LED/HID washers MOT

fangio · Apr 19, 2014

Wicked666 said:
What's illegal pal? Exam question is 'Do we need to fit washers to aftermarket xenons?'

Read the bold pal:-

a legal requirement!!

From VOSA about after market fitting:-

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.

Wicked666 · Apr 19, 2014

fangio said:
Read the bold pal:-

a legal requirement!!

From VOSA about after market fitting:-

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.

VOSA has closed and are you sure you haven't just googled someone's opinion of the old guidelines that were produced before the mot test was updated?

Copied from here perhaps?
http://www.phoenixautobulbs.co.uk/tp/hid-kits-new-legislation-2012/

Where in official documents does it say it's illegal to have xenons and no washers?

woollyjoe · Apr 19, 2014

Can we all agree that no one should be retro fitting HID / Xenon kits without replacing the whole headlamp unit that also includes the levelling mechanism. And credit to original poster for doing such.

The washer thing can be left as open to interpretation.

Boon · Apr 19, 2014

woollyjoe said:
I was replying to you Boon. It's not personal but you cannot fit HID's in the way you have suggested and people should not fit these- they have to be complete units because the suspension on a car affects the angle - you load the car differently and the angles change for example - that's why there is levellers. The point of these lights is that they are so bright, they are considered extremely dangerous to other drivers.

Not only do the have to be complete units, but they have to be certified also, and OEM are usually the only ones that are. In fact, you will probably find non OEM kit is in fact the company that supplies the OEM kit direct to manufacturers.

I wasn't suggesting using HIDs in halogen light units, maybe I wasn't so clear.

Glad you explained what the self levelling feature actually does, I still have one of those numbered rings that nobody bothers to adjust the beam height anyway, modern technology aye!

Was trying to clear up the evidence as produced so far that clearly states if a system is fitted it must work, if not it fitted it can't fail

As you say though, if ever involved in an accident the insurance could well be void, OEM lights or not, whosever fault. If the insurance don't know about the retro fit.

As I said though I find my halogens just fine anyway, my mate had an S3 with OEM HIDs that had levellers and washers and personally I found them sh!te. Get decent halogen bulbs and save some dollar without dazzling all us other road users

fangio · Apr 19, 2014

Wicked666 said:
VOSA has closed and are you sure you haven't just googled someone's opinion of the old guidelines that were produced before the mot test was updated?

Copied from here perhaps?
HID Kits - New Legislation 2012

Where in official documents does it say it's illegal to have xenons and no washers?

I actually got it from the VOSA site and they haven't closed, just merged...........

And why I'd not bother with HID headlights:-

Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply

Wicked666 · Apr 19, 2014

fangio said:
I actually got it from the VOSA site and they haven't closed, just merged...........

And why I'd not bother with HID headlights:-

Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply

I can't see the site. Do you have a link as that will help the OP?

OEM xenons are much better than halogens imo

welldonehid · Apr 23, 2014

MrHSingh said:
Ive got standard halogens on at the moment but Im looking to fit the LED bi-xenons.. I think it was the aftermarket xenons that were burning out wiper motors.. these OEMS will be fine if I can find a set!

Yes, I can confirm that.

Regular atermarket HID kits will blow the wiper motor away. Saw it so many times...
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/welldonehid/215970-wiper-motor-repair-[audi-a3-8p].html

OEM HID (the one Audi is using on their A38P) is completely safe.

But should keep in mind that not all OEM bulbs and ballast are safe.
Some OEM ballast can cause interference to the wiper motor also.

MrHSingh · Apr 23, 2014

welldonehid said:
Yes, I can confirm that.

Regular atermarket HID kits will blow the wiper motor away. Saw it so many times...
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/welldonehid/215970-wiper-motor-repair-[audi-a3-8p].html

OEM HID (the one Audi is using on their A38P) is completely safe.

But should keep in mind that not all OEM bulbs and ballast are safe.
Some OEM ballast can cause interference to the wiper motor also.

Which ballasts in particular would cause wiper motor problems? First I've heard of OEM parts causing problems tbh

welldonehid · Apr 24, 2014

MrHSingh said:
Which ballasts in particular would cause wiper motor problems? First I've heard of OEM parts causing problems tbh

Not 1 ballast in particular, many OEM ballast can cause interference problems.
The older the ballast the more chances to get interferences.
firsts generation ballast create big electro-magnetic fields that may interfere with electronics.
They have thick high voltage cables which makes the problem worst.

For example this Hella ballast would likely blow your motor within 24 hours.

OEM-Hella-Gen3-Xenon-BALLAST-HID-CONTROL-UNIT-MODULE-COMPUTER-IGNITER-LONG-WIRE-351036111067-480x360.jpg

(I had interference problems using them in a Seat Ibiza & Golf IV in the past.)

Of course manufactures use to test all this ballast & make sure they are fully compatible with the vehicle where they want to fit it, but if you use a ballast tested for one vehicle in another the problems may show up.

As long as you use the same ballast Audi uses in their A38P you will be fine.
For a different ballast I would recommend to ask before trying it.

hollows wife · Apr 24, 2014

sure there's a clause that if your hid's produce less than 2000 lumens of light you dont need self levelling or head light washers.

how can the police or an mot station test the lumen output ?

sure welldonehid knows that it blows the lin bus controller in the wiper motor .i guess there is an easy mod for the wiper motor ,but never had a blown one to test.

welldonehid · Apr 24, 2014

hollow said:
sure there's a clause that if your hid's produce less than 2000 lumens of light you dont need self levelling or head light washers.

how can the police or an mot station test the lumen output ?

sure welldonehid knows that it blows the lin bus controller in the wiper motor .i guess there is an easy mod for the wiper motor ,but never had a blown one to test.

Right, any lights with less than 2000 Lumen doesn't need washer & self levelling.
Just as the new LED headlights or the new D5S & D6S bulbs.

As for the wiper motor there is no easy mod to avoid that.
If you use the wrong bulbs and ballast & the motor will most likely die.
(not all A3 8P suffer this problem, "only" around 80% of them)

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LED/HID washers MOT

fangio

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Boon

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fangio

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