New MOT rules - HIDs *UPDATED*

J

JamieZ4C

Active member
Hampshire
Greetings all. I’m looking for some thoughts regarding the new MOT rules and my specific situation.

MOT on my coupe is due on 13th June and I know the new rules take effect from 20th May.

Problem is the headlights have HIDs fitted and I know there’s a good chance this could mean a fail. I could do without the hassle of changing them just yet. Plus I like being able to see in the dark (compared to the standard halogens)!

I’m tempted to put her in now to get a new MOT, although this would mean missing out on just over a month’s worth of the current MOT.

What I’m wondering is if I put her in after the 13th of May, but before the 20th, will the new rules not apply in this window and I’ll get the full value from the existing and new MOT? Or will the fact that the new MOT will become valid after 20th May mean it still fails?
 
Put it in on the 14th or after. If it passes you'll get a 13 month MOT. Well one day sort of 13 months to be pedantic. It will be Valid from the day it's tested using the rules that apply on that day. It will read something like valid 14/05/18 till 13/06/19.

Next year I'd still leave the hids on. To be honest a lot of Mot places will either not notice or not care if they're fitted. After all there's nothing to say you didn't fit them 10 minutes after your Mot was done. It's usually the safety critical stuff they'll never let slip, the stuff that's clearly dangerous and obviously been worn for a while like brakes/tyres/suspension/bushes, that sort of thing. Emissions is the other one they tend to not ignore. Obviously it's down to the testing station, even the individual tester etc and what relationship you have with them and if they're a decent sort. If they known you and your a regular customer they probably be inclined to let a few minor things slip by that aren't dangerous. But if they don't know you or suspect your from Vosa etc spot checking them theyll let nothing slide.
 
MACK said:
Put it in on the 14th or after. If it passes you'll get a 13 month MOT. Well one day sort of 13 months to be pedantic. It will be Valid from the day it's tested using the rules that apply on that day. It will read something like valid 14/05/18 till 13/06/19.

Next year I'd still leave the hids on. To be honest a lot of Mot places will either not notice or not care if they're fitted. After all there's nothing to say you didn't fit them 10 minutes after your Mot was done. It's usually the safety critical stuff they'll never let slip, the stuff that's clearly dangerous and obviously been worn for a while like brakes/tyres/suspension/bushes, that sort of thing. Emissions is the other one they tend to not ignore. Obviously it's down to the testing station, even the individual tester etc and what relationship you have with them and if they're a decent sort. If they known you and your a regular customer they probably be inclined to let a few minor things slip by that aren't dangerous. But if they don't know you or suspect your from Vosa etc spot checking them theyll let nothing slide.
Click to expand...
If I knew the MOT tester I wouldn't put them in this situation.
All it takes is for VOSA to be doing their checks on cars leaving the test station and checking if it has been done properly.
Bad news for the test station if they have let something slide.
 
MACK said:
Next year I'd still leave the hids on. To be honest a lot of Mot places will either not notice or not care if they're fitted.
Click to expand...

To be honest, I probably will do this. It's up to the professional to tell me whether they're legal or not, not me. If I have to change them I will. I just want to defer that day for as long as possible!
 
Nictrix said:
If I knew the MOT tester I wouldn't put them in this situation.
All it takes is for VOSA to be doing their checks on cars leaving the test station and checking if it has been done properly.
Bad news for the test station if they have let something slide.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I'm not a rule breaker. I just like to bend them as far as I can :D
 
Nictrix said:
MACK said:
Put it in on the 14th or after. If it passes you'll get a 13 month MOT. Well one day sort of 13 months to be pedantic. It will be Valid from the day it's tested using the rules that apply on that day. It will read something like valid 14/05/18 till 13/06/19.

Next year I'd still leave the hids on. To be honest a lot of Mot places will either not notice or not care if they're fitted. After all there's nothing to say you didn't fit them 10 minutes after your Mot was done. It's usually the safety critical stuff they'll never let slip, the stuff that's clearly dangerous and obviously been worn for a while like brakes/tyres/suspension/bushes, that sort of thing. Emissions is the other one they tend to not ignore. Obviously it's down to the testing station, even the individual tester etc and what relationship you have with them and if they're a decent sort. If they known you and your a regular customer they probably be inclined to let a few minor things slip by that aren't dangerous. But if they don't know you or suspect your from Vosa etc spot checking them theyll let nothing slide.
Click to expand...
If I knew the MOT tester I wouldn't put them in this situation.
All it takes is for VOSA to be doing their checks on cars leaving the test station and checking if it has been done properly.
Bad news for the test station if they have let something slide.
Click to expand...
It's not really likely to happen though is it and it's the reality of what happens at these places.
Ive never once seen/heard Vosa doing checks directly outside a test station, plus they need the police to pull over folks over anyway as they have no powers to do that on their own. The station i use is on a junction with two separate accesses. There is literally five different directions you can drive off in. They need a major police operation to capture everyone leaving and not everyone will have been Mot'd anyway.
 
MACK said:
Nictrix said:
MACK said:
Put it in on the 14th or after. If it passes you'll get a 13 month MOT. Well one day sort of 13 months to be pedantic. It will be Valid from the day it's tested using the rules that apply on that day. It will read something like valid 14/05/18 till 13/06/19.

Next year I'd still leave the hids on. To be honest a lot of Mot places will either not notice or not care if they're fitted. After all there's nothing to say you didn't fit them 10 minutes after your Mot was done. It's usually the safety critical stuff they'll never let slip, the stuff that's clearly dangerous and obviously been worn for a while like brakes/tyres/suspension/bushes, that sort of thing. Emissions is the other one they tend to not ignore. Obviously it's down to the testing station, even the individual tester etc and what relationship you have with them and if they're a decent sort. If they known you and your a regular customer they probably be inclined to let a few minor things slip by that aren't dangerous. But if they don't know you or suspect your from Vosa etc spot checking them theyll let nothing slide.
Click to expand...
If I knew the MOT tester I wouldn't put them in this situation.
All it takes is for VOSA to be doing their checks on cars leaving the test station and checking if it has been done properly.
Bad news for the test station if they have let something slide.
Click to expand...
It's not really likely to happen though is it and it's the reality of what happens at these places.
Ive never once seen/heard Vosa doing checks directly outside a test station, plus they need the police to pull over folks over anyway as they have no powers to do that on their own. The station i use is on a junction with two separate accesses. There is literally five different directions you can drive off in. They need a major police operation to capture everyone leaving and not everyone will have been Mot'd anyway.
Click to expand...
Is it not live data when they log the MOT on and off the system?
All they need to do is wait for the MOT to finish and could even go into the test station and check the vehicle.
I havnt heard of this actually happening but have heard testers talking about it.
I also thought that HIDs retrofits were illegal anyway.
 
I removed my hid's a few years back (flickering issues on start up, with auto lights setting switched on).

At the time and for years afterwards, I thought I'd made a huge mistake

But a month or so ago, I decided to raise the headlight beam level to a more reasonable (to me) level. It's massively better now. I do a lot of country road driving at night and I can see plenty without even needing to use main beam.

Before I done this, it actually felt dangerous to drive at night. I had very limited frontal vision, as the beam level is so low (even worse on a lowered Z4).

Might be worth giving this a go if you're made to remove the hid's at some point in the future?

I should add that I haven't been flashed by any oncoming traffic as yet, and they were only raised a few turns. Just don't go directing them up to the sky and you should be fine :thumbsup:
 
Nictrix said:
MACK said:
Nictrix said:
If I knew the MOT tester I wouldn't put them in this situation.
All it takes is for VOSA to be doing their checks on cars leaving the test station and checking if it has been done properly.
Bad news for the test station if they have let something slide.
Click to expand...
It's not really likely to happen though is it and it's the reality of what happens at these places.
Ive never once seen/heard Vosa doing checks directly outside a test station, plus they need the police to pull over folks over anyway as they have no powers to do that on their own. The station i use is on a junction with two separate accesses. There is literally five different directions you can drive off in. They need a major police operation to capture everyone leaving and not everyone will have been Mot'd anyway.
Click to expand...
Is it not live data when they log the MOT on and off the system?
All they need to do is wait for the MOT to finish and could even go into the test station and check the vehicle.
I havnt heard of this actually happening but have heard testers talking about it.
I also thought that HIDs retrofits were illegal anyway.
Click to expand...
The reality is they can't retest a vehicle there and then that's just been mot'd if the owners stood with it without their permission. They can just turn up and demand to re test a vehicle that's been left unattended on the premises. Thry are a bit of a law unto themselves. To be honest its usually the bad guys who face this sort of treatment from the vosa folks. The ones where they had complaints from the public etc.
Hids are an interesting one, if youve hidden the wiring in the headlamp mot testers aren't allow to disassemble bits of a car to check/test things. So even if they think it's got hids and want to fail it they can't unless they can see the aftermarket bits or it fails the beam pattern etc.
 
ben g said:
I decided to raise the headlight beam level to a more reasonable (to me) level. It's massively better now. I do a lot of country road driving at night and I can see plenty without even needing to use main beam.

Might be worth giving this a go if you're made to remove the hid's at some point in the future?
Click to expand...

Agreed. Sounds like a good plan to me :thumbsup:
 
MACK said:
Hids are an interesting one, if youve hidden the wiring in the headlamp mot testers aren't allow to disassemble bits of a car to check/test things. So even if they think it's got hids and want to fail it they can't unless they can see the aftermarket bits or it fails the beam pattern etc.
Click to expand...

The wiring is hidden. I'm unsure about the beam, but it's passed previous MOT's with them fitted, so I assume it's fine.

The colour of them and the warm-up when first turned on is a bit of a giveaway that they're fitted, but you never know, I might be lucky :thumbsup:
 
OP - if you do end up having to change them, go for LEDs. After all you can get 6000k (or more) light and they won’t fail MOT.
 
MACK said:
It's not really likely to happen though is it and it's the reality of what happens at these places.
Click to expand...

I was chatting to my MOT guy who I have known for many years. He was moaning about how much work was involved in studying the new MOTs (he is only a small owner garage and is 67). He did mention he needs to understand them because he expects VOSA to do random checks on him (and others) to make sure he has understood and has tested to the new MOT standard when it comes into force. I am guessing it must be a thing if he is expecting it.
 
Magicarcher said:
MACK said:
It's not really likely to happen though is it and it's the reality of what happens at these places.
Click to expand...

I was chatting to my MOT guy who I have known for many years. He was moaning about how much work was involved in studying the new MOTs (he is only a small owner garage and is 67). He did mention he needs to understand them because he expects VOSA to do random checks on him (and others) to make sure he has understood and has tested to the new MOT standard when it comes into force. I am guessing it must be a thing if he is expecting it.
Click to expand...

They do mystery shopper type visits to mot centres to make sure they're on the level. They are very finicky as well. I know one guy who got banned for two years, not for doing the mot incorrectly but for doing it on his own while his colleagues were out to lunch.
 
I don't think it will be overly noticeable on the Z4 headlights due to the projected lamp. Unless you've gone for a high powered kit and 8/9k lamps. If they turned up on a car with a standard non-projected headlight then I'd imagen it would fail as that's when it can be distracting.
 
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