H.I.D. headlamps and the MOT

FrenchLeave · Post by **FrenchLeave** » 31 Jan 2007, 18:45

As an addition to my last post, I'm going to sound off about this e-mark and legality business.

As you are probably aware, original H.I.D fits are required by European regulations to have self levelling headlamps and headlamp washers, to prevent dazzle and scatter respectively. There has been considerable discussion on the web about whether retrofits need to comply with these regulations and the general concensus is that they do not - the regulations apply to manufacturers only. Either way, this has been only of academic interest to me as my car has self levelling headlamps (of course) and headlamp washers.

I believe the same applies to e- type approval, it applies to original manufacture only. I can find nothing in the Construction and Use regulations that say that a post fit modification has to comply with European regulations and the MOT certainly doesn't demand it.

Logic tells me that if it were compulsory you could kiss goodbye to your beloved DS's for a start.

Please feel free to quote me chapter and verse if you think I'm wrong.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 01 Feb 2007, 12:49

I don't have a reliable source of information with regard to the 'E' mark on lights, but I have heard of people running into the problem when replacing the lights on their cars with "Lexus look" lights, apparently if these don't have the 'E' mark they have to be sold "for off road use only".

Does the same apply to bulbs? A test would be to go into your local motor factor (somewhere reputable) and see whether all of their bulbs (even the cheap bulbs) have an 'E' mark on the package or not.

Google finds the following....

http://www.conformance.co.uk/directives/ce_autoemc.php

"The directive requires manufacturers to gain type approval for all vehicles, electronic sub assemblies (ESA’s), components and separate technical units (STUs)."

"The Directive came fully into force on 31 October 2002 and all equipment which comes within its scope must now comply with its provisions."

"Non original-fit equipment e.g. aftermarket products, and ‘pattern’ replacement parts, will need to be "e" marked."

"3. ESAs which are not involved in the direct control of the vehicle do not need immunity testing.

The definition of "Drivers direct control" comes from Annex I, section 6.4.2.3:

"The driver's direct control of the vehicle is exercised by means of, for example, steering, braking, or engine speed control."

After reading that lot, I'm not sure whether it applies to headlights or not.

FrenchLeave · Post by **FrenchLeave** » 01 Feb 2007, 16:08

Thank you, Kowalski, for taking the time and trouble to look that up.

It really does seem to be a bit of a buggers' muddle - in one paragraph they are talking about lamps whilst in another they state that products that have no effect on the control of the vehicle need not comply.

It seems that this particular directive is concerned only with electromagnetic emissions. I really do think that the only criterion for light bulbs is their ability to meet the MOT beam requirements - which are quite stringent.

It's a sad state of affairs when the laws that govern us are so convoluted that only lawyers can interpret them, and then often only as an opinion. That's before we get onto codes and guidelines and other rubbish like that which have no force in law, but which are bandied about as if they do.

Rant over.

rossnunn · Post by **rossnunn** » 02 Feb 2007, 00:31

H.I.D's are illigal to use on a non-fitment car & they should be sold with a 'for off road use only' sticker - but most MOT tests will turn a blind eye - where as most coming the other way will just go blind.

If you look virtually all cars which use HID's as standard use them in conjunction with a projector lense. The reflectors in your car are designed in presice detail to emit the most out of a halogen bulb. The light emitted out of a HID is completely different & the reflectors are not designed for them, hence why most are hazzled coming the other way.

There was a big article in last weeks Auto Express.

Its safer just to get some uprated bulbs - cheaper too.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 02 Feb 2007, 13:14

rossnunn wrote:H.I.D's are illigal to use on a non-fitment car & they should be sold with a 'for off road use only' sticker - but most MOT tests will turn a blind eye - where as most coming the other way will just go blind.

If you look virtually all cars which use HID's as standard use them in conjunction with a projector lense. The reflectors in your car are designed in presice detail to emit the most out of a halogen bulb. The light emitted out of a HID is completely different & the reflectors are not designed for them, hence why most are hazzled coming the other way.

There was a big article in last weeks Auto Express.

Its safer just to get some uprated bulbs - cheaper too.

If a HID bulb can produce a source of light with the same size, shape and position as a halogen bulb, it can be used to replace it without any problem, the only side effect would be 3x the light output and a prismatic effect on the fringes of the beam.

When AutoExpress did comparative tests on halogen bulbs a few years ago, they discovered that the quality control on many of the cheap halogen bulbs wasn't good enough and that many of those produced beam patterns that could dazzle or dim beams because the light got directed in the wrong direction.

I've got VisionPlus bulbs in my Xantia, and the dipped beam isn't as good as most of the cars I share the roads with, when I overtake or am overtaken, I can compare the beams side by side and generally my beams don't look as good. So as far as higher light output bulbs go, unless you're talking about 100W bulbs that are illegal (this isn't to do with E marks, its due to a limit on power being in force) you're not going to make a massive difference.

With the number of other cars on the roads with badly adjusted headlights and cars with HID bulbs that "flash" as they drive along, I have no problem putting HID bulbs into my Xantia.

FrenchLeave · Post by **FrenchLeave** » 02 Feb 2007, 16:20

Rossnunn, I see we live only 5 miles apart. Perhaps we could meet up and then you could give me your considered opinion as to whether or not my lights "blind" you.

I've always found it best not to generalise.

FrenchLeave · Post by **FrenchLeave** » 02 Feb 2007, 18:38

Hi all,

For those of you who are interested in the legal aspects of HID lights, there has been a very interesting discussion on Club XM forum (club-xm.com/forum2). One of the members has managed to find the relevant regulations.

Hope our esteemed moderators allow this blatant advert for another site, I do make regular reference to this site on there and you will no doubt recognise a few old friends.