Cheap H1 H.I.D kits.....look....

[bristol_bb4]

The headlight washer rule only applies to cars that have hid+washers standard. What about older cars that came wit hids but no washers? Auto fail?

[mercutio]

and i suppose they wont be able to tell they werent fitted as standard

[Gayno]

Remember to keep original bulbs for MOT time. These will be a fail as you they don't self level, have headlight washers or are in a projector.

Please lets not get into this again, as I have on many forums.

You can put HIDs into reflector lights, and they WILL pass an MOT. The alignment is done at such a close proximity to the lens, the machine gives the beam pattern the OK. At a further distance the beam is scattered and causes the dazzling.

Neither do you require self leveling or washers. The MOT manual states "if devices are present, they must work" - NOT that they MUST be there.

My headlights have been modified with HID projector lenses so the beam pattern is spot on, but I do not have leveling or washers, and I've never had a problem, nor has anyone else I know who has done it properly.

You will likely run into trouble using 6000k and above HIDs, as these do not display the correct colour for a headlight.

Bottom line: As long as you are using the correct HID lens for the beam pattern, and are using 4300k bulbs, you will pass an MOT.

[Rocky]

Seems I'm mistaken.

I'm sure I read somewhere that these were needed if you fitting HIDs yourself, and it kind of made sense as not to blind other people on the road.

[Gayno]

Nope, if manufacturers fit HIDs from factory, then yes, leveling and washer systems are compulsory.

However this is only relatively recent. My dad had a 2000 Nissan Primera which had HIDs but didn't have leveling or washers, so to bring in that law would effectively render all older cars like this illegal.

Strictly speaking you can't fit HIDs yourself, as none of these kits from the internet are 'E' marked.

[FrontBackSide2Side]

Passing an mot and being road legal isn't technically the same thing. If you take a look at this PDF taken from the government website you will see you need self leveling and washers aswell as headlight units specifically designed and e marked for the job, modifying existing headlamp units doesn't comply with this law (even if they work perfectly well) this is because the manufacturer of the headlamp unit is the only one who can e mark the lamp.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source ... q3Qhidubsg

Another good example of the difference between passing an mot and being road legal are kit cars. Anyone could build one to pass an mot but you have to have the SVA test which delves deeper into the car to make sure its road legal.

[bristol_bb4]

Yeah but your reference applies to cars that fall under the new law that a car fitted with hids must have washers and levellers, not installing a new lighting system to an older car

[LewisH]

This thread is going to go on for ages, and ages, and ages.

[Gayno]

Passing an mot and being road legal isn't technically the same thing.

True, however if they changed the MOT to fail any car without washers or leveling, any cars like my dad's (as mentioned above) would be rendered unroadworthy - perhaps I should have used this term instead of "illegal"

Anyway, I'm not going to get drawn into this again (as I have done on previous forums) but you will not fail an MOT for not having washers or leveling, end of.

[FrontBackSide2Side]

Yeah but your reference applies to cars that fall under the new law that a car fitted with hids must have washers and levellers, not installing a new lighting system to an older car

No, this is for aftermarket hids, i.e fitting them into a car which didn't have them originally.