MOT tests from 2012 have new additions.

[MJR]

xenon and HID are two different things to what they are referring .

since when are oem xenon lamps referred to as HID?

I was thinking that too 

[RobH]

xenon and HID are two different things to what they are referring .

since when are oem xenon lamps referred to as HID?

They are technicaly the same lamp steve but like i said you have nothing to be worried about.

[182_blue]

Im glad they are clamping down, nothing worse than a HID bulb in a normal reflector headlight 

[stealthwolf]

As above, xenons are a type of HID. Anyway, as lon you've got them fitted properly, there's nothing to worry about.

Plus it'll get the chavved up dazzlers off the roads.

[QD MBE]

They harp on about HIDs (of which Xenons are a form of) dazzling due to dirt etc on the lamp, or having passengers the car being laden (boot full).

All of the above situations could very well apply to retrofit Xenons?


The downside of this extra brightness is the potential to cause excessive dazzle to oncoming
traffic. To combat this, HID headlamps often have advanced electronics that control the shape
of the headlamp beam to avoid dazzle when the car climbs or descends hills and likewise when
the vehicle is accelerating or braking.
Dazzle can also be caused if the lamps are dirty or aimed too high due to, for example, carrying
rear seat passengers and/or heavy items in the boot.  Vehicles with HID headlamps are therefore
required to have a headlamp washing system (a wiper is not required) and be self levelling, which
may be achieved either by the use of either headlamp or suspension levelling systems. 
The presence and operation of these headlamp cleaning and levelling devices has been
added to the test.  Therefore, if a mandatory headlamp levelling or cleaning device is missing,
inoperative or otherwise obviously defective, the vehicle will fail

[Saint Steve]

They harp on about HIDs (of which Xenons are a form of) dazzling due to dirt etc on the lamp, or having passengers the car being laden (boot full).

All of the above situations could very well apply to retrofit Xenons?

Since when is a jet of water gonna get a dried flys arse off the lense dave??   Simples it wont .Next your be saying Headlamp wipers will be required to fix that!!

Yes if you carrying a heavy load on board has to be taken into account, but as long as they are set and aimed correctly by an approved MOT centre to take this into account, again its not gonna get failed.

Again , your squewing off tangent.

[PDT]

Im pretty sure that they wont be looking for cars that have been remapped (by remapped I mean they have had their software altered) but for cars that have had something like this fitted:

 


Most are made in china and rebranded for sale under lots of different brand names, all do the same thing i.e fool the ECU to dump excess fuel into the combustion process to gain extra power but are harmfull to engine components and cause extremely high emissions outputs. I witnessed one start to smoulder and almost catch fire during installation on a Mercedes.

As for HID kits (the type found on Ebay) I know of many people that have had them fail and leave them driving at night with no lights on other than sidelights, last thing you want when driving down a country road in the dark!

[QD MBE]

early night Steve?
 

[Saint Steve]

early night Steve?
 

Ive just eaten Fish supper thanx dave  

[PDT]

HID lights are worse when retro fitted into standard lamp units, its not just the dirt that causes dazzle but the type of lens. Most factory fitted xenon lights cause little or no dazzle (except some fiats and more annoyingly those hideous contraptions known as the Nissan joke Juke) its when a HID bulb is fitted into a standard non-projector headlamp unit you get lots of dazzle as they cant control the spread of light correctly.

[vRStu]

HID(High Intensity Gas Discharge) is the term used for the lamp fitted to what you refer to as Xenons Steve.  It's the type of lamp regardless of how it's fitted.

As for how this would affect people in a situation such as yours I wouldn't know however what you have done is only mildly better than fitting an HID kit as you know it but still wouldn't comply with the law IMHO.  

[Hedge]

 

[Saint Steve]

HID lights are worse when retro fitted into standard lamp units, its not just the dirt that causes dazzle but the type of lens. Most factory fitted xenon lights cause little or no dazzle (except some fiats and more annoyingly those hideous contraptions known as the Nissan joke Juke) its when a HID bulb is fitted into a standard non-projector headlamp unit you get lots of dazzle as they cant control the spread of light correctly.

[simonp]

Im pretty sure that they wont be looking for cars that have been remapped (by remapped I mean they have had their software altered) but for cars that have had something like this fitted:

 

Clamping down on tuning boxes is rather pointless, seeing how easy they are to remove and refit. The owner would only have to spend a minute or two before and after the MOT and get away scott free!

[Richn83]

I would have to agree that HID also applies to what manufacturers refer as xenon lights, xenon is just the inert gas used they all function in the same way, obviously having xenons with a proper shutter helps to control the light pattern rather than the reflector but doesnt solve the beam pattern when the rear is loaded unless you have somehow enabled the interior adjuster switch to raise and lower the beam pattern.  To be honest with you im not convinced that the washers do anything affective, but the level adjuster is a must, but most people dont even use it with halogen lights and blind you so they should really make aut levelling mandatory on new cars in my opinion.