New MOT and HIDs

[Beachbum]

Not sure if this has been discussed to death on other parts of Pistonheads already, but as I had not seen it on this specific forum so far, thought I'd mention it.
New MoT checks for 2012
1. Removing the ign key and making sure the steering locks
2. Any dash warning light not working or staying on,even brake fluid light, any light.
3. All ball joint boots not to have any splits in them
4. Inner cv boots
5. Driver's seat must adjust forward and back.
6. Any lens that has had light reduced (smoked lenses)
7. Corroded power steering pipes inc coolers
8. Catalytic converter missing (deemed to be illegal as from next year)
9. Fitment of HIDs to non-hid cars (need to have self-levelling and wash lights to have HIDs)

I am led to believe that this will be retrospectively enforcable. So just because you installed HIDs in 20xx, it will still mean that if they are present at the MOT in 2012, the car will fail.

[kambites]

You are correct about HIDs. There has been no change in law, it's always been illegal to use HIDs (or indeed any non-filament bulbs) in the UK unless they were present at the time of EU type approval. Therefore now they're going to enforce it, they will enforce it for all cars.

[subaqua]

[quote=Beachbum]5. Driver's seat must adjust forward and back.
quote]

Might screw a few drive to the track and race types.

Don't some cars feature adjustable pedals these days?

[Scuffers]

subaqua said:

Beachbum said:

5. Driver's seat must adjust forward and back.

Might screw a few drive to the track and race types.

Don't some cars feature adjustable pedals these days?

I guess that depends on what you call adjustable?

race seats/frames are adjustable, just with a spanner.

[kambites]

Scuffers said:

I guess that depends on what you call adjustable?

race seats/frames are adjustable, just with a spanner.

Can you really see the MoT centre unbolting the seats to make sure they move?

I'm sure there have been road legal vehicles sold in the relatively recent past which have non-moving seats though. Don't defenders have fixed seats, or did I imagine that?

[subaqua]

Scuffers said:

I guess that depends on what you call adjustable?

race seats/frames are adjustable, just with a spanner.

Its a fair point. Race cars will mostly be going to stations used to seeing them, so I dare say it won't be a problem for most

[Stephanie Plum]

You need spanners to move the seats in an Atom, and they're fixed in a XBow. As said it's important to find an MOT station that understands particular cars, even more so now !

kambites said:

Can you really see the MoT centre unbolting the seats to make sure they move?

I'm sure there have been road legal vehicles sold in the relatively recent past which have non-moving seats though. Don't defenders have fixed seats, or did I imagine that?

[Loafing Wafu]

Also 100% sure my Series 2A land rover didn't have a steering lock either.

[Beachbum]

OK, so an update is that it appears that how a car leaves the Factory is how it needs to still be, for the items listed.
Obviously some Dealer fitted options could lead to be an interesting discussion, but does sort out things like fixed seats, and steering locks

[problemchild1976]

does anyone know any more about the HID situation?

Are mot stations going to be allowed to pull your car apart to check?

To access the dipped bulbs on my vehicle, the wheel has to come off to open the access hatch. This is where my hid bits are located too!!

Will they just look at the startup of the lights and then if they flicker, go looking for self levelling units etc??

JJ

[Scuffers]

problemchild1976 said:

does anyone know any more about the HID situation?

Are mot stations going to be allowed to pull your car apart to check?

To access the dipped bulbs on my vehicle, the wheel has to come off to open the access hatch. This is where my hid bits are located too!!

Will they just look at the startup of the lights and then if they flicker, go looking for self levelling units etc??

JJ

it's easy to tell if they are HID's and as said, if the car did not have them from new, then you have a problem.

the real question is if the MOT tester can be bothered...

[problemchild1976]

How easy to tell if they were fitted from new?

Self levellers seems to be the only indicator (I have headlamp washers) but where would these levellers be?

JJ

[jagracer]

Scuffers said:

subaqua said:

Beachbum said:

5. Driver's seat must adjust forward and back.

Might screw a few drive to the track and race types.

Don't some cars feature adjustable pedals these days?

I guess that depends on what you call adjustable?

race seats/frames are adjustable, just with a spanner.

It doesn't say the seat must adjust forward and back, it says the driver's seat fore and aft adjustment mechanism not functioning as intended. So I read that as if it's not intended to adjust it's OK.
As for HIDs people need to read the regs properly rather than spread misinformation about them.

[ViperDave]

jagracer said:

It doesn't say the seat must adjust forward and back, it says the driver's seat fore and aft adjustment mechanism not functioning as intended. So I read that as if it's not intended to adjust it's OK.
As for HIDs people need to read the regs properly rather than spread misinformation about them.

which again re the self level, from what i can gather from the regs is another case of if fitted it has to work but if not fitted no problem/its a bit grey. They are also supposed to give the benefit of the doubt also, so if they are not sure whats should be there then its not a reason to fail.

[Scuffers]

ViperDave said:

which again re the self level, from what i can gather from the regs is another case of if fitted it has to work but if not fitted no problem/its a bit grey. They are also supposed to give the benefit of the doubt also, so if they are not sure whats should be there then its not a reason to fail.

Not all oem hids have self levels, its only required if the beam high will fall outside the spec when the car is fully loaded (some 911's don't have them).

As for how do you tell if the hids age oem, that's easy, just look it up.

worth pointing out that hids are illegal to fit on any car that was not homologated with them, irrespective of what they are and if they have levels and washers.

the only reason they are legal is because of EU homologation, UK rules still say they are illegal.

[problemchild1976]

So if your car has an option for HIDs but they are retro fitted with the "illegal" kit??

The reason (as I understood it) for not being legal is to do with the headlamp unit not being certified for the use oh HIDs? I personally don't see the issue with them (on projector type lenses) as compared to the number of badly adjusted or lamp out cars I see - they are no form of a problem!

I see a mini business in the making to sell fake self levelling units - haha!

I'm sure all this additional checking of bits will see an increase in the cost of mots

JJ

[Scuffers]

problemchild1976 said:

So if your car has an option for HIDs but they are retro fitted with the "illegal" kit??

The reason (as I understood it) for not being legal is to do with the headlamp unit not being certified for the use oh HIDs? I personally don't see the issue with them (on projector type lenses) as compared to the number of badly adjusted or lamp out cars I see - they are no form of a problem!

no grey areas here, if the car was not fitted with them (as it was homologated) then it's illegal (in the UK) to fit them.

under UK laws they are all illegal, just that EU holomogation trumps UK law.

[problemchild1976]

Sorry to be going round in circles (I know they should not be fitted) but how does the tester know (without taking bits off my car) if they are aftermarket?

.....In the example of: My car didn't come with them but the top of the range one has HIDs)

JJ

[jagracer]

problemchild1976 said:

Sorry to be going round in circles (I know they should not be fitted) but how does the tester know (without taking bits off my car) if they are aftermarket?

.....In the example of: My car didn't come with them but the top of the range one has HIDs)

JJ

The tester doesn't have to know whether they were fitted originally.

[problemchild1976]

So how does he know they are aftermarket?

(read my post above about accessing the dipped beam on my car)

JJ