pass an MOT providing they have the correct beam pattern and no they don't need washers or self levelling. The MOT has nothing to do with C&U regs.

Edited by jagracer on Saturday 1st September 20:31

[Benjy911]

At the moment they will still pass the MOT as long as the beam is good.

However, technically they aren't legal to fit after market and the police have every right to tell you to change them, as the headlight unit wasn't made for HIDs and isn't stamped for use with HIDs. Did he get a fine or just told to change them?

[cjb1]

jagracer said:

cjb1 said:

Can anyone confirm if aftermarket HID headlights are illegal or legal? No opinions, no bar room lawyers, just actual substantiated facts please. My son got pulled by the police today and told to change them, the MOT centre that recently did his test advised that they are still legal.

Does anyone know the facts?

I don't know the legalities of them but they will pass an MOT providing they have the correct beam pattern and no they don't need washers or self levelling. The MOT has nothing to do with C&U regs.

Edited by jagracer on Saturday 1st September 20:31

We do know that they must be fitted to #projector' type light units which his are. He works at an MOT garage so knows about the no-washer thing, thanks for your reply. We too are unsure if the MOT pass is up to date with the current regs but in tend to find out.

[GC8]

LCR265 said:

A quick google - this may be of some help?

From 2010 though so it may well have changed.

It wasnt any use then, let alone now. Its an opinion and its laced with mistakes.

[cjb1]

GC8 said:

LCR265 said:

A quick google - this may be of some help?

From 2010 though so it may well have changed.

It wasnt any use then, let alone now. Its an opinion and its laced with mistakes.

No mate, not checked that link just yet, my reply was to someone else, I'm always amazed at the speed of response from folk on PH and struggle to keep up, many thanks for your reply, I'll check it out soon.

[OwenK]

LCR265 said:

A quick google - this may be of some help?

From 2010 though so it may well have changed.

But here you see the waters are still muddy - this document does NOT say "HIDs are illegal". It says "The DfT reckons HIDs aren't legal".

Their logic is based on the fact that lamps designed for halogens but used with HIDs will not present a correct beam pattern. But if a car with HIDs can pass an MOT headlamp beam check, I don't see why they should be illegal. I've been blinded far more with factory xenons than I ever have by aftermarket HIDs.

This topic is of particular interest to me as our Audi has had terrible light output since we bought it - when it popped a bulb I replaced them with high-output ones, which were still terrible (headlights of cars behind can still cast a shadow in front of us). Now one of those has blown and I'm considering a HID upgrade. I've tried the above board route, but now I need to actually see at night.

[Magic919]

They are illegal on any car, as they fall outside UK Lighting Law.

[Benjy911]

Also what kelvin were the HIDs and what car? Out of interest.

[Engineer1]

The simple answer is things can pass an MOT that aren't legit as far as C&U regs which are the LAW.

[jagracer]

cjb1 said:

We do know that they must be fitted to #projector' type light units which his are. He works at an MOT garage so knows about the no-washer thing, thanks for your reply. We too are unsure if the MOT pass is up to date with the current regs but in tend to find out.

Like I said the MOT bears little resemblance to C&U regs, it's like the number plate debacle, one day they must have the address and kite mark on then they don't, then they do, then they don't again. The DfT make up a rule then the EU will over ride it or vice versa, same with VOSA, no one seems to know much of what's law and what's not. The no washer comment wasn't really aimed at you, more for the self appointed PH lawyers that will reply to your thread.

[cjb1]

OwenK said:

LCR265 said:

A quick google - this may be of some help?

From 2010 though so it may well have changed.

But here you see the waters are still muddy - this document does NOT say "HIDs are illegal". It says "The DfT reckons HIDs aren't legal".

Their logic is based on the fact that lamps designed for halogens but used with HIDs will not present a correct beam pattern. But if a car with HIDs can pass an MOT headlamp beam check, I don't see why they should be illegal. I've been blinded far more with factory xenons than I ever have by aftermarket HIDs.

This topic is of particular interest to me as our Audi has had terrible light output since we bought it - when it popped a bulb I replaced them with high-output ones, which were still terrible (headlights of cars behind can still cast a shadow in front of us). Now one of those has blown and I'm considering a HID upgrade. I've tried the above board route, but now I need to actually see at night.

The frustrating thing is that we suspect this is just the local plod picking on a young guy with a nice car. I fitted them to my 'X' Type and ran them in the car for 3 years without ever being pulled up, he fitted them about the same time to his Corsa and must have been pulled half a dozen times at least.

[cjb1]

jagracer said:

cjb1 said:

We do know that they must be fitted to #projector' type light units which his are. He works at an MOT garage so knows about the no-washer thing, thanks for your reply. We too are unsure if the MOT pass is up to date with the current regs but in tend to find out.

Like I said the MOT bears little resemblance to C&U regs, it's like the number plate debacle, one day they must have the address and kite mark on then they don't, then they do, then they don't again. The DfT make up a rule then the EU will over ride it or vice versa, same with VOSA, no one seems to know much of what's law and what's not. The no washer comment wasn't really aimed at you, more for the self appointed PH lawyers that will reply to your thread.

Thanks for the post, good one!

[jagracer]

cjb1 said:

The frustrating thing is that we suspect this is just the local plod picking on a young guy with a nice car. I fitted them to my 'X' Type and ran them in the car for 3 years without ever being pulled up, he fitted them about the same time to his Corsa and must have been pulled half a dozen times at least.

I think you've hit the nail squarely on the head there and don't forget that the BiB are often quite ignorant of the law and sometimes make it up as they go along as has been proved by one or two of them on here in the past.

[Durzel]

cjb1 said:

The frustrating thing is that we suspect this is just the local plod picking on a young guy with a nice car. I fitted them to my 'X' Type and ran them in the car for 3 years without ever being pulled up, he fitted them about the same time to his Corsa and must have been pulled half a dozen times at least.

Can't be that nice of a car if he needed to retrofit HIDs to it.

[cjb1]

Magic919 said:

They are illegal on any car, as they fall outside UK Lighting Law.

Thanks for the definative response, do you have the article code of the particular UK law that you make reference to, I'd like to confirm this for my son?

[Engineer1]

The biggest issue is piss of your local copper and every late drive it will be have you been drinking or other creative solutions to the I had him bang to rights and he weaselled out of it.

[cjb1]

Durzel said:

cjb1 said:

The frustrating thing is that we suspect this is just the local plod picking on a young guy with a nice car. I fitted them to my 'X' Type and ran them in the car for 3 years without ever being pulled up, he fitted them about the same time to his Corsa and must have been pulled half a dozen times at least.

Can't be that nice of a car if he needed to retrofit HIDs to it.

Thanks for the totally unrelated and uninformed reply, your contribution will be printed off and deposited in the nearest rubbish bin you bloody clot!!

His car is a mere little 1.2 SXi VX Corsa, it's just highly modified with a VX Z20LET (for the uninitiated) that's a 2 litre 16 valve turbo) de-cat, front mounted larger intercooler, 3-1/2 inch powerflow exhaust front to rear, full Irmsher body kit proffesionally painted and fitted, Compomotive wheels, Toyo Proxy's all round, it has a rear disc conversion, uprated front 4 pot calipers, coil overs all round, so yeah, I guess it's not really that nice a car, now get the fk off my post until you have have something construcyive to offer you stupid bd!!

[Benjy911]

cjb1 said:

Thanks for the totally unrelated and uninformed reply, your contribution will be printed off and deposited in the nearest rubbish bin you bloody clot!!

His car is a mere little 1.2 SXi VX Corsa, it's just highly modified with a VX Z20LET (for the uninitiated) that's a 2 litre 16 valve turbo) de-cat, front mounted larger intercooler, 3-1/2 inch powerflow exhaust front to rear, full Irmsher body kit proffesionally painted and fitted, Compomotive wheels, Toyo Proxy's all round, it has a rear disc conversion, uprated front 4 pot calipers, coil overs all round, so yeah, I guess it's not really that nice a car, now get the fk off my post until you have have something construcyive to offer you stupid bd!!

Sounds nice, is he on corsa-c.co.uk? I've got 1.8 but would quite like a Z20let eventually!