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custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19654

E marking doubts

I have RDX LED lighting all around on my 90 which I know are legal as they are E marked for purpose, however, I have LED bulbs in my side repeaters and number plate light.
With all this talk of type approval ect I'm thinking they are technically illegal so should I remove them and go back to incandescent?
Passing an MOT just because it isn't noticed and or not possible to check doesn't necessarily mean that that it's legal.
I would hate for if anything was to happen insurance to check it out and turn around and say your indicators are illegal and we won't be paying out.
My reasons for saying this is that let's take the side repeater as an example;
As standard, E marked fixture and E marked bulb.
As is I have an E marked fixture but no E mark on the LED bulb.
I was under the impression that if the fixture was E marked it was the correct colour and the light output was just as bright or brighter then all was good.
Help!

(Really happy with it all but this issue is a worry) [There is no E marked LED side repeater for the Defender that is on the market and E marked number plate lamps for the Defender are rubbish, I had one and it failed in an hour]
Over this technicality the law could indeed be an ass.

29th Mar 2014 11:46pm

munch90

Member Since: 26 Oct 2013
Location: guildford
Posts: 3558

maybe the insurance company's should worry about the bogus whiplash claims more than what side indicator bulbs you got fitted .
what if you had a normal bulb fitted and it didn't work , the list could go on & on & on

30th Mar 2014 12:34am

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19654

Indeed, they are a complete pain in the a** i do know.

30th Mar 2014 12:38am

munch90

Member Since: 26 Oct 2013
Location: guildford
Posts: 3558

never go with the cheapest and check who the underwriters are
that's what I was told by mate you worked for big insurance company

30th Mar 2014 12:43am

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19654

I'm with Aviva and paying plenty but I know they are reliable.
It's ridiculous all these little (and large) problems we have go deal with in this country.

30th Mar 2014 12:53am

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19654

IMO it should be incandescent that should be banned not LED, incandescent can be useless compared.
The only downside is when cheapo foreign LED's are brought into the mixture.
Saying that incandescent bulbs can blow quickly too.

30th Mar 2014 1:00am

K9F

Member Since: 12 Nov 2009
Location: Bournemouth
Posts: 9610

2008 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey

A light is a light. In all my years of automotive MOT experience I have never known a tester spend a significant amount of time looking for approval/kite marks on the smaller filaments and he certainly won't be removing anything to check. If it's lit you'll get your tick in the appropriate box and he'll move on rapidly as his list is long and time short.

If you're that worried return your truck to bog standard. If the insurance company want to be pedantic they'll always find some reason to dispute a claim. If you go through life with your head in the sand....all people will see is an ar5e!!

Treat every day as if it is your last....one day you will be right!!

30th Mar 2014 8:16am

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19654

Very true Mal!

IMHO there are far far too many grey areas in motoring laws, many of which could simply be tied up and had done with so at least you know what is right and wrong.
Maybe having mud terrain tyres will be illegal next..

30th Mar 2014 8:33am

Swollock

Member Since: 16 Mar 2013
Location: Wellingborough Northants
Posts: 259

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Bonatti Grey

A friend of mine on his last MOT had the following comments made by the MOT tester.

"I really should fail the vehicle as you have LED bulbs fitted in the standard side light fittings, however if I tell you to change them you would only put the LED one back in when and after it passes, so I will pass it anyway"

My feeling is that something that makes the vehicle safer without causing other road users a problem, possibly blinding or too bright, is a good thing. But for the cost of the RDX type sets which I have fitted why be illegal. They do a very nice number plate light which is LED at Bolt on Bits. 2008 Defender 110 XS CSW
Volvo S60 T8
Triumph 1200 Rally Explorer
G0UBX

30th Mar 2014 8:51am

leeds

Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 8578

OK if a light comes out of the factory and is type approved, I.e. E marked then that type approval only stands for the type of light source in the light device.

Type approval is only required for obligatory lights required by law to be fitted to your vehicle.

Question are side indicator repeaters considered to be an obligatory light?

Brendan

30th Mar 2014 9:09am

rich

Member Since: 08 Dec 2012
Location: automotive trim tech trim shop
Posts: 264

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891796_en_1.htm

cant see any sestriction or requirements in here for led bulbs

30th Mar 2014 10:15am

leeds

Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 8578

Rich, LED's are not mention in the Vehicle Lighting Regulations correct.

There is a requirement for obligatory lights to be type approve which these days people say E marked.

So LED lighting devices which are E marked are road legal

Incandescent/ filament lights that are E marked, correctly fitted etc are road legal

Most of the LED clusters that are available aftermarket are not E marked.

Putting a LED cluster replacement in an E marked filament bulb holder is illegal as the obligatory type approval no longer applies.

Putting a LED in a non obligatory filament light is legal as type approval is not required.

Brendan

30th Mar 2014 11:00am

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19654

So where do I stand then?
I'm thinking the side repeaters are more likely an issue because they are most noticeable for a start.

30th Mar 2014 11:29am

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19654

The RDX led lights indicators brake lights etc are certainly legal because they are E marked from the factory. It's just the number plate light and side repeaters for me that have LED SMD bulbs in E marked holders.

30th Mar 2014 11:35am

mk1collector

Member Since: 17 Sep 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 6769

Slightly off topic but if your worried about legalities/insurance/mot etc, I've just noticed in another post you've made that you have a metal a bar on the front of your motor. I thought it had been made illegal on puma onwards defenders to fit these in this country, hence the soft a bar from Landrover, or have I just dreamt it?

I didn't think insurers would approve there use due to new regs.

30th Mar 2014 11:52am

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