LED headlight upgrades. MOT Rules?

[trikey]

I’d say if the lenses have the E mark then you should be ok, unless of course there is something blatantly obvious with the light output.

[rab60bit]

So the VOSA data will now read
4.1.4 Headlamps - Compliance with requirements - Existing halogen headlamp units should not be converted to be used with high intensity discharge (HID) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp.
"Headlamp units' to me means the whole binnacle/housing so it's open to interpretation whether any LED lamp within the housing (like a 2W LED sidelight = say 10-12W filament bulb) is intended to be treated as the same animal as say a 20W LED main beam lamp (= 100-120W filament bulb - were one to exist!)

[kelvo]

Originally Posted by trikey

I’d say if the lenses have the E mark then you should be ok, unless of course there is something blatantly obvious with the light output.

I'm sure there was something in one of the classic car magazines about fitted LED bulbs in place of filament lamps in classic cars, can't recall now if it was permissible on either E marked or non E-marked lamp units, or the bulbs being E marked.

[torque2me]

Originally Posted by marinabrian

Don't get me started on the latest crop of SUV style cars with arc lamps at eye level

Brian

Once-upon-a-time there used to be a maximum height for headlights but if one looks at a series 1 Range Rover then to-day's SUV's are really no different. I guess the vehicles are still within the legal!

Kev

[FrattonEnder]

That's made my mind up about a halo conversion. Saves me a few quid!

[MarkS]

Originally Posted by stocktake

Thanks Mick,
So, does that include led sidelights and halo rings?

I think the operative word is "bulb"

If something is not removable, can it be classified as a "bulb" ?

I would think that Halo rings are not bulbs.

H4s and H7s are bulbs, and therefore LED and HID versions are a straightforward failure.

Ditto LED sidelight bulbs.

But if LEDs were not fitted as bulbs but as an addition and not a "conversion", ie leave the original H7/H4 halogen .....

[SCP440]

Here is a thought, if as in our cars you have HID dipped and you replace the main beam with an LED I wonder if that is aloud or even replace the existing HID with an LED?

I will have a talk to my MOT tester and ask his view.

[Avulon]

Originally Posted by SCP440

Here is a thought, if as in our cars you have HID dipped and you replace the main beam with an LED I wonder if that is aloud or even replace the existing HID with an LED?

I will have a talk to my MOT tester and ask his view.

Under these new rules (if adhered to) what you suggest would fail MOT. When it comes to the sidelight bulbs I expecting a lot of variance in interpretation.


I think you are more likely to get away with putting an LED in a projector headlight (i.e. the dip position) than in the hi-beam position which is a reflector. The bulb isn't visible in a projector and if the rear of the lamp screws on I don't think a tester can remove it to check although the startup time might be a giveaway.


Rather annoyingly they've also updated the Motorcycle MOT rules to specifically bar both HID and LED conversions of Halogen lamps - Time to fit a full led daymaker to the old steed as the bi-xenon HID will now be classed a failure. (not that it's needed to see where I'm going.... until blinded by an led/hid equipped oncoming vehicle, then it very much is needed).

[kelvo]

Originally Posted by MarkS

I think the operative word is "bulb"

If something is not removable, can it be classified as a "bulb" ?

I would think that Halo rings are not bulbs.

H4s and H7s are bulbs, and therefore LED and HID versions are a straightforward failure.

Ditto LED sidelight bulbs.

But if LEDs were not fitted as bulbs but as an addition and not a "conversion", ie leave the original H7/H4 halogen .....

I think LED bulbs do have to be E marked, but I suspect there is less of an issue with these being side lights or brake lights, more aimed (pardon the pun) at headlights which do have potential to cause serious hazard to other road users through dazzle etc.

I don't know what the regs are on power for HID/LED lamps and how these are comparable to filament lamps, for which road legal head lamps are 55W dip 60W main? The actual power though doesn't have any relationship to light output in terms of lumens.

[rab60bit]

Originally Posted by kelvo

I think LED bulbs do have to be E marked, but I suspect there is less of an issue with these being side lights or brake lights, more aimed (pardon the pun) at headlights which do have potential to cause serious hazard to other road users through dazzle etc.

I don't know what the regs are on power for HID/LED lamps and how these are comparable to filament lamps, for which road legal head lamps are 55W dip 60W main? The actual power though doesn't have any relationship to light output in terms of lumens.

Rule of thumb guideline (approximation is reasonably close enough) - LED rated wattage x factor 5-6 = filament marked wattage; wattage is a close equivelance to actual lumen output for low power LED's.