Headlight Upgrade

[Planemo]

I'm with Fester in that switching out to 100/80 bulbs is unlikely to ever be an issue. MOT's will be fine if the alignment is correct and the tester will not be looking to see what wattage they are. Also, most of the time the tester will see that they are the correct bulb 'type' without having to remove the bulb (and testers are checking more and more now to see if HID's have been retrofitted). The real issue is not with uprated bulbs of the stock type, the problem is LED/HID retro conversions as both require specific lenses/reflectors to be used with them. Whilst I agree that most police would not have the time to stop check and deal with an LED/HID offender cruising down the road, the big problem is that should you be involved in a serious/fatal RTC (especially at night) the SCIU will be checking your bulb filaments to see if they were on at the time. This is not something that is an optional check, it WILL be done. If they surprisingly confirm that you have retro fitted LED/HID emitters without the corresponding reflector/headlamp assembly then you are in a world of pain that I do not even even want to describe.

[Justhandguns]

23 hours ago, Planemo said:

If they surprisingly confirm that you have retro fitted LED/HID emitters without the corresponding reflector/headlamp assembly then you are in a world of pain that I do not even even want to describe.

Agree, the same as 'alcohol in the blood'. I am pretty sure plenty of people can drive 'safely' with moderate levels, but in case of an accident, no matter what the circumstance is, it is always the one with alcohol's fault. Simple.

 

 

[unclefester]

7 minutes ago, Justhandguns said:

Agree, the same as 'alcohol in the blood'. I am pretty sure plenty of people can drive 'safely' with moderate levels, but in case of an accident, no matter what the circumstance is, it is always the one with alcohol's fault. Simple.

 

Actually no, fault will be set either way but as the one who is drunk, you'll get done for drink driving and IF they think alcohol caused the accident you'll be done for that as well as driving without due care.

If you are just involved because someone drove into you then they'll be at fault and be dealt with accordingly AND you'll be done for drink driving.

[Planemo]

The point is that if you are drunk, you will have a much harder time trying to defend yourself as not being the main contributor to the accident. What might have been a simple, either way settlement without alcohol in the mix, might well (read - usually) swing fault to the driver that has been drinking if neither party is making admissions to fault and the mechanics behind the RTC are not obvious. At which point your 'without due care' will pale into insignificance if someone has been killed.

In relation to headlights, it's the same problem. If one party is saying that they were blinded but the other party has legal lights then it could well go either way. If one party is found to have illegal lights and even if blindness wasn't truly a factor, you will have a VERY hard time trying to prove otherwise.

As I said, this only really becomes an issue if life changing injury/death occurs but of course it is under these circs which things start to spiral out of control simply because all of the vehicles involved get investigated to such a high level.

 

[Konrad C]

On the case of vehicle modification, I know the Police with the relevant local authority (eg VOSA) and vehicle testing, do spot checks on taxi, minicabs, coaches and lorries. With cars it will be obvious things like worn tyres, not working lights, blue LED's, tinted windows - basically illegal things that standout. For the other vehicles, mentioned, they have to go straight to a test centre used by the agency, where a much more thorough test is done. Not just your everyday MOT test station. If a car has had the headlights modified and subjected to the same type of check, it would be off road until the car is restored to "standard" lights. Luckily this is very rare for standard cars unless very obvious.

One thing about using high wattage bulbs is the heat can damage the headlight unit - early T25 headlights had problems with standard bulbs let alone high wattage bulbs.

I did use LED side light bulbs in my T22 with know issues, as the standard bulbs faded fast and blew after a time. I made sure not to touch the glass, but it made no difference. I put it down to heat caused by the bulbs being close to headlamp bulbs in the early Mk1's. My T27 has the same normal bulbs that are in a separate enclosure. No problems yet. The T22 always passed the MOT with the LED side lights.     

[Falconmick]

Some of the more uninformed comments on here regarding DRINK driving are absolute rubbish (and I do not mean to cause offence). Nobody can drive safely with moderate levels of alcohol in their system. The offence is not DRUNK driving but DRINK driving, anyone can be over the prescribed limit and only have consumed in the region of only two pints of average strength beer or equivalent and not feel under the influence at all, but the hard facts are that even such levels seriously impact on a persons reactions, judgement and ability to drive. 

[Heidfirst]

16 minutes ago, Falconmick said:

 anyone can be over the prescribed limit and only have consumed in the region of only two pints of average strength beer or equivalent

1/2 a pint in Scotland ...

[Planemo]

13 hours ago, Falconmick said:

Some of the more uninformed comments on here regarding DRINK driving are absolute rubbish (and I do not mean to cause offence).

Semantics.

If your post was aimed at myself then I am in no doubt that the members are fully able to understand the context of my posts whether the word 'drink' or 'drunk' was used. To make it clear, all references I have made refer to 'over the prescribed limit' if it keeps the grammar police happy.

If you were referring to justhandguns post, people CAN drive safely with 'moderate' levels in their system, otherwise we would have a zero limit. In any event, if you are under the prescibed limit then you are under, and it makes no difference if you are involved in an RTC (which is the crux of the matter) so your post is pointless. I would say 'absolute rubbish' but I feel that is impolite, whether I try to disguise it with a 'no offence' or not.

 

[Justhandguns]

13 hours ago, Falconmick said:

Some of the more uninformed comments on here regarding DRINK driving are absolute rubbish (and I do not mean to cause offence). Nobody can drive safely with moderate levels of alcohol in their system. The offence is not DRUNK driving but DRINK driving, anyone can be over the prescribed limit and only have consumed in the region of only two pints of average strength beer or equivalent and not feel under the influence at all, but the hard facts are that even such levels seriously impact on a persons reactions, judgement and ability to drive. 

(Off the topic) I think I was the one who mentioned that. Yes, I agree with you, but the law is the law, and it sets a limit. I think in the England and Wales, what we are generally told is half a pint. If you go into details, it is 35mg/100cmcu of breath, 80mg/100ml blood. What I meant by 'moderate' is under the 'detectable' level based on the legal limit. In theory, a single pint on an average person can put you over the limit. 

[Ethanedwards]

None of the above relates to the Mk2 Aygo does it?   

Since we have the HIR2 type bulb and as far as I know there are no higher power / diferent type alternatives.  

Or are there?

[FROSTYBALLS]

1 hour ago, Ethanedwards said:

None of the above relates to the Mk2 Aygo does it?   

Since we have the HIR2 type bulb and as far as I know there are no higher power / diferent type alternatives.  

Or are there?

No.

Back in 2014, when Osram began selling their HIR2 bulbs in the UK, I asked them whether they were going to introduce a Nightbreaker version. The answer, because the HIR2 bulb is already approix 75-80% brighter than standard halogen, was no.

Just checked on their UK site, and no Nightbreaker HIR2.

[unclefester]

So .... Like a 100/80 halogen?

 

*Gets coat*

[FROSTYBALLS]

8 minutes ago, unclefester said:

So .... Like a 100/80 halogen?

 

*Gets coat*

Not available in HIR2 fitting

[unclefester]

It was more of a joke about 100/80 being too bright but Hir2 being 80 percent brighter than 60/55 halogen is fine 

[Ethanedwards]

My other car has xenon hid lights and tbh even HIR2 seems feeble by comparison.  

Mind you the number of cars I see driving about with only one headlight and they seem to manage OK.   BTW is it the law that if you only have the one Light the remaining one has to be badly adjusted to dazzle oncoming traffic?

[eygo]

yes thats the way it works

[Dave Tee]

I have a 2019 Aygo X Play . I drive down lots of lanes (Unlit) and country roads. I really need to know what are the best replacement bulbs to fit to my car that will give me better illumination on these dark nights: Any advice would be very helpful.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Takes HIR2 bulbs. 

I have Toyota Optiwhites and these seem a worthwhile improvement - 

or could have a look at these - https://www.amazon.co.uk/PIAA-Hyper-Arros-Headlight-Bulbs/dp/B07CLR2186/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Piaa+hir2+bulbs&qid=1572551481&sr=8-1 - but have no idea what these will be like.

[Dave Tee]

Thankyou for your prompt reply. I think Ill go with the Toyota make. What to you make of these LED ones?. Are they legal and any good?

Sell one like this

NOVSIGHT 9012 HIR2 50W 10000LM LED Headlight Bulb Hi/Lo Beam Lamp 6500K Upgraded

Edited October 31, 2019 by Dave Tee
messed up

[FROSTYBALLS]

Most aftermarket LED bulbs aren't E-marked for use in the UK.

[007matt]

23 hours ago, Dave Tee said:

I have a 2019 Aygo X Play . I drive down lots of lanes (Unlit) and country roads. I really need to know what are the best replacement bulbs to fit to my car that will give me better illumination on these dark nights: Any advice would be very helpful.

'Mod edit - inappropriatre language removed', go HID! My HID are probably 5x brighter than the optiwhites for the same price, although it takes 2.5hrs to install. 

[simon p]

seems like you never get a straight answer here 

[FROSTYBALLS]

The straight answer is that most aftermarket LED bulbs aren't E-marked., and aftermarket HID kits can lead to an MOT failure following the May 2018 changes to the MOT.