Stop/Tail LEDs not legal

[Clewsy]

Hi everyone. I had some stop / tail replacement bulbs come through the post yesterday. They are LEDs as opposted to bulbs.

When I unpackaged them it says not street legal on the bottom of the price sticker. Should I send them back or should I risk putting them on.

Why are they illegal anyway?

 

[Matt ATR]

Pretty such the aftermarket ones are illegal - I have them for fog lights on the back though!

 

[visceral]

LEDs can be used for rear stops, as BMW etc are now doing - but they need to display a CE mark.

benefits of LED over "normal" lamps are many, should imagine "street legal" ones will be available somewhere.

 

[diamond geezer]

i use them for all rear lights, pass mots okay, never had a problem. how often are coppers gonna ask to examin a bulb? its never gonna happen.

 

[stu8v]

But should the worst happen and they are inspected they would void all your insurance.

 

[DAVE_RSi]

Quote: Originally posted by stu8v on 16 February 2005

But should the worst happen and they are inspected they would void all your insurance.

LOL tbh i think uve got more chance of ur insurance being void due to having some leaves stuck in ur engine bay

 

[stu8v]

Quote: Originally posted by DAVE_RSi on 16 February 2005

Quote: Originally posted by stu8v on 16 February 2005

But should the worst happen and they are inspected they would void all your insurance.

LOL tbh i think uve got more chance of ur insurance being void due to having some leaves stuck in ur engine bay

Well that was an intelligent comment!

 

[Da]

LED front and rear lamps are illegal if fitted into standard headlights and rear clusters. For the LEDs to give off the required level of light etc they have to be built into a specifically designed cluster for the purpose (as mentioned before BMW and also K-Tec ones that are now appearing for the clio) To put a replacement LED lamp in standard clusters is illegal, but highly unlikely to be prosecuted for it.

 

[Has]

^^^^ yup very true, exactly wot i wud say

 

[wrx-172]

Wouldnt worry cant see it being that noticeable.. Well unless to the trained eye!

 

[Liam_Dynamique]

What Daz said, but more to the point they are pretty crap IMO so why do you want them?!

"Proper" bulbs give off light in all directions, which is reflected into the lens thus producing a solid area of light within the confines of that particular lamp. LED bulbs shine the majority of their light straight, so when you have them in your rear clusters the person behind you is going to be seeing a bunch of little LEDS light up, and no reflection to fill the rest of the lens. RajK has them in his rear lights, and I always notice how dimmer his brakelights actually appear to be with them in. Thats all IMO anyway.