Aftermarket Xenons

If they have washers fitted that don't work. Then surely you could fail them ?

No I am not taking the ****gaz . I did mean the headlamp washers, and I understood that  was what you were referring to in your original post.

Gaz
There is no requirement to check the presence of washers
If they not fitted then they can't be tested.
If there are fitted (unlikely with after market kits ) then they must work .

I believe that nitros44 is 102% right on that one

What is wrong with xenon bulbs? It's just the same bulb with a different gas inside which causes it to burn a little brighter.

Many ebay "Xenon HIDs" are just halogens painted blue.
HIDs can be an issue because the light source is a different shape to the original bulb and projects an image that we would call a fail.

According to the DoT

December 2006
In the Department's view it is not legal to sell or use after market HID lighting kits, for converting conventional Halogen headlamps to HID Xenon. If a customer wants to convert his vehicle to Xenon HID he must purchase completely new Xenon HID headlamps. The reason for this is that the existing lens and reflector are designed around a Halogen filament bulb, working to very precise tolerances. If one places a HID "burner" (bulb) in the headlamp, the beam pattern will not be correct, there will be glare in some places and not enough light in other places within the beam pattern.

The following is the legal rationale:

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.

However new vehicles have HID headlamps. This is because they comply to European type approval Regulations. The UK cannot refuse to register a vehicle with a European type approval. These are to ECE Regulation 98 (for the HID headlamps which are tested on a rig in a laboratory) and ECE Regulation 48 (Lighting Installation on the vehicle).

For the after market, a used vehicle cannot obtain type approval because it is only applicable for new vehicles. However we feel that saying "HID is banned in the after market" would not be reasonable. Instead we should make analogies with new vehicles. It would be reasonable to require HID in the after market to meet the same safety standards as on new vehicles. The same level of safety should apply.

Therefore a HID headlamp unit sold in the after market should:

1. be type approved to ECE Regulation 98 as a component.

2. when fitted to the vehicle should enable ECE Regulation 48 to be complied with (although no government inspection will take place).

3. Comply with RVLR as far as "use" is concerned.

In practice this means:

1. The headlamp unit (outer lens, reflector, bulb) shall be type approved to ECE 98 and be "e-marked" to demonstrate this. That can only be done by the headlamp supplier - Hella, Valeo etc. who must test the headlamp in an independent laboratory.

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.

3. The headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean, and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp.

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts which are not legal.

In summary it is not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlamp unit for use with HID bulbs. The entire headlamp unit must be replaced with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs and it must be installed in accordance with the rules stated above.

If you require any further information regarding the regulations covered by this fact sheet, please contact the DfT at the address below:

Transport Technology and Standards 6
Department for Transport
Zone 2/04
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London

Gaz ya at this moment in time there"s not much we can do about it but maybe sometime and if more checks are included in the test in the future who knows.
Personally I can't see it,just like the issue with tinted windows enforcement will be left to vosa and the police due to the low numbers of cars with aftermarket kits.
Your correct about about the legality of these kits and that's down to fitting the hid bulbs into the wrong type of lens.

Where the information column (IM) manual says ""hid/xenon equipped dipped beam lamp MAY BE fitted with levellers and washers ""-is not associated with the aftermarket kits,the reason for that guideline is due to the fact that factory fitted systems (OE) installed before 2010 or in other words the earlier versions did not cater for the self levelling or washers,some models in the mercedes range have them.
Due to the early OE systems not having levellers and washers maybe is the reason why we give the benifit of the doubt where its not clear the devices are fitted, I don't know for sure its just my opinion.

I don't think HID/xenon systems where officially regulated after 2010 and had to have levellers and washers fitted.

Just last week a customer with a Audi TT on a 52 plate was stopped by the police,she had Hid bulbs fitted (aftermarket)
And she is being prosocuted for having no headlamp washers or self levelling devices fitted.

nitros44, I thought all factory HID's had washers/levellers. You get them on the Vectra B's!

That's interesting about the Audi. What would happen if they were a factory fit but like you said some don't have those systems?

We have seen 2 vehicles with these conversions carried out, 1, an Austin\Rover type Mini, had been converted as part of a very expensive restoration.

No washers, No leveling and no beam pattern of any kind.

We failed it on the pattern and unable to check the aim. The owner returned the car and had the conversion removed.

I thought that the regulations relating to leveling and washers didnt apply to lights with an output of less than 2000 lumens but i cant find any reference to that anywhere. Was it in Matters of Testing?  or did i dream it?

Mike.

So how do you measure lumens so we know if it applies or not? Does 55 watt convert to so many lumens?

It reminds me of when my insurance engineer failed my engine lifting crane for not having the appropriate weights displayed next to each hole on the extending arm.
What good is that going to do if you don't know the weight of the engine you are going to lift?

Wally