NoDo$h wrote:

Round and round and round we go.....

The defect per the MOT manual is ‘Light source and lamp not compatible’

The projector lamps are dual marked for Halogen and HID on the lens

If a dual HID/Halogen headlamp is presented and has an HID light source installed then in isolation that is ok as the lamp matches the markings on the headlamp lens. Just don't look too closely at any parts stickers on the top of the headlamp housing that may say otherwise (what sticker? There was never a sticker there?). It's only the permanently stamped markings on the lenses that matter to the strict definition, but a tester MAY see the stickers and call foul - but as stickers are non permanent, then they'd have to be present to cause a problem.

The self levelling can only be tested IF FITTED

Same applies to headlamp washers - you can only test for operation IF FITTED


While Construction and Use regs may require self levelling to be fitted, MOT regs only require it to be tested as functioning if it is fitted.

As long as the beam pattern is tight then the MOT regs as currently written aren't a problem for FL2 with projectors, as the projector headlamps have been designed for and are correctly marked for use with HID as well as Halogen.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications...onversions

NoDo$h wrote:

I just took delivery of an Evoque rear subframe and there, staring me in the face, is the oojamafingy that senses height/load and adjusts the headlight angle.

Anyone fancy a project?

Just shove the wiring loom into the chassis somewhere and the tester will assume it’s all connected  Regards

David

Lovely i6 has now gone, but not me......

Please let me know if anything in my post offends you, as I may wish to offend you again......

On a slightly related topic I was talking to a near neighbour yesterday who was polishing the headlights with toothpaste on his 20 year old 02 reg Honda to remove the yellow tinge they get after a few years. He said that he had an advisory on his MOT about it and the tester had told he probably wouldn't pass next time. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

I am actually amazed at the state (the haziness or almost opaque looking) of some of the older car headlamps down here, I think it is a combination of sun and sea air, but how they get through an MoT is the shocker. Regards

David

Lovely i6 has now gone, but not me......

Please let me know if anything in my post offends you, as I may wish to offend you again......

They are really not hard to look after either. I give mine a polish occasionally when I'm doing the paintwork and it keeps them perfect. Never had an issue with any car with plastic headlight lenses. Appreciate if they have been neglected they may look a bt dull but easily fixed. Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

Plastic (they're polycarbonate) headlamp lenses are sprayed with a clear lacquer, with UV blocking properties during manufacture.
Unfortunately over time, the coating begins to fail, sooner or later in some cases, depending how the car has been cleaned.
If lots of abrasive polishing has been done, or the headlamps have been power mopped, then the coating is stripped off, and the polycarbonate lens begins to yellow with UV.

I've a small patch on the side of my RH headlamp, where the UV coating has come off. In this patch, the lens is beginning to yellow.
When I get a decent bit of weather, I'm going to clean the yellow off, and re-coat the area with UV protection lacquer. Hyundai Ioniq 5 Ultimate. The family car.
2009 Rimini Red SE TD4. Gone.
2006 Tonga Green i6 HSE. Gone.
Audi A5 convertible, my daily driver.
1972 Hillman Avenger GT, the project.

Exactly this ^^^

When we had the Lexus RX we had that ten years (we bought it at three years old) and for the last five years or so every year I had to “polish” the lamp lens with t-cut and polish with a UV protection polish, it stayed crystal clear all year but you could see it was in need of “help” each year.

Then again in the ten years we had that car apart from the headlamp lenses it only needed a rear exhaust box just before we sold it, and they say Lexus are reliable!  Regards

David

Lovely i6 has now gone, but not me......

Please let me know if anything in my post offends you, as I may wish to offend you again......

Slightly apprehensive regarding today's MOT as I fitted the Stealth HiD conversion post last years test. I need not have worried as the car sailed through without a problem apart from a nail in my offside rear tyre which ATS noticed and rectified. That's it for another year.  MY 09 GS manual in Lago Grey, Wood Co arm rest and side bumper strips - now sold.

MY 15 SD4 SE Auto Orkney Grey with colour coded Bumper Door Mouldings

We have a 2009 HSE and we fitted the HID conversion kit to the headlights, the car was booked in for mot today and the garage failed it on the headlight beams and have said that it needs to go back to halogen bulbs as they could not adjust the beam and they will do the change in the morning unfortunatly they did not inform us of this until just before the end of the day, I am not amused to say the least.
I am not sure if this model has the self leveling system as stated in earlier post but it looks like a case of finding the right mot centre I suppose

Were the headlight beams already out of alignment before the MOT then?

Or did you do a conversion on the older parabolic headlight units (cant really tell looking at the avatar pic) - it has to be a projector lens unit (originally designed for HID with a shutter, but fitted with a single halogen).

Click image to enlarge

moestr7v8 wrote:

We have a 2009 HSE and we fitted the HID conversion kit to the headlights, the car was booked in for mot today and the garage failed it on the headlight beams and have said that it needs to go back to halogen bulbs as they could not adjust the beam and they will do the change in the morning unfortunatly they did not inform us of this until just before the end of the day, I am not amused to say the least.
I am not sure if this model has the self leveling system as stated in earlier post but it looks like a case of finding the right mot centre I suppose

I am glad you are tough on headlights, anything goes down under & one is constantly blinded. Hopefully we get this problem sorted out eventually. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

tenet wrote:

moestr7v8 wrote:

We have a 2009 HSE and we fitted the HID conversion kit to the headlights, the car was booked in for mot today and the garage failed it on the headlight beams and have said that it needs to go back to halogen bulbs as they could not adjust the beam and they will do the change in the morning unfortunatly they did not inform us of this until just before the end of the day, I am not amused to say the least.
I am not sure if this model has the self leveling system as stated in earlier post but it looks like a case of finding the right mot centre I suppose

As above - your car has reflector lenses rather than projector lenses thus the beam is scattered potentially blinding oncoming traffic. I suspect that you will be whistling in the wind trying to find "the right" MOT centre.

I suppose it might depend on how well the MOT Tester “knows” the rules, if you know what I mean, nudge nudge,

Ref head light lenses going opaque . A possible solution is to cover the lenses with 3M Ventureshield before this happens . I’ve used it on motorbikes for both front paintwork protection and headlight lens protection . The film itself is UV stable and protective . It’s available for most vehicles in cut to application kits . The biggest benefit on headlight units is the shields impact resistance . On the last bike I owned the cost of the kit was justified when the shield absorbed a stone impact on an headlight that would have been five or six hundred pounds to replace .

When my new vehicle arrives some of the front paint , wings and lights will be getting protected this product 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

moestr7v8 wrote:

We have a 2009 HSE and we fitted the HID conversion kit to the headlights, the car was booked in for mot today and the garage failed it on the headlight beams and have said that it needs to go back to halogen bulbs as they could not adjust the beam and they will do the change in the morning unfortunatly they did not inform us of this until just before the end of the day, I am not amused to say the least.
I am not sure if this model has the self leveling system as stated in earlier post but it looks like a case of finding the right mot centre I suppose