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HID Xenon Light conversions, illegal?

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Old Jan 20, 2007 | 09:28 AM
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D19 STE
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Default HID Xenon Light conversions, illegal?

If this is a repost then please delete

Have seen this video on the Auto Express web site saying how fitting HID Xenon lights into normal headlamps can be illegal and you could fail your mot

Does this apply with all HID kits as they bought a £300 pound kit then paid about £200 to get it fitted only to find the car would fail a mot with them fitted

The link http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/videos/...enon_test.html

And if the link don't work just click on video's tab then HID Xenon test
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Old Jan 20, 2007 | 09:36 AM
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The SXOC has just had a group buy of these HID lights. A couple of people brought this up so one of the chaps took his to the MOT place and they said they were fine, so long as the beam pattern was as it should be.

BTW mine cost only £79 delivered (6000k bulbs) and took about half hour to fit - makes a hell of difference as well!!!)

Chris
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Old Jan 20, 2007 | 09:38 AM
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Default Re: HID Xenon Light conversions, illegal?

Originally Posted by D19 STE
If this is a repost then please delete

Have seen this video on the Auto Express web site saying how fitting HID Xenon lights into normal headlamps can be illegal and you could fail your mot

Does this apply with all HID kits as they bought a £300 pound kit then paid about £200 to get it fitted only to find the car would fail a mot with them fitted

The link http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/videos/...enon_test.html

And if the link don't work just click on video's tab then HID Xenon test
It's a bit of a grey area - the kits themselves are legal - unfortunately most don't sell the requisite lenses which must be E-marked to go with the HID patterns. Because normal lenses are E-marked people guess they are OK but they are E-marked in conjunction with their normal type bulbs.
There was a statement from the Dtf to that effect

Having said that I asked a local MOT place and they've never failed an aftermarket kit - has anyone actually been "done"...I suspect not as the law is not particularly clear.

I reckon most MOT stations would just check they worked and the pattern was OKish.
The police are unlikely to know the law either so i don't reckon you'd ever get pulled
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Old Jan 20, 2007 | 09:41 AM
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So could people buy the requisite lenses for their cars so the beam pattern isn't scattered like the one in auto express video

Cheers
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Old Jan 20, 2007 | 09:44 AM
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Originally Posted by D19 STE
So could people buy the requisite lenses for their cars so the beam pattern isn't scattered like the one in auto express video

Cheers
I presume if that car was manufactured with HID lights from the factory as an option then they could do.........

However, driving around with fog lights on when it's not poor visibility is also a no-no but the police seem to have given up on it.

They're more interested in picking up dangerous driving, speeding etc than irregular beam patterns I suspect.........
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Old Jan 20, 2007 | 02:31 PM
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Just don't fancy spending all that money on a HID kit to be told its illegal and fail mot
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