Member Since: 21 Feb 2011
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 45
HID Light Upgrade | Legal or Not ??
I have fitted a set of Xenon HID headlights to my Disco 4, they look stunning and perform perfectly and were also breeze to fit.
I have seen a lot of bad press about aftermarket HID lighting kits and their legality and really was looking for some advice if in fact I have done the right thing or not. The modification does nothing to interfere with any wiring on the car, it is a simple plug and play system, the only thing done is that the black discs or caps that cover the light on the inside had to be drilled to allow the new wires to pass through.
The excellent lighting kit was supplied by HIDS4U, it is in the 6000K colour which is bright white with a slight blue tint.
I also fitted at the same time LED side lights which set the front off nicely in matching white colour.
Anyone throw any "light" on the subject. Really don't want to take them out but DO want to keep on the right side of the law.
Last edited by Saltydog on 21st Feb 2011 9:37 pm. Edited 1 time in total
21st Feb 2011 1:28 pm
CFB
Member Since: 02 Dec 2005
Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
Posts: 6100
Can of worms my friend, new MOT regs will make these illegal apparently. As ever there are so many different types and I think the aim is to ban the cheap blue glaring kits from the chavs in their Saxo's.
I put a set of HIDS4U upgrades in my Pathfinder and it looked like an OE install. The beam pattern was so crisp and well aligned that I doubt an MOT tester would have spotted it.2020 BMW X1 18d XDrive X-Line Auto
21st Feb 2011 4:34 pm
Saltydog
Member Since: 21 Feb 2011
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 45
thanks
Last edited by Saltydog on 22nd Feb 2011 8:44 am. Edited 1 time in total
21st Feb 2011 8:42 pm
MacLeod 313
Member Since: 18 Apr 2008
Location: away
Posts: 10723
Having seen a HIDS4U front fog upgrade personally (Geoff's), and to me it looks 8) , you would'nt know to the untrained eye that it was'nt OEM. As mentioned it seems the Chav tastic conversion COULD scupper a decent modification
There is no clear answer to the question with regard to a MOT, the letter of the law with MOT so far is things are changing with HID units, but are they gonna be that strict. Remember gone are the days where if it got spotted and failed you could go elsewhere and try your luck, its all registered online.
I had a Pre-mot recently so I could arrange any issues to be sorted on its service, it was an advisory on the LED sidelights, but asked another to look and he said he would overlook them but it was on the database and nowt he could do.
I guess its where you take it, and how knowledgeable are they. The HIDS4U unit look quality, and if fitted as Geoff has done his why could'nt it not pass..
The factory Xenons give a much wider spread of light than the HIDUK kit, however the vertical cut off is only marginally worse and considering the factory job has a shutter they are very impressive.
Using a light meter at 2meter the factory Xenon where only 70% as bright as HID kit, at 10meter the output was the same. (I ran out of car park so I didn't measure any further) - all reading where at the same height. -
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21st Feb 2011 10:12 pm
DG Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50978
CFB wrote:
new MOT regs will make these illegal apparently
"Make" ?
MOT issues aside ...a well versed traffic cop will know the construction and use \ lighting regs and how they apply to your motor. It might never happen, but if you don't use road legal kit then you take your chances TBH 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
He never... He just have to push "Turbo Boost" button and his car can jump over any police cars.
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22nd Feb 2011 12:43 am
SHARKYSHARKS
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Saltydog does that kit come with the slim control box and does it hide well in the headlamp area ?MY18 D5 HSE LUX😎
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22nd Feb 2011 8:37 am
Saltydog
Member Since: 21 Feb 2011
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 45
SHARKYSHARKS wrote:
Saltydog does that kit come with the slim control box and does it hide well in the headlamp area ?
Its fits like a dream. I have the standard control box. On the headlamp unit there is actually a slot which I assume is to take the factory option control unit. The HID4U unit slips directly into this slot and is fixed with the sticky pads. I secured it with a small self tapper just to 100% sure it did not come loose. It is a snug fit in this slot. It actually looks as if it was meant to be there.
Only thing was on the passengers side headlight I had to clip the cables together so they did not touch a nearby pipe, but it makes it look a really neat job.
Removal and setting back to the original factory Halogens would be 10 minutes work.
22nd Feb 2011 8:49 am
Sonic3d
Member Since: 22 Nov 2005
Location: Ross on Wye Herefordshire
Posts: 872
Don't all D4's have the projector type headlights? From the outside they don't look any different unlike the D3's if so I would have thought you will be fine I can resist everything except TEMPTATION
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22nd Feb 2011 5:26 pm
DG Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
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Perhaps the clarity is in the T&C's on their own website :
Please remember that it is your responsibility to ensure that the items purchased are suitable for your vehicle make/model and that the use of said items complies with all applicable laws in your Country. In the UK, fitting an aftermarket HID kit is not technically road legal as you are replacing a halogen bulb with an HID bulb, because of this the HID bulb cannot be E marked, which is a requirement for it to be road legal. Therefore our HID kits are sold for off-road use only.
Member Since: 09 Nov 2010
Location: Midlands
Posts: 16
I'd ordered a kit from HIDS4U which arrived today. I hadn't even considered they weren't road legal and it certainly wasn't obvious from the website tho' apparently it is there in the terms and conditions. I contacted HIDS4U for clarification and they confirmed they weren't technically road legal.
I've no doubt they would get through an MOT ok but that doesn't make the vehicle legal. An illegal vehicle is an uninsured vehicle should you bin it, I'm sure the insurance companies would be over the moon at avoiding paying out on an expensive vehicle.
As my wife said " if you think I'm driving around in a £40k car that isn't insured think again". My kit goes back tomorrow for a refund which I'm gutted at as the kit looks really good, and in fairness to HIDS4U their service has been excellent other than the fact it isn't obvious about the legality of the kit.
22nd Feb 2011 8:37 pm
Steve RR
Member Since: 16 Jul 2010
Location: Ayrshire
Posts: 62
i believe that to have hids on a vehicle it must self level and have headlight wash, all the oem ones i can think of have both. i am sure it was a man from Valeo at a trade show that told me - he should know!
Found this,
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.
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.
Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts which are not legal.
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.
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