Hola, I read somewhere that if you have HID headlamps on a car they need to have headlamp washer units to pass the MOT. Have you fitted HID's to your zed and passed the MOT?

Hola, I read somewhere that if you have HID headlamps on a car they need to have headlamp washer units to pass the MOT. Have you fitted HID's to your zed and passed the MOT?

 

Hi mate,

 

Yes I have and yes it passed (two years in a row now). To be honest, I don't think the testers knew they were HIDs :)

 

The headlamp washer rule and self leveling headlight systems is an EU rule which will eventually be introduced in the UK. But for the time being it is a grey area and there isn't any problem with having HIDs on a car without washer units and self leveling equipment.

 

HTH

 

Dan

Hola, I read somewhere that if you have HID headlamps on a car they need to have headlamp washer units to pass the MOT. Have you fitted HID's to your zed and passed the MOT?

 

its a legal requirement on new cars, but is not part of the MOT

Thanks doods :)

Yep, HIDs here, no problems with MoT.

Yep, HIDs here, no problems with MoT.

Same for me, I have had 2 Zeds with HIDS and they both passed fine...

Another HID related question.. I think my factory battery sometimes does not have enough juice to power both HID's at once as they each work when used alone in turn.

 

Does anyone recomend a particular brand and type of battery or are the Halfords ones good enough..

power consumption of HID's is a lot less than regular lights, it probably won't be your battery

Really.. bugger its something else then. I have the 'ebay HID kit from OZ' installed in a jap import. I think the headlamps are wired different. If they are or not i dont know if that affects the HID kit i have, bluegh.

I would say it's more than likely the earth mate. I have mine earthed to the radiator top brackets.

 

Ivan

HIDs do need a big current to start even if the power draw once they're on is lower - this might be a battery issue?

I thought that they always drew a small current and the control units boosted this up to get them to illuminate?

 

Ivan

They're very high voltage but low current so can't see it being a battery problem.

Probably an earth problem as has been said.

Ok i shall fork the negative lead to also connect to the bodywork somewhere, thanks :)

Yep, HIDs here, no problems with MoT.

 

Ditto here :)

 

I have read that if HIDs are factory fit then you do need a levelling and wash system.

 

However retro-fit HID systems do not need to meet these requirements at present.

 

As for your electrical problem, I believe the ballast pack needs high power to start-up then the electrical consumption is minimal. I have a UK spec car with the "dim dip." I haven't disabled it for the HIDs but needless to say when I switch on the lights to position 1, only the side lights come on as there is not sufficient power to spark-up the ballast packs and light the headlights.

 

Richard

As i had a factory battery and it was leaking, leaving that white powder stuff (had this in my first car and it ate through the wing of a Ford Orion) I got myself a new battery. Could have got a cheaper one if i shopped around but i went to halfords and got the most powerfull one that would fit which is one rated at 700A crank power. The troublesome right HID headlight is now a lot more reliable but does not fire up 1/4 of the time still so tomorrow i will earth the negative feed to some bolt in the engine bay.