Discussion
H4 on gto3 IIRC.
Beware fitting HID's there are a LOT of chinese units around badged up as Bosch, Hella etc, these units use a re-based light source and so moves the focal point of you lamps away from original, causing a bad beam pattern and consequently dazzling oncoming drivers with the glare.
Also a point to think about here is the H4 type HID has a solenoid operated shroud to convert dip beam to high beam, I would suggest that some of the cheap stuff may not operate as well as one would like.
F.C.
P.S. Read this before buying.;)
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadla...
Beware fitting HID's there are a LOT of chinese units around badged up as Bosch, Hella etc, these units use a re-based light source and so moves the focal point of you lamps away from original, causing a bad beam pattern and consequently dazzling oncoming drivers with the glare.
Also a point to think about here is the H4 type HID has a solenoid operated shroud to convert dip beam to high beam, I would suggest that some of the cheap stuff may not operate as well as one would like.
F.C.
P.S. Read this before buying.;)
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadla...
Ah, what a fine article.
"Under these Regulations, HID/Gas Discharge/Xenon headlamps are not mentioned and therefore they are not permitted according to the strict letter of the law."
Err. No. That means the regulations are not specific about HIDs. You therefore go to either EU law, or rely on your luck of a UK judge making a judgement (the clue's in the name...) about how said unspecific law relates to something new and fangled. It happens every day in the UK courts and is often changed time and time again on appeal....
"It would be reasonable to require HID in the after market to meet the same safety standards as on new vehicles. The same level of safety should apply."
The article then goes on to quote various regulations that have little to do with safety and more with use and construction....
The most funny bit is it says that the RVLR doesn't cover HIDs, and then says that it should comply with the RVLR as far as "use" is concerned and then says that it therefore needs a self levelling suspension and headlamp cleaning.
Err. So that would be a stipulation that just 9 paragraphs earlier said that said regulation didn't cover HIDs and yet here you are quoting things that said regulation apparently requires HIDs to have?
But since when has a government department every been short of a bit of spin???
That being said, if you do want to change to HIDs, use at least OEM approved components to make up the system for the sake of other road users!
J
"Under these Regulations, HID/Gas Discharge/Xenon headlamps are not mentioned and therefore they are not permitted according to the strict letter of the law."
Err. No. That means the regulations are not specific about HIDs. You therefore go to either EU law, or rely on your luck of a UK judge making a judgement (the clue's in the name...) about how said unspecific law relates to something new and fangled. It happens every day in the UK courts and is often changed time and time again on appeal....
"It would be reasonable to require HID in the after market to meet the same safety standards as on new vehicles. The same level of safety should apply."
The article then goes on to quote various regulations that have little to do with safety and more with use and construction....
The most funny bit is it says that the RVLR doesn't cover HIDs, and then says that it should comply with the RVLR as far as "use" is concerned and then says that it therefore needs a self levelling suspension and headlamp cleaning.
Err. So that would be a stipulation that just 9 paragraphs earlier said that said regulation didn't cover HIDs and yet here you are quoting things that said regulation apparently requires HIDs to have?
But since when has a government department every been short of a bit of spin???
That being said, if you do want to change to HIDs, use at least OEM approved components to make up the system for the sake of other road users!
J
Found this in an old post.
Q: Are retrofit HID bulbs that replace Halogen bulbs road legal?
A: No. All headlights are approved for there bulb type and only a approved bulb of that type can be used. For HID bulbs you must use a ECE98 approved headlight coded with a “E98” and “D”. These will take a HID approved bulb type such as a D2S or D2R.
Q: But my retrofit HID bulb are approved it has DOT, ISO9001, E11 and/or E4 printed on it so they must be legal right?
E: No.
DOT, when it comes down to vehicle lighting DOT is a US standard that does not apply to the UK. Any car imported from the US actually has to have there lights replaced for ECE approved ones if they don't already hold the correct approval.
ISO9001, This has nothing to do with road legality in any way shape or form. It is a total irrelevance when it comes to vehicle lighting legality.
E11, The name for the ECE regulation number 11 is “Door latches and retention components” and as you may have guessed has nothing to do with vehicle lighting laws. If you do have this printed on its possible the lights are counterfeit.
E4, This one is to do with numberplates this time and nothing to do with vehicles headlights. Yet again its possible your lights are counterfeit if they hold this mark. Or as its very easy to pass the E4 regulations the manufacturer may got a legitimate E4 mark in the hope they can confuse people in to there legality. But this mark in no ways make then legal to use as headlights.
Q: If I take a ECE98 HID approved headlight and approved HID bulbs from another car and fit them to my car is that ok?
A: No. All such approved bulbs also fall under ECE regulation number 48. As these bulbs are so bright they require a few extra safety systems that. Must be fitted to legal used such headlights.
Q: I hear ECE48 only applies to new vehicles so they must not apply to me retrofitting HIDs Right?
A: No. This is a myth that has done the rounds on the internet but is simply not true. Back in 2006 the UK Governments Department For Transport issued a fact sheet reiterating the requirements for any retrofit HID headlight to be used on the road.
Q: My car came as standard with no auto levelling but also came with HIDs is it now illegal?
A: No. You are fine still if your car was legal it still is. Many cars came with HIDs only in high beam or had auto levelling suspension and did not required auto levelling headlights.
Q: I hear that all this is erelevant as no the law has never been tried in court, is this true?
A: No. This is yet another internet myth. Both the Road Safety Act and Road Traffic Act are both sound laws tried many times in court. If the Police did find you with illegal lights on the road they are perfectly within there rights to fine your on the spot or even confiscate your vehicle without having to go to court. However the option is still there for them to take you to court if they wished to throw the book at you.
Q: I really like these blue and purple headlight bulbs are these road legal?
A: No. There are stringent regulations covering the colour of headlights. You can only use E approved headlights bulbs and these will be white or yellow in colour.
Q: I have found HID sold as 10,000K and they say they are E marked are these legal?
A: No. As of the date I wrote this the HID bulb with the highest colour temperature to achieve E approval was 5800K. Anything much over that and your safe to assume they are fakes and have a fraudulent E marking.
Q: I have a vehicle that came with 35W HIDs and wish to upgrade them to 50/55W is this legal?
A: No. They will not have valid E approval. If you wish to use the vehicle you will have to retain your 35W bulbs.
As an aside there has been some talk of insurance companies claiming HID kits as a notifiable mod and therefore refusing claims.
Q: Are retrofit HID bulbs that replace Halogen bulbs road legal?
A: No. All headlights are approved for there bulb type and only a approved bulb of that type can be used. For HID bulbs you must use a ECE98 approved headlight coded with a “E98” and “D”. These will take a HID approved bulb type such as a D2S or D2R.
Q: But my retrofit HID bulb are approved it has DOT, ISO9001, E11 and/or E4 printed on it so they must be legal right?
E: No.
DOT, when it comes down to vehicle lighting DOT is a US standard that does not apply to the UK. Any car imported from the US actually has to have there lights replaced for ECE approved ones if they don't already hold the correct approval.
ISO9001, This has nothing to do with road legality in any way shape or form. It is a total irrelevance when it comes to vehicle lighting legality.
E11, The name for the ECE regulation number 11 is “Door latches and retention components” and as you may have guessed has nothing to do with vehicle lighting laws. If you do have this printed on its possible the lights are counterfeit.
E4, This one is to do with numberplates this time and nothing to do with vehicles headlights. Yet again its possible your lights are counterfeit if they hold this mark. Or as its very easy to pass the E4 regulations the manufacturer may got a legitimate E4 mark in the hope they can confuse people in to there legality. But this mark in no ways make then legal to use as headlights.
Q: If I take a ECE98 HID approved headlight and approved HID bulbs from another car and fit them to my car is that ok?
A: No. All such approved bulbs also fall under ECE regulation number 48. As these bulbs are so bright they require a few extra safety systems that. Must be fitted to legal used such headlights.
Q: I hear ECE48 only applies to new vehicles so they must not apply to me retrofitting HIDs Right?
A: No. This is a myth that has done the rounds on the internet but is simply not true. Back in 2006 the UK Governments Department For Transport issued a fact sheet reiterating the requirements for any retrofit HID headlight to be used on the road.
Q: My car came as standard with no auto levelling but also came with HIDs is it now illegal?
A: No. You are fine still if your car was legal it still is. Many cars came with HIDs only in high beam or had auto levelling suspension and did not required auto levelling headlights.
Q: I hear that all this is erelevant as no the law has never been tried in court, is this true?
A: No. This is yet another internet myth. Both the Road Safety Act and Road Traffic Act are both sound laws tried many times in court. If the Police did find you with illegal lights on the road they are perfectly within there rights to fine your on the spot or even confiscate your vehicle without having to go to court. However the option is still there for them to take you to court if they wished to throw the book at you.
Q: I really like these blue and purple headlight bulbs are these road legal?
A: No. There are stringent regulations covering the colour of headlights. You can only use E approved headlights bulbs and these will be white or yellow in colour.
Q: I have found HID sold as 10,000K and they say they are E marked are these legal?
A: No. As of the date I wrote this the HID bulb with the highest colour temperature to achieve E approval was 5800K. Anything much over that and your safe to assume they are fakes and have a fraudulent E marking.
Q: I have a vehicle that came with 35W HIDs and wish to upgrade them to 50/55W is this legal?
A: No. They will not have valid E approval. If you wish to use the vehicle you will have to retain your 35W bulbs.
As an aside there has been some talk of insurance companies claiming HID kits as a notifiable mod and therefore refusing claims. Gassing Station | Noble | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff