Stolen from a link from a member here, elsewhere on the Forum:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/MOT%20Inspection%20Manual.pdf

HID's come in Section 1.7. (page 28)

I hope this will stop all the arguements of what is or isn't allowed.

Ah right so they don't need self levelling or washers, however if they are fitted they must work.

Ah right so they don't need self levelling or washers, however if they are fitted they must work.

RESULT! - and thank Lani for posting - it'll stop all those 'don;t you know it'll be illegal in a couple of months' posts!

Good to see things like my smoked LEDS and Lamin-x tinited headlights should be ok.

Removed

Edited 24 November, 201114 yr by mdon

Just goes to all the tools that kept saying my dads uncles best mate says it'll be illegal so it must be true, we're talking rubbish.

The initial documentation from VOSA DID say that levelling and washers would be required, just as it mentioned ECU modifications, so changes have been made. There does still seem to be a contradiction to the C & U Regs though.

mObov,

But only if the tints, etc are white to the front. Coloured tints will not be allowed, also the higher temp HID's that give a blue light are out.

Note that "will pass MOT" and "is road legal" are not quite the same - there are plenty of ways to pass the MOT with a car that is not technically road legal (as in breaches the Construction and Use regulations), and where you could be arrested as you leave the MOT station with your new certificate by a suitably pedantic policeman. The MOT only tests the most safety critical of the rules, and doesn't (cannot, due to time and money constraints) cover everything.

With that said, if your mods pass the MOT, and your driving standard on the roads is high enough to not trigger a policeman into hunting for a reason to bust you, you'll be OK.

Just goes to all the tools that kept saying my dads uncles best mate says it'll be illegal so it must be true, we're talking rubbish.

......or all those people who'd got the information from the DVLA website explaining the legality of retro-fit HID

If the law has/due to be changed, it doesn't mean that people have been talking rubbish all this time, it means recognition of circumstances has resulted in a change in the law. The document shared appears to come into effect from 1st January 2012, which means its not in effect yet. The law does change from time to time.......we used to hang people in this country not *that* long ago. There is a consideration to change the upper speed-limit in the UK to 80mph, however until the effective date is passed, it's still illegal to do 80mph at the moment.

As Lanigraham mentioned, the original draft did mention different requirements. It doesn't say in the final when those requirements changed.

Plus, as has been mentioned, the MOT and the law are two different things.

I am one of those 'tools' (as you so lovingly put it) who have abided by the current rules and laws. However, if a change in those rules and laws means I can upgrade to a better system, then I will do so.

I am one of those 'tools' (as you so lovingly put it) who have abided by the current rules and laws. However, if a change in those rules and laws means I can upgrade to a better system, then I will do so.

But the current rules allow HIDs?! So why wait for it to stay the same?

But the current rules allow HIDs?! So why wait for it to stay the same?

The current C & U Regs say that you have to have washers and auto-levelling, as do the current MOT Regs. So there has been some derogation of the Rules from January.

Removed

Edited 24 November, 201114 yr by mdon

But the current rules allow HIDs?! So why wait for it to stay the same?

The current rules allow HID if you've got headlight washers and self-levelling. Blimey! It's here: Read all of this. It may be five years old, but then most of the UK laws are way older than that, without change.

If you can demonstrate the current (as in effect TODAY AT THIS TIME, not in six weeks time) rules allow HID without washers and self-levelling, then you can have a full and unreserved apology.

Yes, the rules are apparently going to change, but it would appear that they've not changed yet as we're still in November (at least in my part of the UK). Given we're entering the season where the police will be upping the rate at which they'll be stopping people, arguing the toss with a copper that your surrently illegal lights will be legal in six weeks time will probably see your car on the back of a low-loader and parked in the impound yard at your expense, and earn you a "stop whenever seen" mark for a couple of months.

In the document that Lanigraham passed on, (the 'new' rules set to come into effect 1/1/2012) you'll notice a lot of black lines down the side of certain blocks of text. This indicates new or revised text. The document doesn't come into effect until 1st January 2012 (look at the bottom of each pae in the document.) This means the new/updated rules won't come into effect until 1st January 2012. Today is prior to 1st January 2012, meaning the new rules haven't come into effect yet.

I even emailed one of the suppliers of retro-fit HIDs and they admitted that because the bulbs are not 'E' marked and approved, they're not for road use in the UK/EU. I kinda don't feel the need to discuss further when even the manufacturer admits they're not road-legal.

Maybe the difference between today, tomorrow and yesterday is lost on some people..........

That is a fact sheet but it's not legislation. It has not passed statute so therefore is not law (in my opinion of course) the legislation ie, motor vehicle lighting regulation 1989 or as amended in 1991, 1996, 2001 or 2005 does not mention it as far as I have read.

mdon,

Yes I have said in the past that from Jan 12 HID's needed all the extra bits, but following further information, namely the VOSA document I posted, this proved that I was wrong. I could have shut up and said nothing, but I didn't. I therefore suggest that you remove the implied criticism of me.

As has been said, the VOSA document has many black lines that signify changes have been made, and as I understand it, these are for legislation that will become Statute before 1/1/12. This does not need Parliamentary discussion, but is done by just publishing them.

Re the current situation; the "fact sheet" has two very salient paragraphs, perhaps you missed them:

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.

AND

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.

That is a fact sheet but it's not legislation. It has not passed statute so therefore is not law (in my opinion of course) the legislation ie, motor vehicle lighting regulation 1989 or as amended in 1991, 1996, 2001 or 2005 does not mention it as far as I have read.

Look up what the term 'fact sheet' means, and then apply it to the sections that Llanigraham has highlighted.

(Hint: It's telling you the 'facts' about the 'law'.) (oh and for a government document, it's written in easy to understand enlgish instead of legalese, for a change)

Also, by your argument, if I came up with a new lighting method tomorrow, it would be fine to put it on a car, because it's not mentioned in the current legislation?

People will still do MOT with halogen bulbs then refit the HIDs right afterwards. Unless they become technically illegal to have and enforceable with fines, etc by the police, I don't see it having much effect.

Because something isn't listed in law doesn't make it automatically illegal, I'm not having ago at specific people on here and I apologise if that's how's I've typed my replies. If you think when the drug 'plant food' first hit the streets it was legal until it was listed as a controlled substance. I would think the same is true here, until it is listed that it is illegal then they are fine as long as they are maintained and are correctly adjusted not to dazle other road users. If we were to follow that fact sheet thousands of cars that HAVE been certified by VOSA as being roadworthy are in fact illegal as the lighting regulations don't state that xenon lights are permitted so therefore are illegal.

Ps. I've removed any post that may be offensive/specific towards users, if there are any others you would like me to change please let me know.

Edited 24 November, 201114 yr by mdon

The fact-sheet gives simple clarity to the law: i.e having head-lamp washers and self-levelling means the HID conforms to the law. Without those two it doesn't. I'm not sure where you're losing the clear definition of what is required to be legal here. :S :S

The MOT test doesn't check for the correct bulb: so you could run with 130w halogens, and pass - as long as they're correctly set. However, 130w halogens are not approved for use the on the UK/EU highways. When are you having yours fitted? The boxes are clearly marked not for road use, but hey as long as they're set correctly it's not a problem, is it officer........(They're cheaper than Xenons and don't require messing around with VCDS too)

I take it that you drive at 110mph everywhere, because your car can do it, despite the fact its illegal to do so.

What's tested and what's legal are two different things (again). The MOT doesn't test the calibration nor functionality of the speedometer, but it's a legal requirement to have one that works.

The MOT isn't checking for the legal setup on the car, which is why if you pitch-up with your Xenons and LED lights, the car 'just' fails its MOT instead of the police turning up. (MOT doesn't check for tax or insurance, but both are legal requirements to have a vehicle on the highway.)

I have to admit, there are only so many ways you can be told it's illegal, and you seem oblivious to them all.

Jason: yeah, there'll always be people that take things off for the MOT, but they'll be doing it because they've already accepted that it's illegal for will fail the MOT, hence the removal. I suspect a lot of removable DPFs and cats will be along over the next couple of years as well. However, the law is there for a reason.....

Ok I give up

Edited 25 November, 201114 yr by mdon

Right........this is not to throw fuel on the fire, and the document given here is, apparently, out of date compared to the document Llanigraham shared. However, it gives the reasons (in clear english, again. Blimey what is this government coming to when it speaks to the people in it's own language! ) as to the requirement of the cleaning and self-levelling systems.*

Yes, it does mention that "It is also worthy of note that a few high performance vehicles fitted with HID headlamps that have barely any luggage space and stiff suspension do not require a self-levelling system." I think the key in this sentence would be "barely any luggage space". Whilst you might consider a vRS to be a high performance vehicle, you've need to be transporting elephants to claim a lack of luggage space. :D

(* I daresay that there will be those that will claim to *always* make sure they manually adjust the lights when there's luggage and passengers in the back. I have to admit I doout that very much, especially, as the document mentions about accerating and brakeing, and ascent and descent of hills, hence the use of "self-levelling".)

That document isn't law. It's a best practice fact sheet. And just because something isn't listed doesn't make it illegal, unless it states in law no other lights are to be used. How can the law say your car can have them but under no circumstances can the person down the road have them! As this is what has happened as new cars come with xenons (including octavia!) and have been passed as road legal by the enforcing body.

The regulations don't state anything about LEDs as break/tail lights does that automatically make them illegal? No of corse not.

I have a question about self leveling on Xenons. Do they continue to self level as you drive or only when the lights are 1st turned on?

I ask as that in itself could be a problem, if they only self level when 1st turned on whats to stop you starting your car, turning lights on whilst loading the boot with 8/9 bags of 25kg sand from B&Q then driving away? in that case the lights wouldn't be level and you would proceed to dazzle people on the road.

Matthew

As far as I am aware the self-levellers are always active, not just on start up. The idea is to keep the light on the road in the same position at all times, including the nose rising on acceleration, loading / unloading etc.

The self levelling they refer to is the levelling adjustment that is already fitted to octavia's. They just mean the lights should have a way of adjusting the hight without actuall doing it by manually adjusting the headlight unit.

As far as I am aware the self-levellers are always active, not just on start up. The idea is to keep the light on the road in the same position at all times, including the nose rising on acceleration, loading / unloading etc.

Thanks, having never had Xenon's I wasn't sure about that.

The self levelling they refer to is the levelling adjustment that is already fitted to octavia's. They just mean the lights should have a way of adjusting the hight without actuall doing it by manually adjusting the headlight unit.

I appreciate that Self Leveling is more expensive than sticking a switch in the dash but it would make sense to include this system on every car IMO.

I'm not going down the HID route even though 80% of my driving is on un-lit A/B-Roads & Single Lane roads in & around the Peak District, my Halogen PowerBulbs (own brand) bulbs are very good & I can't see why HID's would be required for most people who drive in street lit areas.

Matthew