Hi all,

 

The zed has just failed it's MOT on a number of items including headlight aim (hope the adjusters aren't broken) and steering rack gaitor. The most worrying one however is the fog light.

 

Our car works where the 4 brake lights and side lights work as normal but when the fog light switch is operated, the inner two brake lights are forced on. I believe this is the standard relay installation.

 

The tester failed it because the fog lights were not independant. According to Google, the regulations appear to state that the fog light must not be "adversely affected by the operation of any other lamp".

 

Is the MOT tester wrong or is the relay mod not acceptable? I'll disconnect the inner two brake lights leaving them for fog light only function for the time being.

 

Ian A.

Hi all,

 

The zed has just failed it's MOT on a number of items including headlight aim (hope the adjusters aren't broken) and steering rack gaitor. The most worrying one however is the fog light.

 

Our car works where the 4 brake lights and side lights work as normal but when the fog light switch is operated, the inner two brake lights are forced on. I believe this is the standard relay installation.

 

The tester failed it because the fog lights were not independant. According to Google, the regulations appear to state that the fog light must not be "adversely affected by the operation of any other lamp".

 

Is the MOT tester wrong or is the relay mod not acceptable? I'll disconnect the inner two brake lights leaving them for fog light only function for the time being.

 

Ian A.

 

Take it you've got an import - it had no foglight as standard! Mine's been wired up the same as yours since I got it, and never had a problem, but guess it depends on the tester! It's possible you could argue the toss, but easiest way would be to sling a screw on fog light to the bottom of the buper and re-wire it... then take it off until next mot time!!

 

Rich

That's bullshite!

 

Half the cars on the road have a combined fog/rear light!

 

 

 

6. Rear fog lamps

The inspection of rear fog lamps is confined to the one rear fog lamp which is required to be fitted to the centre or offside of

vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1980.

Note: On some vehicles the front fog lamps need to be switched on before the rear fog lamp(s) will work

.

Note: A rear fog lamp is permitted to operate independently of headlamp, position lamp or ignition systems.

6. With dipped headlamps and the ignition switched on, operate the rear fog lamp switch and check that a rear fog lamp

. is fitted to the centre or offside of the vehicle

 

. is working, and

 

. does not flicker when tapped lightly by hand.

 

Check also that the drivers tell-tale works properly.

 

7. Check the presence, condition, security and operation of the switch.

6. A mandatory rear fog lamp

a. is missing, does not emit a steady red light or emits a light other than red

b. incomplete, not in good working order or not visible from a reasonable distance

c. is insecure, obscured or not facing to

the rear

d. flickers when tapped lightly by hand e. tell-tale does not work

f. adversely affected by the operation of

any other lamp.

7. A rear fog lamp switch

a. missing

b. faulty

c. insecure

d. not able to be operated from the normal driving position.

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_110.htm

Hi all,

 

The zed has just failed it's MOT on a number of items including headlight aim (hope the adjusters aren't broken) and steering rack gaitor. The most worrying one however is the fog light.

 

Our car works where the 4 brake lights and side lights work as normal but when the fog light switch is operated, the inner two brake lights are forced on. I believe this is the standard relay installation.

 

The tester failed it because the fog lights were not independant. According to Google, the regulations appear to state that the fog light must not be "adversely affected by the operation of any other lamp".

 

Is the MOT tester wrong or is the relay mod not acceptable? I'll disconnect the inner two brake lights leaving them for fog light only function for the time being.

 

Ian A.

I had the same setup as you on my Transam a couple of years ago and that passed!! Just sounds like you got a Picky mot tester :(

Mine uses the four inner brake/tail light bulbs as fog lights - they're not tail or brake any more though.

 

Never had a problem with the MoT.

mine has the brake lights on the inner section disabled but they work as normal lights and fog if that helps in any way!! the relay mod is very common. think you have a :xxx: of a tester. i can recommend a very good garage who is fair and totally genuine if you want bud.

brake /fog combination not allowed tail/ fog combination ok for mot.

brake /fog combination not allowed tail/ fog combination ok for mot.

Really? Odd that it's never come up before as a load of people must have done this mod. I keep meaning to do it but never get around to it, so my 2 inner brake lights are disabled and one is used as a fog light.

yep for moy purposes it would be deemed that fog light adversely affects brake light. lighting regs allow for fog to be combined with tail light so mot regs must comply with lighting regs.

Having a picky mot tester is not always a bad thing, if a testing station passed your car with rusty brake line and your brakes failed you'd be angry at them for not advising you of thier condition wouldnt you!

 

I have an extra fog light in my rear bumper by the way!

I don't think you can have them wired as both brake and fogs:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891796_en_16.htm#nsch11

 

I've got the reverse light mod, so haven't got the issue

David

Our car works where the 4 brake lights and side lights work as normal but when the fog light switch is operated, the inner two brake lights are forced on.

 

I think you will have to stop the inner bulbs acting as brake lights!

 

i.e. Outer bulbs = brake+rear

Inner bulbs = fog+rear

Hi all,

 

The zed has just failed it's MOT on a number of items including headlight aim (hope the adjusters aren't broken) and steering rack gaitor. The most worrying one however is the fog light.

 

Our car works where the 4 brake lights and side lights work as normal but when the fog light switch is operated, the inner two brake lights are forced on. I believe this is the standard relay installation.

 

The tester failed it because the fog lights were not independant. According to Google, the regulations appear to state that the fog light must not be "adversely affected by the operation of any other lamp".

 

Is the MOT tester wrong or is the relay mod not acceptable? I'll disconnect the inner two brake lights leaving them for fog light only function for the time being.

 

Ian A.

 

Bummer! It never gave me any problems getting through an MOT here. Maybe less fussy up north! :( All of the cabling and relay are tucked away behind the rear centre pannel accessed through the boot. Should be easy to ID the feed and stick an external fog on. I thought the brake light conversion is much neater though

 

Hope you get it sorted soon ...and the O2 sensor!

 

 

David

I don't think you can have them wired as both brake and fogs:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891796_en_16.htm#nsch11

 

I've got the reverse light mod, so haven't got the issue

David

 

I've not seen those notes before. It would seem there's a difference between what's technically law and what's tested in the MOT! Not only are fog lights not allowed to be used as brake lights too, but they have to be >100mm from a brake light.

 

My car's been through 2 MOTs with dual-function lights and not been failed.

 

Mark

Get a Uk Z! :rofl: Sorry Iann, not a lot of help.

Well, it looks like they may be technically correct!

 

From earlier post: "No rear fog lamp shall be fitted to any vehicle so that it can be illuminated by the application of any braking system on the vehicle"

 

I've found the relay David and unhooked the brake feed. Took about 20 seconds! I suspect it may take about 20 seconds to accidentally reconnect it again ;)

 

The MOT place were unbelievable finicky, they failed it because the windscreen wipers left a little water on the screen. A good clean and it's fine! What's really annoying is that they are Skyline (and Jap car) import specialists so I took it there specifically to get a slightly more lenient interpretation of the rules!

 

All done now, except the lateral adjustment on the headlight doesn't work on either side (suspect those crappy plastic cogs) and the steering rack gaiter is definitely split near the end.

 

Oh well, it could have been emmissions I guess!

 

In for a retest on Monday.

 

Cheers all,

 

Ian A.

Mine just failed for no fog lamp too, although after leaving the test centre I found the lighting strip in the centre of my boot lid has been wired as a fog light !! Only had the car 9 months in which we've not had fog..lol. He also failed me on the lights apparently are set up to shine right instead of left ? My adjuster on the off side won't bloody work to try and adjust them so suppose my only chance is by using headlamp reflective stickers, was a picky mot tester as failed due to 1 windscreen wiper not clearing water - f**k me it's a 25 year old car.. overall nothing bad but still a pain in the ass. . Any ideas where I put these bloody headlight stickers too ? The 300zx is not listed on the instructions..

If your Z is RHD and you can't adjust the headlights, it sounds like your headlight adjusters could be broken (very common).

 

PS....holy thread resurrection!

Went through all the regulations when I got my Zed and they are indeed a PITA. There is another solution, though - get a rear bumper from a UK car and fit that. Built in fogs and it looks so much better with the UK style number plate. I got the bumper for £25 from a breakers. Mind you I paid a lot more to get it re-sprayed ...

Which import centre did you go to - just so I don't go to the same one! PM if poss :)

Cheers!

I have had no fog lights for 12 years and passed every MOT .