How to get rear full LED lights?

[Fux]

Recently saw a karoq (older production model as it had a badge on rear door instead of skoda lettering) with full LED rear headlights - I've got a 2019 sportline with full LED headlight option but only rear stop light is LED, reversing and blinker lights use halogen bulbs.

 

Maybe it was an aftermarket fit since his reversing/blinker lights consisted out of several visible diodes?

 

Is there a full official LED option pack for karoq (with no halogen bulbs at all)?

[Tim1631]

40 minutes ago, Fux said:

Recently saw a karoq (older production model as it had a badge on rear door instead of skoda lettering) with full LED rear headlights - I've got a 2019 sportline with full LED headlight option but only rear stop light is LED, reversing and blinker lights use halogen bulbs.

 

Maybe it was an aftermarket fit since his reversing/blinker lights consisted out of several visible diodes?

 

Is there a full official LED option pack for karoq (with no halogen bulbs at all)?

 

I don't think so. 

 

There have been members on here that have replaced the Indicators and reverse bulbs with LED W16W replacements 

 

 

Edited 30 September, 2020 by Tim1631

[irfant]

20 minutes ago, Tim1631 said:

 

 

 

There have been members on here that have replaced the Indicators and reverse bulbs with LED W16W replacements 

 

 As above, got them from AliExpress

[Merlinman]

Plenty of suitable and inexpensive  W16W LED replacements on eBay - easy fix and no ‘bulb out’ messages! 👍🏻

[CJJE]

There's a guide to fitting them here: 

 

[Rsrob]

fitted LED w16w bulbs to my sportline the indicators are standard LED w16w bulbs and the reverse are 80w LED w16w bulbs off ebay 

[CJJE]

Be aware that fitting LED bulbs to reflectors designed for filament bulbs is likely to mean that the beam will not be directed quite as well. While this may not matter so much for indicators or reversing lights (as compared with headlights) they are not road-legal. An MOT is unlikely to pick this us as the tester will not disassemble light fittings, but a zealous police officer who has reason to investigate your car closely (eg after an accident, or just for bloody-mindedness) may discover them. This would also invalidate your insurance of course.

 

So fitting LEDs is very much 'caveat emptor' or 'buyer beware'! 

[Tim1631]

7 minutes ago, CJJE said:

Be aware that fitting LED bulbs to reflectors designed for filament bulbs is likely to mean that the beam will not be directed quite as well. While this may not matter so much for indicators or reversing lights (as compared with headlights) they are not road-legal. An MOT is unlikely to pick this us as the tester will not disassemble light fittings, but a zealous police officer who has reason to investigate your car closely (eg after an accident, or just for bloody-mindedness) may discover them. This would also invalidate your insurance of course.

 

So fitting LEDs is very much 'caveat emptor' or 'buyer beware'! 

 

Police officers are to busy to look that closely at rear lights to see if they have LEDs fitted. They are more concerned with people carrying offensive weapons and stabbing each other. Always bigger fish to fry as they say. 

[Ootohere]

In the event of an accident that is life changing or life taking the Police Examiners job is to be checking the vehicle, bulbs and other aspects / modifications or look for faults.

[CJJE]

13 minutes ago, Tim1631 said:

 

Police officers are to busy to look that closely at rear lights to see if they have LEDs fitted. They are more concerned with people carrying offensive weapons and stabbing each other. Always bigger fish to fry as they say. 

As I said... buyer beware. If you WERE on their hit list for whatever reason - excessive speeding, drug-driving, drink-driving etc - and they felt they wanted to check you out then it's another problem for you. Our local force are currently stopping no end of cars with dark tinted windows and making the driver remove the tints.  

[J.R.]

80 watt reversing lights?

 

Hope that I never get any of them reversing towards me.

 

Just seen the preceeding post, maybe I should get a dark tinted windscreen

Edited 2 October, 2020 by J.R.

[Tim1631]

10 minutes ago, CJJE said:

As I said... buyer beware. If you WERE on their hit list for whatever reason - excessive speeding, drug-driving, drink-driving etc - and they felt they wanted to check you out then it's another problem for you. Our local force are currently stopping no end of cars with dark tinted windows and making the driver remove the tints.  

 

What is your local force? We are doing the same at the minute. Always a warning before action/court 😁

[CJJE]

Staffordshire, as shown in my location  

[Tim1631]

11 minutes ago, CJJE said:

Staffordshire, as shown in my location  

 

On my phone, no signatures present. Just checked its not an offence in itself ti replace the rear bulbs with LEDS. The fronts are different as they have to have projector headlights, be self leveling and have headlamp washers. 

[CJJE]

48 minutes ago, Tim1631 said:

 

On my phone, no signatures present. Just checked its not an offence in itself ti replace the rear bulbs with LEDS. The fronts are different as they have to have projector headlights, be self leveling and have headlamp washers. 

Sorry, I forget you can't see that on a phone  

Id be delighted to hear that they are legal - what is the source of that statement though? According to GEM (at https://blog.motoringassist.com/news/fit-led-lighting-car-legally/) 

"I wish to incorporate LED lighting to my car’s exterior. How can I do this legally?
The only way is to use a complete lamp unit that has been tested and wears a Type Approval Mark from an approved maker, such as Ring Automotive.
However, GEM has come across complete LED lamps that do not wear any form of Type Approval Mark and such kits admit in the very fine print on the packaging that they are not for road use. Buy with care.
Any modification, however, must be declared to your insurance company."

 

I would also refer you to the Powerbulbs website https://www.powerbulbs.com/store/category/car-bulbs/fitting/w16w 

which warns that the Osram LED W16W bulbs are not road-legal as they do not have ECE approval. I'm sure they would not be putting people off buying them unless they had to publish that warning??

Edited 2 October, 2020 by CJJE
Added powerbulbs warning

[zappahey]

On 02/10/2020 at 16:39, CJJE said:

Be aware that fitting LED bulbs to reflectors designed for filament bulbs is likely to mean that the beam will not be directed quite as well. While this may not matter so much for indicators or reversing lights (as compared with headlights) they are not road-legal. An MOT is unlikely to pick this us as the tester will not disassemble light fittings, but a zealous police officer who has reason to investigate your car closely (eg after an accident, or just for bloody-mindedness) may discover them. This would also invalidate your insurance of course.

 

So fitting LEDs is very much 'caveat emptor' or 'buyer beware'! 

On what basis would it invalidate your insurance?

[CJJE]

27 minutes ago, zappahey said:

On what basis would it invalidate your insurance?

 

Frome the GEM website:

"Not only is it an offence to supply car parts that purport to comply with certain regulations, yet do not, but also fitting and using them on the road is not permitted. However, it is possible that a car can pass an MoT Test with an LED conversion bulb fitted to an exterior lamp; this is because the MoT Test, generally, does not enforce Type Approval laws. Yet, you still risk being stopped by a police officer and prosecuted for driving an unroadworthy vehicle with them installed, as well as invalidating your insurance cover.

 

"New bulbs are one of the few aftermarket replacement parts that have to comply with compulsory technical standards. The UK’s Road Traffic Act (1988) cites that it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts that do not comply with the required Construction and Use stipulations. Selling an LED conversion bulb might incite the driver to commit the offence of driving an unroadworthy vehicle, leading to a risk of a prosecution under Road Vehicles Construction and Use Regulations (1986) and the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations (1989). Not even UK companies that specialise in automotive lighting and retail LED bulbs could tell GEM why they might not be breaking these regulations."

 

If you modify your vehicle in a way that makes it unroadworthy, then your insurance will be invalidated.

[Berisford]

I'll take my chance on this one - however - I doubt such a change of bulb could be used by an insurance company to leave you high and dry........... I'd opt for my day in court if needed.

[smipx]

Quote: I doubt such a change of bulb could be used by an insurance company to leave you high and dry

 

It could if a person following you rear-ends you and they claim that they were dazzled by your LED lights at the rear of your car.

If it turned out that the lights were not UK road legal then your insurance would not pay up.  You could be in line for the repair bills and also any personal injury claims if the person when crashed in to you was injured.

 

Insurance companies will find any legitimate loophole to avoid paying out and that would be a legitimate reason. 

 

Your risk of course but anyone reading this may want to bear that in mind. 

 

Cheers,

Paul

 

[smipx]

Is it really worth the risk for a set of lights you never actually see (at the rear of the car) just to make the car look "better"???

[Berisford]

5 hours ago, smipx said:

Is it really worth the risk for a set of lights you never actually see (at the rear of the car) just to make the car look "better"???

My LED upgrade helps me SEE better when reversing down my drive........

[maxychat]

I'm fairly new to this forum having recently bought my first Skoda but the number of posts and threads on this forum about willfully and brazenly breaking the law in the name of vanity, hidden behind some "safety" excuse, is quite incredible.

 

Sorry not aimed at you or anyone in particular, just something jumping out at me the more I read the forum.   

Edited 7 October, 2020 by maxychat

[zappahey]

On 07/10/2020 at 11:05, smipx said:

Quote: I doubt such a change of bulb could be used by an insurance company to leave you high and dry

 

It could if a person following you rear-ends you and they claim that they were dazzled by your LED lights at the rear of your car.

If it turned out that the lights were not UK road legal then your insurance would not pay up.  You could be in line for the repair bills and also any personal injury claims if the person when crashed in to you was injured.

 

Insurance companies will find any legitimate loophole to avoid paying out and that would be a legitimate reason. 

 

Your risk of course but anyone reading this may want to bear that in mind. 

 

Cheers,

Paul

 

A fairly reductio ad absurdum scenario, but the basic fact is that your insurer can't get out of paying third party claims, regardless of how naughty you've been. There's an argument that they might reduce any payout to the insured if the claim can be directly linked to an undeclared modification. There's a whole lot of scaremongering goes on about insurance being cancelled and I'd welcome any evidence of it ever having happened retrospectively. 

[skomaz]

On 07/10/2020 at 10:05, smipx said:

 

It could if a person following you rear-ends you and they claim that they were dazzled by your LED lights at the rear of your car.

 

 

In my experience they'd better ban most Audi's from the roads then - some of  their rear lights (especially Brake Lights) are blinding (even more so when in a low vehicle such as my MX-5...)

[Berisford]

49 minutes ago, zappahey said:

A fairly reductio ad absurdum scenario, but the basic fact is that your insurer can't get out of paying third party claims, regardless of how naughty you've been. There's an argument that they might reduce any payout to the insured if the claim can be directly linked to an undeclared modification. There's a whole lot of scaremongering goes on about insurance being cancelled and I'd welcome any evidence of it ever having happened retrospectively. 

Well said zappahey, I was going to post something similar but couldn’t be bothered...........👍