H7 dipped light bulbs 200% brighter

[markjay]

While some countries have approved the best LED replacement bulbs such as Philips and Osram, they are not legal in the UK.

It's not an issue of how good the beam pattern is because these top quality LEDs have an excellent beam pattern. It's the way the law is written.

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, 14.—(1) states that no filament lamp other than the one referred to in the Designation of Approval Marks Regulations can be fitted to any lamp that is required to be marked with an approval mark on a motor vehicle first used on or after April 1, 1986,

What the regulation is saying is a light unit must use only the filament lamp that was used when it obtained that approval. Also even if they seem an innocuous use of LEDs ,the regulation also seems to apply to the tail light, stop light and indicators if they have an approval mark.

The MOT manual quotes the same regulation but I suspect in practice the MOT testers don't concern themselves with checking bulbs in tail lights and indicators. They would be more likely to fail a headlight if they can see it contains an LED even if the beam pattern passes muster.

The wording suggests that the approval is for the bulb in the headlamp, not for the bulb in the car.

You can, in principle, retrofit a LED light if you buy it complete with a headlamp for which it was approved.

But finding a complete headlamp which has approval is a challenge, and its certainly not cheap.

 

[Chrishazle]

Regarding MoT's and LED's in tail lights, most of the tail lights in my S204 (excepting the indicators, which would require an LED compatible indicator relay) are now LED and have been for quite a few years, never been a problem on MoT. Biggest benefit is reversing lights where I replaced the filament bulbs with projector LED's, so much better as long as the reversing camera lens is clear!

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Useful timing. I lost a dipped headlight yesterday morning and was scratching my head as to which pair of bulbs to buy from Halfords to replace.

Does / should frost and ice compromise headlight bulbs and their connectors?

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Thanks a ton
Just bought it on Amazon
Bit perplexed, as it would arrive only on the 16th. Amazon is usually next day
Must be from the continent?

Chance it'll be smashed on arrival ?

 

[DSM10000]

Useful timing. I lost a dipped headlight yesterday morning and was scratching my head as to which pair of bulbs to buy from Halfords to replace.

Does / should frost and ice compromise headlight bulbs and their connectors?

It just makes them more of a pain to change

I would suggest changing both as the other bulb was probably fitted around the same time and you will then have a balanced output either side.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

It just makes them more of a pain to change

I would suggest changing both as the other bulb was probably fitted around the same time and you will then have a balanced output either side.

Agreed. One’s Staff (Halfords) will do both.

“I know my place.”

 

[BTB 500]

The headlight bulbs on my W639 Vito are quite awkward to change (one in particular, as access to the watertight cover on the back of the cluster that side is particularly tight). I did once have a bulb replaced at a dealership while it was being serviced ... the following year they commented on damp inside that unit and suggested replacing the whole thing (several hundred pounds). I declined, had a look at it myself, and found the cover had been wrongly re-fitted after they'd changed the bulb