 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > LED headlight, MOT failure and type approval. |
 
|
|
|
| Retroanaconda Member Since: 04 Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 2782  
|
There are many LED units out there with fake approval markings - yours included.
A proper E-mark looks like this:  Click image to enlarge |
||
28th Sep 2025 2:00pm |
|
| DC101 Member Since: 01 Jul 2012 Location: Pudsey, West Yorkshire Posts: 271  
|
Thanks for the confirmation.
My lights won’t be going back on then, though I didn’t mind the DRL aspect of them. I’ll look at the options, though I suspect SWMBO will side on the crystal wipacs! Cheers |
||
|
28th Sep 2025 2:33pm |
|
| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17990 
|
They passed previous MOT tests because the test doesn't include checking that lights are correctly type-approved and E-marked, it only checks for beam pattern and that LED bulbs haven't been fitted in H4 light units.
The fact a vehicle passes an MOT test doesn't make it roadworthy and legal. |
||
|
28th Sep 2025 4:09pm |
|
| Johan_B Member Since: 20 Sep 2024 Location: Gothenburg Posts: 153  
|
https://www.osram.co.uk/ecat/NIGHT%20BREAK...P_4069705/
I think these should be legal in the UK. Combine with Wipac original lenses and the Whole Vehicle Type Approval should be maintained. Not sure how the DRL is working. In Sweden all vehicles are equipped with an automatic dipped beam system, fitted by the general agent on arrival to Sweden. This ensures that the dipped beam is on in the first and third position of the light switch. Maybe the DRL system is similar and can be used to achieve the same? |
||
|
29th Sep 2025 11:47am |
|
| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17990
|
I don't think so. There is nothing in the linked Osram web page, nor the subsequent compatibility listing page that I can see that gives me the slightest reason to think that these are legal in EWVTA vehicles. The fact that the word "vintage" features heavily in the product name and description casts further doubt. As I understand the UK situation at present it is quite simple, if a vehicle that is subject to EWVTA was type-approved with a light unit that had an halogen light source, then only a halogen light source can be used in that light unit. You can replace the whole unit with a type approved LED unit (subject to certain conditions according to the lumen output of the light), but you cannot substitute any form of LED light source for the halogen bulb in a halogen unit. Any vehicle first used before 1st April 1986 can use LED light sources in halogen units since they are not legally required to be type approved. Any vehicle first used on or after 1st April 1986 can have the complete light units replaced with LED units, but cannot simply change the light source in an existing unit. Whilst many people do use LED "bulbs" in H4 units, and they provide excellent lighting, the risk is firstly that you will now fail the MOT test (it is a specific check now) and secondly that you are technically not roadworthy and if stopped could face a number of generally unsavoury penalties. |
||
|
29th Sep 2025 1:23pm |
|
| Johan_B Member Since: 20 Sep 2024 Location: Gothenburg Posts: 153
|
Good clarification BW.
The UK webpage only had this variant listed and for rest of Europe there are more options listed, without the word "Vintage", so I thought it was the only one that passed in UK. Maybe it is only applicable for cars registered before 1986 as you mention. There is a procedure to follow and certain documents to be carried in the vehicle to prove that these lights conform to the requirement. One of these documents is from MoT in Sweden where it explicitly says that these units, if condition x, y and z are fulfilled, are approved in this vehicle. In Sweden it is the other way around than what you describe, we can never replace a halogen unit with a LED unit. But with this 'bulb', we can still upgrade to led as long as we keep the original reflector. As far a I am aware it's only with this Osram Night Breaker that can be done. |
||
|
29th Sep 2025 1:52pm |
|
| Johan_B Member Since: 20 Sep 2024 Location: Gothenburg Posts: 153
|
Just read the Q and A on the Swedish site:
Do I need to change back to halogen if I go abroad? No, as long as the vehicle is legal in the country of registration, no other country can direct claims toward it. The exception being United Kingdom, then the LED has to be removed and the original halogen light source be mounted. |
||
|
29th Sep 2025 2:08pm |
|
| macfrank Member Since: 05 Nov 2015 Location: somewhere in the north Posts: 1130  
|
Interesting. I remember the days when we had to stick plastic lenses to our continental LHD headlights when visiting the UK so the asymmetrical beam wont blind anyone. I don‘t think it was the same the other way round
 p |
||
|
29th Sep 2025 3:32pm |
|
| Mo Murphy Member Since: 01 Jun 2008 Location: Letchworth Garden City, Herts Posts: 2407 
|
Interestingly macfrank, we in the UK think the same 😁 I've never seen a LHD vehicle in the UK with headlight sections blanked out. Never ever, not even one ! On the other hand those of us who travel in Europe, certainly in the group I travel with are always conscientious with regards to Masking headlamps. Odd, what ?
Mo The Land Rover 90 - Many are called, few are chosen. 50 Shades of Pennine Grey |
||
|
29th Sep 2025 4:25pm |
|
| macfrank Member Since: 05 Nov 2015 Location: somewhere in the north Posts: 1130
|
haha, indeed
 My memories are from the 1980s. After that I only had motorcycles for a decade and now I thought this was a thing of the past. Just looked it up and apparently it is still required? 
https://www.adac-shop.de/eurolites-englandaufkleber |
||
|
29th Sep 2025 4:50pm |
|
| Retroanaconda Member Since: 04 Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 2782
|
A lot of vehicles have flat beams now so not required for them but I also have never ever seen a foreign vehicle in the UK with headlight deflectors. I have however been dazzled by plenty.
|
||
|
30th Sep 2025 8:51am |
|
| 90 Dreamer Member Since: 13 Jul 2019 Location: Oop North Posts: 2307 
|
certainly brothers Disco, he is able to convert the headlight aim from RHD to LHD and then back again when he returns........
|
||
|
30th Sep 2025 10:18am |
|
| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17990
|
I understand that many modern high-end vehicles now do this automatically since they know where they are through GNSS and hence know which way to dip. A co-worker's Audi apparently changes the language of its sat-nav voice instructions at national borders too, which is harder to understand (if you're an English speaker when you reach the border you probably still are over the border).
|
||
|
30th Sep 2025 10:53am |
|
| TexasRover Member Since: 24 Nov 2022 Location: Paris Posts: 1344  
|
I think a lot of modern vehicles have such sharp (pin-like) lighting they blind you no matter what. While in the past people might flash you when driving 'overseas' without the stickers now I think people have given up and accept the blinding.
Interesting I recall when I did my driving lessons in the 80's I was told to use the handbrake when standing still as to 'not blind the people behind you with your brake light'.. Obviously automatics were not much of a thing then, neither was the 3rd raised brake light. Man we were real pussies then! |
||
|
30th Sep 2025 1:41pm |
|
|
|
| All times are GMT + 1 Hour |
< Previous Topic | Next Topic > |
Posting Rules
|
Site Copyright © 2006-2025 Futuranet Ltd & Martin Lewis
