Paul64 Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Hi, I will be over in the UK in two weeks time to get an MOT, renew insurance, get a tax disc, then drive to my house in Romania. I have continental lights fitted and have the fog light and reverse light swapped over to meet continental regulations. Please don't tell me that I have to swap everything for the MOT and then swap all back two weeks later!? Does anyone know of any sympathetic MOT testers that may take pity to my situation? (PM if you prefer) Cheers, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orgasmic Farmer Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Paul I think you will be OK with the headlamps as long as they are shielded correctly with black tape or beam deflectors. Reversing lamp is not part of the test so you have no probs there. The fog light issue though will be. I have done 2 left hookers now (both with shielded Cont headlamps) but both failed on the fog lamp on the wrong side. You can have a fog light on both sides so perhaps the easy option is to buy a £5 red tail lamp and wire it to the existing fog lamp and bolt it to the rear cross member on the offside. No one says it has to be tidy or professional, just leave the wires trail across the floor and under the rear door.... job done Remove after test and store for next time! Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotian Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Is the Fog light alowed to be in the top middle? Thats where mine is becuase my Jack covers it otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paintman Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_110.htm Section 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 According to the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations (schedule 11, specifically), the rear fog light must be between 250 and 1000mm above ground level, so in the middle of the roof isn't legal I'm afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul64 Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 PaulI think you will be OK with the headlamps as long as they are shielded correctly with black tape or beam deflectors. Reversing lamp is not part of the test so you have no probs there. The fog light issue though will be. I have done 2 left hookers now (both with shielded Cont headlamps) but both failed on the fog lamp on the wrong side. You can have a fog light on both sides so perhaps the easy option is to buy a £5 red tail lamp and wire it to the existing fog lamp and bolt it to the rear cross member on the offside. No one says it has to be tidy or professional, just leave the wires trail across the floor and under the rear door.... job done Remove after test and store for next time! Good luck Thanks, but what a pain in the a**e. I know a few of you guys live on the continent and re MOT in the UK to maintain registration each year. So do you all convert lighting simply for the MOT and then do the same when leaving country? Helpful tip re the fog light. Cheers, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Serves you right for living in foreignland Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 If this looks like something you're going to be doing repeatedly then why not just permanntly fit a second fog light? All that then leaves is the headlights, which can be taken care of by beam benders as already mentioned. Doesn't seem all that onerous in the context of driving all the way back to the UK for an MOT in the first place. My parents moved out to Spain last year and took their Mit Pajero with them, still on UK plates. All they've done is fit beam benders (although now they've discovered what pajero means in Spanish they're not driving it much ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgnas Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 The ligh housings are physically the same. Swap lenses take bulb out of fog disconnect reversing light "jump" the cable from the fog to the reverse voila... working foglight on correct side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 I think continental lights would still fail the MOT due to beam angle. The black tape is put there just to prevent on-coming drivers from being dazzled. UK lamps are angled for flat and then up/left from centre to prevent dazzle - continental are the opposite. If the tape prevents dazzle, then it might also not make the right beam pattern, and therefore fail the test. Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotian Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 It seems (as with various insurance issues) no matter how hard you try to be lawful they make it damn hard for you to do it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 To be fair, the lighting regulations are pretty easy to read and understand - it's just that most people don't bother, although it's amazing how many people seem to be experts whenever the legalities of roof lights is mentioned Insurance, on the other hand, I believe is deliberately made inordinately complicated as a tactic for extracting money from people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul64 Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 My front lights are the ones with the opening at the back to replace the bulb rather than the sealed unit. Is it possible to simply change the lens, or does the whole thing need changing? Two rear fog lights would probably do the trick. I did swap cables over last time to make it legal. What a nause that was though. I should have stuck some tape on the relevant cables to quickly readjust each year. As for the lights, the guy I bought it off fitted it with continentals straight after the MOT. Should have asked him for the UK lights back. Cheers, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 It seems (as with various insurance issues) no matter how hard you try to be lawful they make it damn hard for you to do it!! Based on past posts... I would suggest that actually it is easy enough to be legal in the UK, just more difficult to bend the existing rules sufficiently that one can appear to be legal while living outside the UK. Paul I would suggest, as above, fitting a new foglamp and having one each side. As for the headlamps, buy a set of UK type LH dip lamps and swap them over. It should take you about 5 minutes each side to swap them. Cheers Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_d Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 I believe the flat beam with the angle is primarily a function of the metal shield in the bulb with the pattern in the headlight glass having a lesser effect. The bulb has a tag on it that locates in a slot in the headlight bulb holder. The main difference between a RHD and LHD light is the position of the slot. You could experiment by bending the tag back on the bulb and turning it about 45 degrees clockwise which should put the angle of the beam on the other side. On the Hella headlight units in my Ultima you only undo a screw, turn the body, and tighten the screw. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul64 Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 Based on past posts... I would suggest that actually it is easy enough to be legal in the UK, just more difficult to bend the existing rules sufficiently that one can appear to be legal while living outside the UK. Paul I would suggest, as above, fitting a new foglamp and having one each side. As for the headlamps, buy a set of UK type LH dip lamps and swap them over. It should take you about 5 minutes each side to swap them. Cheers Chris Thanks Chris, your right about it taking five mins. May take me a little longer with the bars to take off. Thanks Steve, I will take a look at the bulbs as you say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Paul, double up both reverse & rear fog, so you have 1 of each on each side of the 110, you can stack them vertically or horizontally, both sets of wiring is in each rear corner behind the rubber flap, that'll be sorted then & give you 2 x each illumination whereever you are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevet Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Hi everyone. The LENS is the bit that bends the light not the bulb. Looking at the Lens from the front the part between approx 3 o'clock and 5 o'clock is the bit that makes the light pattern kick up to the left, that's UK lights. Continental lights will have the pattern between 7 o'clock and 9 o'clock making them kick up to the right. Taping off that area will stop continental lights dazzling UK drivers but I don't know if it will pass the MOT. steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul64 Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 Hi everyone. The LENS is the bit that bends the light not the bulb. Looking at the Lens from the front the part between approx 3 o'clock and 5 o'clock is the bit that makes the light pattern kick up to the left, that's UK lights. Continental lights will have the pattern between 7 o'clock and 9 o'clock making them kick up to the right. Taping off that area will stop continental lights dazzling UK drivers but I don't know if it will pass the MOT. steve The tape won't pass. It wouldn't pass the other way round in Germany which is why I changed them. Just have to bite the bullet and get on with it. I like the idea of doubling the lights Ralph. String wires from both then connect to existing branch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciderman Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 More than two fog lamps on the rear is also a failure , as i found out last sat , I took one of our new grab lorries for its 1st test last sat , The rear light clusters are about 1600mm from the floor , so a small single fog lamp was fitted to the offside a lot lower down from the lamps . Took it for VOSA test , and tester noticed the fog lamps in the lamp clusters were still operational, and advised me he could fail it , so the bulbs were promptly removed. The tester is an old mate and I recon he would be delighted in riping the p**s out of me for failing an 07 plate lorry I wouldnt have minded but I took the twin brother to this truck down the week before and it went un-noticed about the fog lamps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul64 Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 More than two fog lamps on the rear is also a failure , as i found out last sat , I took one of our new grab lorries for its 1st test last sat , The rear light clusters are about 1600mm from the floor , so a small single fog lamp was fitted to the offside a lot lower down from the lamps .Took it for VOSA test , and tester noticed the fog lamps in the lamp clusters were still operational, and advised me he could fail it , so the bulbs were promptly removed. The tester is an old mate and I recon he would be delighted in riping the p**s out of me for failing an 07 plate lorry I wouldnt have minded but I took the twin brother to this truck down the week before and it went un-noticed about the fog lamps. Maybe you could book my MOT with your mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 More than 2 fogs is definately not a fail - RRC's have them as standard!! Probably the height issue was your problem Jase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciderman Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Maybe you could book my MOT with your mate! Could do Paul but its HGV only More than 2 fogs is definately not a fail - RRC's have them as standard!! Probably the height issue was your problem Jase. No way , He showed me in the Testers manual , I even checked it when I got back in my testers manual . I thought it was a wind up at first . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Eh? So is the one fog rule only for HGV's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 The tape won't pass. It wouldn't pass the other way round in Germany which is why I changed them. Just have to bite the bullet and get on with it.I like the idea of doubling the lights Ralph. String wires from both then connect to existing branch? you could, but a tidier solution would be to permanently attach to the body next to the existing reverse & fog light. similar to mine or stacked one above the other. note -- the 2 above the rear door are alternating red warning lights not extra rear fog lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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