MOT Fail: headlights with non-OEM LED bulbs

[andys]

Probably best to change the title of the thread, this has nothing to do with LED headlights failing an MOT as they’re not LED headlights - they’re halogen headlights with aftermarket LED “bulbs” fitted. As they’re not approved for use (an MOT pass is not the same as being legal) the tester was in his rights to fail them out of hand, no need to cite missing washers or self levelling.

Having said that, my van passed its first MOT in Feb of this year with aftermarket LED lamps fitted. I watched the test and after looking to see all the lights came on, the tester checked the alignment was ok (it was) and then moved on to check the next item on the list. It’s all down to the tester, but a pass doesn’t mean they’re legal and, as others have said, they would be checked by an accident investigator so you would want to satisfy yourself that they didn’t present a risk to others in contributing to a possible accident before talking the calculated risk of installing them.

 

[Scruffy]

I agree with above, this is a slightly strange thread in as much that every other thread about the crap H4 headlights and replacement bulbs etc, the suggestion of LED bulbs always comes with the proviso the are ILLEGAL. It should come as no surprise to anyone on here that a vehicle may fail it's MOT, and I certainly wouldn't have a moan about it.

 

[Village]

I've not seen headlight wipers for a while. But rules is rules, so perhaps you should instal some of these

 

[huw169]

So are these just H7 lights with LED bulbs in?
Naughty!

 

[Stay Frosty]

Says the bloke with tyre walls sticking out past the arches, one vans mod is sometimes another vans MOT failure but a really good way of stopping us all having an opinion on what's not right is to only post when we have something helpful or warm and fuzzy to add... so here's a picture of my neighbours cats roosting outside my bedroom windown this morning.

 

[huw169]

Says the bloke with tyre walls sticking out past the arches, one vans mod is sometimes another vans MOT failure but a really good way of stopping us all having an opinion on what's not right is to only post when we have something helpful or warm and fuzzy to add... so here's a picture of my neighbours cats roosting outside my bedroom windown this morning.

View attachment 96466

Curious. Was that directed at me? If so, where did you get that impression?

 

[Scruffy]

Well, I don't think it's me. The most exciting "mod" on my van are curtains!

 

[Ukfozzybear]

We had this very discussion recently, main conclusion was LED not subject to the new changes, Xenon is.

https://www.t6forum.com/threads/t6-led-headlight-self-level.23773/#post-324813

 

[buyone]

hi, latest DVLA MOT notice is LEDs only allowed if fitted at time of build by Manufacturer otherwise it is a FAIL.

 

[Niknak]

hi, latest DVLA MOT notice is LEDs only allowed if fitted at time of build by Manufacturer otherwise it is a FAIL.

Been that way for a long time

 

[Andysmee]

hi, latest DVLA MOT notice is LEDs only allowed if fitted at time of build by Manufacturer otherwise it is a FAIL.

Yep, as noted in the posts, I think. But thanks for the notice

 

[DaveD]

hi, latest DVLA MOT notice is LEDs only allowed if fitted at time of build by Manufacturer otherwise it is a FAIL.

Been that way for a long time

Ha Ha, that's madness! Seriously, if you take your 3 year old T6 back to the dealer and tell them you want them to retro fit LED headlights using all genuine parts, and you don't care what the cost is, then they did the job it's an MOT fail???

 

[Andysmee]

If this thread means that one less person fits LEDs straight into a reflector, dazzling oncoming traffic, then that's a win. Otherwise, you take your choice

 

[Niknak]

It’s amazing the mot testers that pass them, ignoring the fact that they will personally get mot points and to the testing station, beam pattern or not I love failing them lol

How dare someone have head lights that work and I don’t lol

 

[Stay Frosty]

I'll stick my neck out here and say that the bulk of problems I experience when being dazzled by an approaching vehicle are being at the receiving end of either sparkly "all the colours of the rainbow" Xenon/hid discharge lamps behind projectors, Mini Coopers in particular. The other times it's those frigging so called intelligent matrix smart headlights you get on some Audis where the default setting is effectively main beam and parts of the lighting array are turned off to supposedly not blind oncoming vehicles, approach one of these head on through sweeping bends and you get the impression you've just been blinded by someone who didn't really want to dip their lights.
Both light types are factory fit and great for the driver but hardly great for oncoming motorists.
If my van failed the Not due to the led lamps I had fitted I would swap back to the dreary Halogen lamps for the test and put the LEDs back in afterwards even if the online Daily Express is outraged.

 

[Niknak]

If my van failed the MOT due to the led lamps I had fitted I would swap back to the dreary Halogen lamps for the test and put the LEDs back in afterwards

Just have to remember the magic wording (at the time of test)