Are blue sidelights legal in the UK?

[jamieduff1981]

It's really not difficult information to track down on the internet. It's illegal to show any colour other than white to the front, unless the headlights are only capable of showing yellow or indicating with amber lights. Same goes for the back with red lights. Only amber position lights or turn repeaters can be shown to the sides.

My father narrowly missed a head on collision whilst driving a company Landrover a number of years back when overtaking a pickup truck on a familiar stretch of single carriageway. He thought there was another car travelling the same direction way up ahead, but it was some massive idiot with red side lights showing at the front, driving in the dark towards him.

I know not everyone is clever enough to be a brain surgeon or an astronaught, but is it really that hard to fathom out why having the wrong coloured lights is a fking stupid thing to do?

[steve j]

Welsh Ash said:

Well they look good on my polo

Tacky and tasteless IMHO.

[elephantstone]

jimmy156 said:

I can't think of a worse "look" then a white car with blue sidelights (no headlights) and fog-lights on.

+1

Doesn't look foggy.. Oh wait you've got your fogs on to show off your blue lights. Sad.

[jamieduff1981]

steve j said:

Welsh Ash said:

Well they look good on my polo

Tacky and tasteless IMHO.

All it needs now are some underfloor neons and nitrous purge, and his floor will unscrew itself with the power.

[METHS]

Welsh Ash said:

I sent an excessive amount of time putting them in yesterday

You should probably spend an extensive amount of time taking them back out then.

[Rawwr]

Well that looks like a bag of old cocks.

[ajprice]

Welsh Ash said:

Well they look good on my polo

When did you trade in the Renault 5 GT Turbo?

Edited by ajprice on Saturday 24th August 14:29

[parapaul]

CSully94 said:

Sorry but that Polo looks crap.

If you don't want the orange tint, then just get white LEDs for them?

It does, I'm afraid, OP.

However, in most, if not all, modern cars, LEDs will trigger bulb failure warnings. I'm still trying to find some filament sidelight bulbs that are even close in colour to OEM xenon headlights.

[Toltec]

They are are an MOT fail since the new rules came in earlier this year.

I had a set in my car that are only slightly on the bluish side of white and it would have failed if the mechanic had not had a spare pair to swap in. No charge either, just in case you think they were looking for extra money at this well known chain.

[Geekman]

My Volvo had blue sidelights installed by the previous owner. I never bothered changing them and it passed 2 MOTs. The police never seemed bothered by them either

[Puddenchucker]

MOT Reason for rejection (Obligatory front and rear position lamps):

e. shows a light other than red to the rear and white to the front (or Yellow if a front position lamp is incorporated in a yellow headlamp)

http://www.ukmot.com/mot%20manual/index.asp?MOT_Se...

[scorcher]

elephantstone said:

jimmy156 said:

I can't think of a worse "look" then a white car with blue sidelights (no headlights) and fog-lights on.

+1

Doesn't look foggy.. Oh wait you've got your fogs on to show off your blue lights. Sad.

Might just be drl's as the VAG group stick quite a lot of these down where the fogs usually are.

[mcford]

If you stick a pair of white position lamps on it in addition to the blue ones, then it'll be OK for the MOT.

[fatboy b]

jimmy156 said:

Welsh Ash said:

Well they look good on my polo

I can't think of a worse "look" then a white car with blue sidelights (no headlights) and fog-lights on.

[MX7]

Do you not think that one of the manufacturers would have offered them as an option at some stage if it were legal? All those designers in all the companies thinking about the most minute details, and not one of them has thought to offer different colour lights?

And it looks daft.

[CSully94]

parapaul said:

It does, I'm afraid, OP.

However, in most, if not all, modern cars, LEDs will trigger bulb failure warnings. I'm still trying to find some filament sidelight bulbs that are even close in colour to OEM xenon headlights.

You require ones that are listed as "Canbus Error Free" there's a decent amount available on eBay, just find the right fitment and you're good to go without any errors

[philmots]

parapaul said:

It does, I'm afraid, OP.

However, in most, if not all, modern cars, LEDs will trigger bulb failure warnings. I'm still trying to find some filament sidelight bulbs that are even close in colour to OEM xenon headlights.

What you need are Philips Bluevision sidelight bulbs.. Available on eBay for around a fiver.

Don't be put off by the name or the look.. They're a normal filament bulb with a deep blue coating on. This cancels out the yellowy light from standard. If anything there is still a slight yellow tinge but 100% NOT a touch of blue.

They're exactly what you're looking for.. I had the same predicament as you and these have been in more or less every car I've ever had since discovering them.

You'll not be disappointed.

[ch108]

Does anyone really worry about the yellowy tinge from their sidelights? As long as my lights are legal and working I couldn't care less, as I'm usually inside the car when my lights are on and oblivious to what tinge they are giving off!

[Nickyboy]

jamieduff1981 said:

It's really not difficult information to track down on the internet. It's illegal to show any colour other than white to the front, unless the headlights are only capable of showing yellow or indicating with amber lights.

Wrong on so many levels.

If its not difficult then you should have found the correct information.

You can show any colour to the front as long as it isn't red

However, there are certain lights that have to be white and replacing them with other colours would be an MOT failure. Sidelights are one. Have your normal sidelights and add extra blue or green lights and you would be perfectly legal.

[David87]

They look awful, OP. If you really must have LED side lights (they'll bust - they always do!), get some daylight-coloured ones. You'll look a little bit like an Audi then too.