So to comply with the request of this particularly fussy MOT tester I've had to renew my fog light situation. I've used the drivers side reverse light housing, to comply with "centre to offside" I purchased some SMD style red bulbs, on the assumption they would be bright as hell, sadly not so. So any recommendations of how to ensure its bright enough, I can see the conversation already of its not. I do not want to clutter the back of the car with some gash looking red dingle berry.

i just got a brake light bulb and as the 2 lugs for the bayonet are offset i filed one of them down to get it in and its bright.

 

All i wanted, back to normal now haha

i just got a brake light bulb and as the 2 lugs for the bayonet are offset i filed one of them down to get it in and its bright.

 

I know you can get red stop/tails but normal brake light bulbs are clear ?

 

Just get a red filament bulb, they are as bright as owt out there.

I know you can get red stop/tails but normal brake light bulbs are clear ?

 

Just get a red filament bulb, they are as bright as owt out there.

 

yeah mine was a red bulb from halfrauds. normal price £789. trade card discount reduced to £0.90.

 

the only one they had was with the offset lugs and i needed it that day.

i just got a brake light bulb and as the 2 lugs for the bayonet are offset i filed one of them down to get it in and its bright.

 

All i wanted, back to normal now haha

 

I Spose there just locating pins heh. See if I can pick up a red one on the way home tomorrow. If I've got time.

I Spose there just locating pins heh. See if I can pick up a red one on the way home tomorrow. If I've got time.

 

pretty much, and as a brake like doubles as a sidelight (usually) the contact in the bulb holder makes the circuit through both elements so uber bright.

pretty much, and as a brake like doubles as a sidelight (usually) the contact in the bulb holder makes the circuit through both elements so uber bright.

 

Not really but i see your train of thought, the 21w just drowns out the sidelight part.

 

You just need one of these....not £6 though !!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RED-21W-BA15s-bulb-STOP-BRAKE-FOG-1156-382-12v-light-lamp-car-auto-new-bayonet-/271538408068?hash=item3f38f34a84:g:u-cAAOxy7S5R-nGh

Il bodge the red brake light bulb in for now if halfords do them, just the please the MOT guy. After that I couldn't care a less, I won't be using it.

Il bodge the red brake light bulb in for now if halfords do them, just the please the MOT guy. After that I couldn't care a less, I won't be using it.

 

You could put some foil in the bottom to bridge the contacts and you could also paint the glass yourself but be aware they get very hot but it'll only be on briefly.

I found a 50w cree in p21w fitnent, that would do, just worried about it melting the loom.

I found a 50w cree in p21w fitnent, that would do, just worried about it melting the loom.

 

The brightness the sellers say equals that of a 50w bulb not the consumption, that'll only be 5w.

 

When i buy reverse bulbs i have to get the 80w ones and these are comparable to the 21w stock bulb, the colour is a crisp white though as opposed to 'yellowish' of the filament.

 

You'll probably find the 50w cree is a bit weedy and will lead to disappointment, stick with the red 1156 imo.

So to comply with the request of this particularly fussy MOT tester I've had to renew my fog light situation. I've used the drivers side reverse light housing, to comply with "centre to offside" I purchased some SMD style red bulbs, on the assumption they would be bright as hell, sadly not so. So any recommendations of how to ensure its bright enough, I can see the conversation already of its not. I do not want to clutter the back of the car with some gash looking red dingle berry.

 

Stephen, I'm a mot tester and I can assure you that there is no requirement in the mot to test the level of any light emitted from any of the cars lights, we do not possess light meters so who can say "it's not bright enough to be a fog light" if your tester is saying this ask him to show you in the mot test a reason for rejection based on how bright your fog light is.... He won't because it isn't there mate.

 

It upsets me when mot testers simply do not follow the rules and make up there own drivvle on what is and isn't a failure.

 

I'll attach a pic of the test manual to clarify mate.

 

Cheers chris. He told me "it should be as bright as a brake light" the suggestion was to use the B light cluster, reading the regs though that wouldn't be acceptable. The LED lamp I fitted was equal to the brightness of a sidelight IMO.

Cheers chris. He told me "it should be as bright as a brake light" the suggestion was to use the B light cluster, reading the regs though that wouldn't be acceptable. The LED lamp I fitted was equal to the brightness of a sidelight IMO.

Steve my fogs are wired to the two inner break lights. Easy as to do. Used the bulb that was already present

Cheers chris. He told me "it should be as bright as a brake light" the suggestion was to use the B light cluster, reading the regs though that wouldn't be acceptable. The LED lamp I fitted was equal to the brightness of a sidelight IMO.

 

nowhere in the test manual does it state the brightness of any light, he has just said that off his own back mate, this is what annoys me. see the above table in reasons for rejection and find one for fog light not being as bright as a brake light.

It does annoy me, the car has been here 12 years and no other tester has ever mentioned it let alone failed the car for it. I did contest a bit in the MOT place at the time. The response was just because it's not been picked up before doesn't make it right. The fact I got an advisory for the exhaust tells a story.

Once I've got it passed on the retest I won't be using them again.

Paid a shocking £8 for a red p21w from halfords but hey, no one can moan now. It's "brake light bright"

The brightness the sellers say equals that of a 50w bulb not the consumption, that'll only be 5w.

 

When i buy reverse bulbs i have to get the 80w ones and these are comparable to the 21w stock bulb, the colour is a crisp white though as opposed to 'yellowish' of the filament.

 

You'll probably find the 50w cree is a bit weedy and will lead to disappointment, stick with the red 1156 imo.

This sort of thing annoys me. It says it's 50w, using these silly equivent to things is meaningless. Same as a 50w bulb, what bulb? Wattage is not a measurement of light it's a measure of power. It's like saying my car does 100hp MPG.

A small question regarding rear fog lights (sorry if hijacking a little) I'm changing my rear light setup and now am adding the third brake light back in, plan is to use third brake light as fog to get through MOT..

1. Will this be sufficient?

2. Could i also wire this into my brake lights to function as a brake light, and then stay on when the button is pressed for fogs? Read somewhere above that intensity doesn't matter (in theory) so a brake bulb would be ok..

Stephen - I always take the Zed to one particular mot tester each year as I know they are strict yet pragmatic. This year they saw my show plates as being the only mot failure, and rather than bring me up on it, they got a replacement set on the car for less than a tenner (with my permission of course) and thus it passed with no advisories. Doing more than the minimum means I will go back to them again and again. Thus is the sort of mot tester you need to go to, not someone who brings you up on some petty light issue. My foglight is in the centre panel and it passes every time.

Sure to be said Greg il will be changing. I used to have a good guy but he's not about anymore. I know Gaz uses a fair guy so il probably use the same chap.

Stephen - I always take the Zed to one particular mot tester each year as I know they are strict yet pragmatic. This year they saw my show plates as being the only mot failure, and rather than bring me up on it, they got a replacement set on the car for less than a tenner (with my permission of course) and thus it passed with no advisories. Doing more than the minimum means I will go back to them again and again. Thus is the sort of mot tester you need to go to, not someone who brings you up on some petty light issue.

 

This is pretty much like my place, if the headlights need adjusting for instance they'd just do it without charge or fuss and/or if i'm right there they'd let me do it right before them.

 

A small question regarding rear fog lights (sorry if hijacking a little) I'm changing my rear light setup and now am adding the third brake light back in, plan is to use third brake light as fog to get through MOT..

1. Will this be sufficient?

2. Could i also wire this into my brake lights to function as a brake light, and then stay on when the button is pressed for fogs? Read somewhere above that intensity doesn't matter (in theory) so a brake bulb would be ok..

 

You can do all that, bit of fiddling though because you'll have to feed a spur off a brake wire and then through the tailgate rubber and onto the 3rd brake light but will work if that's the route you want to take.

 

Lumens from a brake light are generally the same as ones used for a fog.

It does annoy me, the car has been here 12 years and no other tester has ever mentioned it let alone failed the car for it. I did contest a bit in the MOT place at the time. The response was just because it's not been picked up before doesn't make it right. The fact I got an advisory for the exhaust tells a story.

Once I've got it passed on the retest I won't be using them again.

 

Stephen, out of interest what reason for rejection was printed on your mot to apply to this mythical fail of the fog light not being bright enough? It always amazes me what mot testers use to cover things which THEY think are failures.

It was presence of a fog light.

Rear fog lamp missing

Fog lamp switch missing

The car had already failed at this point. I then pointed out where the switch was. The switch illuminates both front fronts and two rear tails. Admittedly the 5w ones, wired up wrong on import i guess. This wasn't suitable. However no one else has ever commented let alone failed it.

I've now installed a dedicated rocker switch with tell tale and this is operated in conjunction with the sidelights. This then illuminates the drivers side reverse light with a p21w red filament bulb.

I've now dealt with all the things on the MOT test sheet aside from the exhaust mentioned in the advisories. Which I won't be changing for obvious reasons.

I normally kick around while any things being done, simply to help with the cars quirks. It's hilarious to see people get in then struggle to find the seatbelt with the door open. :lol: