HID XENON KITS - Are they Illegal?

[Crazyjester900]

HID XENON KITS - Are they Illegal?


cheers

 

[BTB 500]

In the UK, or Australia?

In the UK a cheap kit that simply replaces the normal bulb with a HID tube is illegal. You have to replace the whole lamp assembly (i.e. reflector and lens as well). It also needs to have auto-levelling (which can be via the car's suspension), and a wash system.

 

[Crazyjester900]

preferably in AUS,
but UK and AUS are all in the same. lol

hmm i like the cheap replacement Kit
it's cheaper!!

 

[Shude]

IHMO the best HID option for the W202 is the Bosch kit, comprising of complete headlamp housings (including indicators!) all cables, ballasts and bulbs. I posted a thread on this a couple of years ago

 

[Crazyjester900]

lol i NO i just searched it,

I posted the question i few years ago.
what an idot!

 

[Crazyjester900]

do you have a link from where you bought it and how much?

Thanks

 

[verytalldave]

As BTB500 said, you MUST fit headlamp washers AND auto levelling as well. Otherwise it will fail the MOT.

 

[amwebby]

As BTB500 said, you MUST fit headlamp washers AND auto levelling as well. Otherwise it will fail the MOT.

And blind oncoming traffic, which is the whole point of the self-levelling bit.

 

[verytalldave]

So to give an answer to the original question............
On their own - YES.

 

[Doodle]

As BTB500 said, you MUST fit headlamp washers AND auto levelling as well. Otherwise it will fail the MOT.

I'm fairly sure those items aren't checked at MoT time - merely function and aim. My JDM Integra had HID's without washer/levelling and passed no probs, as have thousands of others.

IIRC (haven't looked at this for a while) the washers and levelling clause fall under ECE Construction & Use regs (there is a section where vehicles with lights over a certain output require washers and auto-levelling). However, after a car is built by the manufacturer under Type Approval/passed through SVA and sold to the public, nobody really checks this.

So, yes, they are illegal, but it's highly unlikely anyone will ever check beyond normal MoT requirements.

 

[Spinal]

I'
So, yes, they are illegal, but it's highly unlikely anyone will ever check beyond normal MoT requirements.

Until you have an accident and your insurance company uses it as a way to not pay up...

 

[bolide]

As BTB500 said, you MUST fit headlamp washers AND auto levelling as well. Otherwise it will fail the MOT.

I believe you're incorrect. AFAIK there is no inspection of bulb type in the MOT

The requirement for self-levelling and lamp washers was mandated for new cars fitted with HID/Xenon lights. It does not apply to earlier cars

Similarly it is not illegal to fit halogen bulbs to cars that were not originally fitted with them, nor it is illegal to fit electric lighting to cars that originally used carbide/acetylene lamps

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Spinal]

I believe you're incorrect. AFAIK there is no inspection of bulb type in the MOT

The requirement for self-levelling and lamp washers was mandated for new cars fitted with HID/Xenon lights. It does not apply to earlier cars

Similarly it is not illegal to fit halogen bulbs to cars that were not originally fitted with them, nor it is illegal to fit electric lighting to cars that originally used carbide/acetylene lamps

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

From the horses mouth:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadlamps

In summary it is not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlamp unit for use with HID bulbs. The entire headlamp unit must be replaced with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs and it must be installed in accordance with the rules stated above.

They can't make it any clearer than that!

 

[bolide]

From the horses mouth:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadlamps


They can't make it any clearer than that!

From the Horse's mouth:

"The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 regulate the situation in the UK.
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"

So all HID lights are illegal in the UK?

The law here is a mess and I don't think anyone wants to go there. I would treat Construction & Use as being definitive and, as far as I know, HID/Xenon is not mentioned there

Please note I specifically did not say that HID was legal: I said that laws applicable to the construction of new cars do not apply to earlier cars

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[veridian]

Just to add my tuppence worth Ive being using HIDs first on a Peugeot 306 and then on my 98 E430 since 2003. I've had them checked for alignment at MOT time and never had a problem. I note that the DfT site goes on to state that vehicles should have self levelling and auto cleaning lights etc - as does the site I bought mine from - http://www.hid-online.com/hidonline/information/faq.htm .

I guess at the end of the day, DfT are going down the prudence route, as they dont want someone sticking HIDs into an old Granada and towing a caravan such that they dazzle the world and his wife. If Im on a busy road I sometimes adjust my beam down that bit lower - position 2/3 on the dial. Particulalry if I have passengers. However, thinking about it Ive never actually been flashed for dazzling oncoming drivers! and thats in 5 1/2 years of HIDs. Yet I see plenty of 'Halogen drivers' happily lighting up the sky as they drive along!
Mind you I see the odd idiot with blue sidelights driving about, and Plod doesnt seem to do anyting about them either

 

[veridian]

From an earlier thread I posted on today, I just checked and I see my HIDs are 'optically aligned' whatever that old load of tosh means !! . - Mind you they are now US$639 each!!.. and Ive got 4.. so almost worth as much as the car these days

 

[Doodle]

From the Horse's mouth:

"The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 regulate the situation in the UK.
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"

So all HID lights are illegal in the UK?

The law here is a mess and I don't think anyone wants to go there. I would treat Construction & Use as being definitive and, as far as I know, HID/Xenon is not mentioned there

Please note I specifically did not say that HID was legal: I said that laws applicable to the construction of new cars do not apply to earlier cars

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

As I recall there was not a specific mention of HID/Xenon in the article of legislation I read, it referred to a specified light output which HID/Xenon was comfortably above. Unfortunately I'm struggling to find a copy of the paperwork online to refer back to!

 

[Spinal]

From the Horse's mouth:

"The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 regulate the situation in the UK.
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"

So all HID lights are illegal in the UK?

The law here is a mess and I don't think anyone wants to go there. I would treat Construction & Use as being definitive and, as far as I know, HID/Xenon is not mentioned there

Please note I specifically did not say that HID was legal: I said that laws applicable to the construction of new cars do not apply to earlier cars

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

Agreed - but if you read on:

The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 regulate the situation in the UK.
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.

However new vehicles have HID headlamps. This is because they comply to European type approval Regulations. The UK cannot refuse to register a vehicle with a European type approval. These are to ECE Regulation 98 (for the HID headlamps which are tested on a rig in a laboratory) and ECE Regulation 48 (Lighting Installation on the vehicle).

For the after market, a used vehicle cannot obtain type approval because it is only applicable for new vehicles. However we feel that saying "HID is banned in the after market" would not be reasonable. Instead we should make analogies with new vehicles. 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.

Hence, if it's fitted by the factory and has type approval - it's ok. If it's aftermarket, it needs to meet these criteria:

Therefore a HID headlamp unit sold in the after market should:

1. be type approved to ECE Regulation 98 as a component.

2. when fitted to the vehicle should enable ECE Regulation 48 to be complied with (although no government inspection will take place).

3. Comply with RVLR as far as "use" is concerned.

In practice this means:

1. The headlamp unit (outer lens, reflector, bulb) shall be type approved to ECE 98 and be "e-marked" to demonstrate this. That can only be done by the headlamp supplier - Hella, Valeo etc. who must test the headlamp in an independent laboratory.

2. Once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some expensive estate cars have "self-levelling suspension" and that is adequate). Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam.

3. The headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean, and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp.

Hence, fitting a simple bulb kit is illegal under any aspect...

Michele

 

[Dieselman]

Nick must be practicing to be a freelance for the Daily Mail..

Anyone got a Bible..??

 

[Doodle]

I'll be interested to see the regulations for HID's on motorcycles, as they are subject to much more drastic attitude changes than a car.

The K1200GT has HID's as a factory option, but to my knowledge has no levelling system. Equally how do you compensate for lean angles?