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HID Query

Joe Hryszko

Joe Hryszko

Car  Mk5 Golf Gti
Hi guys,

Would like some clarification on this matter if anyone can offer some expert knowledge!

I have a 182 Cup in RB which comes as standard without Xenon HID's, what are the rules and laws particularly with MOT testing regarding HID's?

I have been looking into it all and getting some mixed answers, if I wanted some HID's on my car (which I do) would you purchase a a HID conversion kit, 55w 6000k, or spend the extra £100 ish buying some 172/182 Xenon headlight units?

This is just an advise question, I haven't purchased anything yet! Thanks guys :)
 
The legality is questionable, could certainly be an mot fail, as you don't have washers or self levelling. Personally I wouldn't bother. Cheap hid kits aren't brilliantly made, risk of them going up in smoke puts me off these days.
And don't fit a hid kit into standard headlights. They aren't designed for that, and whatever some plank tells you there's no way around that. Leads to lots of glare for other road users. Anyone that fits them to standard reflector units is a c**t imo.
 
ForceIndia said:
The legality is questionable, could certainly be an mot fail, as you don't have washers or self levelling. Personally I wouldn't bother. Cheap hid kits aren't brilliantly made, risk of them going up in smoke puts me off these days.
And don't fit a hid kit into standard headlights. They aren't designed for that, and whatever some plank tells you there's no way around that. Leads to lots of glare for other road users. Anyone that fits them to standard reflector units is a c**t imo.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that mate, So it would be easier to just buy a headlight unit from a 172/182 that has factory fitted Xenons?
 
Headlight washers (although cars built with xenons should have them) not being present aren't an MOT fail. If they're there though and don't work they are a fail. Asked my MOT tester friend a while back on this. You might have issues with levelling them though.
 
tomhunt85 said:
Headlight washers (although cars built with xenons should have them) not being present aren't an MOT fail. If they're there though and don't work they are a fail. Asked my MOT tester friend a while back on this. You might have issues with levelling them though.
Click to expand...

Okay, surely if I was to buy a headlight unit from a 172 with Xenons.. I would have two units, the standard 182 cup one and the Xenons aswell, and it is literally a plug in plug out job isn't it?
 
Yeah they are. Your current Cup units can be adjusted using the wheel in the car. The xenons can't as they're self levelling taking a reading from the rear axle of the car on a FF version. Could always swap them over come MOT time but will probably be fine anyway.
 
ForceIndia said:
The legality is questionable, could certainly be an mot fail, as you don't have washers or self levelling. Personally I wouldn't bother. Cheap hid kits aren't brilliantly made, risk of them going up in smoke puts me off these days.
And don't fit a hid kit into standard headlights. They aren't designed for that, and whatever some plank tells you there's no way around that. Leads to lots of glare for other road users. Anyone that fits them to standard reflector units is a c**t imo.
Click to expand...

Good to have you back :cool:
 
tomhunt85 said:
Yeah they are. Your current Cup units can be adjusted using the wheel in the car. The xenons can't as they're self levelling taking a reading from the rear axle of the car on a FF version. Could always swap them over come MOT time but will probably be fine anyway.
Click to expand...

Okay, I know for a fact that before I bought the car it had Xenons on but he swapped them off for the standard ones.

How much are we looking at for the whole units? :)
 
I've got a crap set of Xenons that you could have for £50 possibly. They work perfectly, but need polishing as they are scratched/uv damaged. But someone else said they wanted them, I'll check if they still do
 
ForceIndia said:
I've got a crap set of Xenons that you could have for £50 possibly. They work perfectly, but need polishing as they are scratched/uv damaged. But someone else said they wanted them, I'll check if they still do
Click to expand...

How badly scratched are they?

I would happily take them off your hands mate if they can be cleared up with a polish! Have you got any pictures?
 
tomhunt85 said:
Yeah they are. Your current Cup units can be adjusted using the wheel in the car. The xenons can't as they're self levelling taking a reading from the rear axle of the car on a FF version. Could always swap them over come MOT time but will probably be fine anyway.
Click to expand...


xenons can be adjusted.
 
ForceIndia said:
The legality is questionable, could certainly be an mot fail, as you don't have washers or self levelling. Personally I wouldn't bother. Cheap hid kits aren't brilliantly made, risk of them going up in smoke puts me off these days.
And don't fit a hid kit into standard headlights. They aren't designed for that, and whatever some plank tells you there's no way around that. Leads to lots of glare for other road users. Anyone that fits them to standard reflector units is a c**t imo.
Click to expand...

They will pass an MOT. However as they don't meet the type approval of the car they could possibly be deemed illegal by an unusually clued-up copper. But yes, projectors or nothing.

I'd recommend the 1*2 units, but be very careful as they are fragile as fcuk and almost guaranteed to break in the post.
 
doesn't matter what they are fitted to, the adjuster is still part of the light unit itself, assume it's the same mech as normal units?
 
bloke said:
doesn't matter what they are fitted to, the adjuster is still part of the light unit itself, assume it's the same mech as normal units?
Click to expand...

No, it's an auto leveler working off the suspension compression at the rear. Xenons have to be auto leveling in addition to needing washers.
 
tomhunt85 said:
No, it's an auto leveler working off the suspension compression at the rear. Xenons have to be auto leveling in addition to needing washers.
Click to expand...

It's a servo. Whether it's controlled by a dial, a self leveller, or a small gnome hiding in the glovebox, it's still a servo. A positive, a ground and a pulse wire, in a connector.

See my last post r.e. legality. As long as they're not blinding and fitted in projectors, and looks OEM, no copper is realistically going to be bothered about headlight washers (or will just assume the blanks are the retracted washers) and has no real way of checking self levelling at the roadside. As said, they WILL pass MOT, see section 1.7 of the MOT tester's manual.

The servo also has the vertical adjustment fitted to it on Ph.1 headlights and I'm reasonably sure it's the same story on Ph.2 ones too.
 
Never said it wouldn't pass, in all probability I think it would.

tomhunt85 said:
Could always swap them over come MOT time but will probably be fine anyway.
Click to expand...
McGherkin does the beam adjustment wheel work with xenons then?

Switch_zpsd0848403.jpg
 
I don't see why not, there's nothing special at the light end AFAIK.

The level sensor tells the UCH to move the headlight servos to 25%, 50%, 75% etc, just the same as the wheel does.

EDIT: Just done some reading, swap the servos from the old lights to the new ones, and retain the manual levelling. TBH you can probably connect up the new servos with a bit of electrical knowhow but I'm guessing they changed the connectors so it's easier to just swap the old ones in.
 
Would then ensure you didn't fall foul of reason 2 for rejection, a headlamp levelling device inoperative.

Will bear that in mind if I swap some xenons onto our Cup.
 
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