"Dougal" <DougalAThiskennel.free-online.co.uk> wrote in message
news:
[email protected]...
> Austin Shackles wrote:
>
>> On or around Wed, 25 Jan 2006 21:51:24 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Liquorice"
>> <[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>>
>>
>>>On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 19:42:12 +0000, nemo2 wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>... there is a lot of misinformation regarding the legality of HID
>>>>systems fitted to cars without headlamp power wash and rear axle self
>>>>levelling ...these are only an E.U.legal requirement on Xenon systems
>>>>fitted to NEW cars AT THE FACTORY PRODUCTION STAGE. HID systems fitted
>>>>as aftermarket accessory DO NOT REQUIRE ...
>>>
>>>Why do they change from using "HID systems" to "Xenon systems" at a
>>>crucial point in the text?
>>>
>>>AIUI Xenon is just a variant on ordinary, incandescant, halogen bulb
>>>technology rather than a discharge lamp technology as in HID. HID bulbs
>>>may well contain Xenon but so do some incandescant halogen bulbs.
>>>As they say "there is a lot of misinformation" and they don't help.
>>
>>
>> sounds like a fudge, to me. but they may be right. I wouldn't take bets
>> on
>> the type approval thing, though. I've yet to track down the actual
>> legislation, partly through lack of effort, I must admit.
>
> I havn't researched this properly but type approval and similar rules only
> usually apply to new vehicles being offered for sale or vehicles being
> imported. The SVA thing provides a safety inspection where no type
> approval certicate exists.
>
> Type approval is a way for the manufacturers to 'certify' the safety of
> their product in bulk without having to deal with each vehicle
> individually.
>
> Subject to all the usual caveats about the modified vehicle having to meet
> all relevant regulations, not upsetting your insurer etc., I don't how any
> modification by an end user can have anything to do with type approval.
I think the issue is that by modifying the vehicle you put it into a
condition in which it did not receive approval, thereby invalidating such
approval. It's all complex, but apparently VOSA are looking at new
legislation for us MOT testers whereby we'll be checking even more
stringently than current that a vehicle is actually what it claims to be,
prior to MOTing it. By the sounds of things they're trying to catch the
likes of a V8 90 with a 2A chassis number to stop the free tax loophole.
There was also an article in one of the customising comics (magazine with
scantily clad bimbos draped over fancy mobile stereos) recently which went
into more detail and ended with the conclusion that if you fitted a spoiler
you'd be in the SVA trap. When all this is likely to come into force I have
no idea, but it will happen ,and aftermarket goodies of almost any kind -
not just xenon HID kits -will catch you out. (different sized wheels from
std spec, bodykits, custom paintwork maybe, aftermarket exhausts, lowered
suspension etc etc)
Personally, I believe aftermarket HID's are so bloody dangerous because of
the dazzle factor that they ought to be banned. As has already been said
further up the thread, there is simply no need for a dipped beam lamp to be
that intense and no sane right to be going faster than the limits of dipped
beam illumination safely allows.
Badger.
