Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Please note that it is not permitted to have referral links posted in your signature. Keep these links contained in the appropriate forum. Thank you.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055940817/signature-rules
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

HID Headlights NCT Fail

  • 04-06-2014 6:15pm
    #1
    pauly58
    Registered Users Posts: 225 ✭✭


    Just had our Yaris fail the NCT, not for having HID lights but for Headlamp cleaning device not present.
    It passed last year okay, has anyone else had the same ?
    I know it's only a fifteen minute job to change the bulbs back but seems stupid.


Comments

  • #2
    Paddy@CIRL
    Registered Users Posts: 1,899 ✭✭✭Paddy@CIRL


    pauly58 wrote: »
    Just had our Yaris fail the NCT, not for having HID lights but for Headlamp cleaning device not present.
    It passed last year okay, has anyone else had the same ?
    I know it's only a fifteen minute job to change the bulbs back but seems stupid.

    It seems to be dependant on what NCT centre you're using whether they're choosing to fail the car or not. Although I think a lot of it is to do with if you have the bulbs in a projector style headlamp, they're giving you the benefit of the doubt.

    If you have HIDs in reflector headlamps, well, that's a different story...


  • #3
    zinzan
    Registered Users Posts: 550 ✭✭✭zinzan


    Assuming you're not committing the heinous sin of HID lamps in standard light units,

    From the NCT manual:

    HID headlamps must be installed as a complete type-approved system. The system will include automatic cleaning.

    HID Lamps Reasons for failure:

    16 Automatic headlamp levelling device not operating or manual headlamp levelling device cannot be operated from driver’s seat.
    17 Mandatory headlamp cleaning device not present.
    18 Mandatory headlamp cleaning device not operating.

    These revisions came in in 2012.

    Just failed here as the washer jets on my C5 aren't working... passed last year even though they weren't working then either.
    Was interesting as he was failing me for having aftermarket HIDs fitted as they had no levelling adjustment on them. Had to point out several times it's a citroen C5 with factory fitted self levelling suspension and auto adjusting directional headlamps, so he eventually went off to ask about it, found out I was correct and had to go do the alignment test on them, that's when he stuck me with the washer jets not working failure... :(

    Interestingly, looks like some cars (e.g. Renault Laguna) have factory fitted HIDs with no washing system fitted and that's ok...


  • #4
    championc
    Registered Users Posts: 6,059 ✭✭✭championc


    So am I looking good on the basis that I have an E46 Bimmer with

    a) Projector style headlights
    and
    b) Manual leveling device beside the steering wheel


  • #5
    visual
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,268 ✭✭✭visual


    championc wrote: »
    So am I looking good on the basis that I have an E46 Bimmer with

    a) Projector style headlights
    and
    b) Manual leveling device beside the steering wheel

    All you need now is working cleaning jets


  • #6
    championc
    Registered Users Posts: 6,059 ✭✭✭championc


    visual wrote: »
    All you need now is working cleaning jets

    Aw crap. E46 lights aren't the easiest to swap over. I've a few months to sort things so I might just try and go the whole hog so.


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    Del2005
    Registered Users Posts: 18,871 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    championc wrote: »
    So am I looking good on the basis that I have an E46 Bimmer with

    a) Projector style headlights
    and
    b) Manual leveling device beside the steering wheel
    visual wrote: »
    All you need now is working cleaning jets

    I only found out last week my car has cleaning jets, never had the lights on when adjusting the windscreen jets before, and it has an adjuster beside the steering wheel. Does that mean I can fit HIDs in my projector lights?


  • #8
    keithsfleet
    Registered Users Posts: 1,072 ✭✭✭keithsfleet


    Del2005 wrote: »
    I only found out last week my car has cleaning jets, never had the lights on when adjusting the windscreen jets before, and it has an adjuster beside the steering wheel. Does that mean I can fit HIDs in my projector lights?

    You can, and it'll pass...I think but do keep in mind that halogen projectors are designed for light output from halogen bulbs. HID bulbs are completely different and light output is different. The cutoff point won't be correct.

    Did I not hear that HIDs will only pass if they arein light units clearly marking on the side that they are only suitable for HID?


  • #9
    Tropheus
    Registered Users Posts: 1,937 ✭✭✭Tropheus


    There's a lot of stuff in the NCT manual that isn't that easy to check. How to you check that auto levelling is working? Are they really going to crawl around the back of the headlights looking for markings to see if they were made for HIDs?


  • #10
    keithsfleet
    Registered Users Posts: 1,072 ✭✭✭keithsfleet


    Tropheus wrote: »
    There's a lot of stuff in the NCT manual that isn't that easy to check. How to you check that auto levelling is working? Are they really going to crawl around the back of the headlights looking for markings to see if they were made for HIDs?

    It's not verbatim. Possibly read it on here or heard it in a pub or through the trade, no idea how I heard it and have never actually checked to verify if it's true. But factory fitted hids have markings on the side of the lamp.


  • #11
    keithsfleet
    Registered Users Posts: 1,072 ✭✭✭keithsfleet


    Tropheus wrote: »
    There's a lot of stuff in the NCT manual that isn't that easy to check. How to you check that auto levelling is working? Are they really going to crawl around the back of the headlights looking for markings to see if they were made for HIDs?

    It's not verbatim. Possibly read it on here or heard it in a pub or through the trade, no idea how I heard it and have never actually checked to verify if it's true. But factory fitted hids have markings on the side of the lamp.


  • Advertisement
  • #12
    championc
    Registered Users Posts: 6,059 ✭✭✭championc


    My HID / Xenon upgraded lights passed this morning. In the car I have a manual leveling thumb switch but i retrofitted the washer jets which is certainly the more important part.


  • #13
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 38,807 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    Recently had my E39 up for its test in Ballymun.
    It failed for having HIDs without wash wipe. The tester ignored my argument that it had previously passed despite this.
    He said that my car had been modified to have the wash wipe removed. I counter argued that the car is in factory condition so he suggested getting a letter of confirmation from BMW and then he would pass it.
    I walked out pissed off, with my failure paper in hand.
    Met another two testers and checked with them.
    One confirmed it before the second asked if it was a Jap import.
    "It is" I replied.
    "Oh, OK then. That's alright. Come in and I'll print out your certificate."

    So I went home with my cert and my pass and fail pages.
    :rolleyes:


  • #14
    johnoglanza
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭johnoglanza


    My glanza also failed nct on hids aswell I just had to take them out its annoying but easy job to swap them over


  • #15
    Tropheus
    Registered Users Posts: 1,937 ✭✭✭Tropheus


    It's the auto levelling that should be the most important part, but, as I said above, not sure how they check that it's there and working. The washers are required with HIDs to remove ice/snow as this can scatter the light. Not a problem we have too often in Ireland.


  • #16
    championc
    Registered Users Posts: 6,059 ✭✭✭championc


    I recently asked in a local BMW garage as to why HIDs need washers. The guy said it was the fact that the HIDs are hotter and more dust, dirt and flies stick to them. So they have to be blasted with water to clean them.

    I have to admit, mine really so get blasted with water. It's a lot more of a jet than for the windscreen


  • #17
    Tropheus
    Registered Users Posts: 1,937 ✭✭✭Tropheus


    championc wrote: »
    I recently asked in a local BMW garage as to why HIDs need washers. The guy said it was the fact that the HIDs are hotter and more dust, dirt and flies stick to them. So they have to be blasted with water to clean them.

    I have to admit, mine really so get blasted with water. It's a lot more of a jet than for the windscreen

    They actually do very little to clean the headlight glass. I would suggest that your BMW garage was having a guess. They do run hotter, but that doesn't mean that glass gets hot.


  • #18
    championc
    Registered Users Posts: 6,059 ✭✭✭championc


    Tropheus wrote:
    They actually do very little to clean the headlight glass. I would suggest that your BMW garage was having a guess. They do run hotter, but that doesn't mean that glass gets hot.


    I have to agree. Mine never seem in any way hotter. The Bimmer guy seemed to know what he was talking about. He also said that the headlight washers only fire off every third windscreen wash. However, i bridged my headlight washers pump off the windscreen one so both work simultaneously every time.


Advertisement