UPDATE (Are the MG5 headlights bright enough? Has anyone upgraded them?)

I have real hatred for LED's
Years ago I burnt my left eye with lime and caustic soda. Every time a car with LED's flashes it makes my eye sting like crazy and run like a tap.
I drive every day in the dark and only have issues with LED'S I'm fine with any other light even when on full beam.
I haven't ordered my car yet but I'm sure I can cope with there lights.
As for cars failing there MOT for dull lights it will never happen my transit lights are so dull I can look straight at them on full beam and it's never been mentioned and there far superior to the sealed-beam lights on my bikes from the 70's.
 
From the MoT guidance documentation:

"Existing halogen headlamp units on vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986 must not be converted to be used with high intensity discharge (HID) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp for light source and lamp not compatible."

However if LED based complete headlamp units become available to fit then it is legal to replace them as a matched pair

The minimum power is not specified but illuminated range is. There are beam pattern checks so if the power is insufficient to form a good pattern then it is going to fail.
 
Hairyfool said:
From the MoT guidance documentation:

"Existing halogen headlamp units on vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986 must not be converted to be used with high intensity discharge (HID) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp for light source and lamp not compatible."

However if LED based complete headlamp units become available to fit then it is legal to replace them as a matched pair

The minimum power is not specified but illuminated range is. There are beam pattern checks so if the power is insufficient to form a good pattern then it is going to fail.
Click to expand...
As discussed many, many times on here and on Facebook.:rolleyes:
 
It should also be remembered that fitting these LED lamps risk compromising your insurance.

Wheras for some modifications all that is required is that you inform your insurer and if accepted cover will continue you cannot inform them of this mod as it would be rejected. If you were involved in an incident and the lighting was not a direct influence on the accident but it was discovered they were fitted then your cover may be relegated to 3rd party. If the incident was down to the lighting (if the other driver complained of being dazzled for example) then you may become directly liable.
 
Hairyfool said:
From the MoT guidance documentation:

"Existing halogen headlamp units on vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986 must not be converted to be used with .....
Click to expand...
What if you don't convert the headlamp unit but just put the LED bulbs in as it is ?

It's all in the wording and in the original reason for the legislation. From Gov.UK....

The reason for this is that the existing lens and reflector are designed around a Halogen filament bulb, working to very precise tolerances. If a HID “burner” (bulb) is placed in the headlamp, the beam pattern will not be correct, there will be glare in some places and not enough light in other places within the beam pattern.
www.gov.uk

Aftermarket HID Headlamps

www.gov.uk www.gov.uk

Now on the ZS they are projector headlamp unit, not reflectors which do not suffer this problem. Perhaps someone can confirm whether this is the same for MG5. This applies equally to LED as well as HID where you do need a conversion kit to use HID/LED if it is a reflector headlamp unit.

SO if you have a projector headlamp unit you do not nee to convert the unit to put in LED bulbs.

This is my opinion.
 
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Putting a LED bulb in an existing headlamp shell that was not designed for it IS converting it. LED bulbs should be designed to hold the LED emitter in the same location as the halogen filaments. In theory they should then produce the required pattern

It is difficult to make a direct comparison but there are also issues with output power and colour temperature with most of the illegal lamps.
 
Hairyfool said:
Putting a LED bulb in an existing headlamp shell that was not designed for it IS converting it. LED bulbs should be designed to hold the LED emitter in the same location as the halogen filaments. In theory they should then produce the required pattern

It is difficult to make a direct comparison but there are also issues with output power and colour temperature with most of the illegal lamps.
Click to expand...
With a projector lens, because of the way it works, produces the correct pattern anyway, as evidenced by the straight swap plug and play that others have done, so no conversion to the headlamp unit as specified in the legislation is required.
With a reflector and lens unit you are correct it would need a conversion kit to produce the correct pattern.
 
The very act of fitting a LED bulb in place of a factory built halogen headlamp assembly is by definition a conversion, it does not matter what lense technology is used, or for that matter if it required other mods.

One problem is halogen filaments radiate light almost uniformly 360deg across all planes. LEDs do not. The maths involved in LED emission is a nightmare
 
Is it a "conversion" or is it an "upgrade" the same as fitting a brighter halogen bulb ? :unsure:
 
The law makes no distinction, a halogen bulb is a halogen bulb whatever refinements it may contain. About the only caveat is the colour temperature cannot exceed a particular value not sure if it is 3900k or 4200k.

It appears that the headlamp assembly is a complete unit including the lamp itself so changing the bulb type constitutes a modification to a certified assembly (all the numbers and logos moulded into it).

The problem comes with converting incandescent light output to what a LED produces. We have all found what the makers claim is the equivalent LED to a domestic bulb is far from accurate, 7 watt is nothing like the 60 watt bulb it is supposed to be but how does a 40w LED compare to a 60w halogen in a HB3 lamp, I don't know but it seems a lot higher than 7w. This is the top result on Amazon, also at 6500k it is definitely illegal.
 
For reference, I have tried this before (the LED bulb in a projector rather than reflector headlight unit that was designed for halogen bulbs) and it resulted in an MOT fail. I will not be doing this again, and would not recommend others do either.
 
My other vehicle is a 1999 Transit based Auto-sleeper. Even with new bulbs and the lenses defogged the headlamps are very dim in comparison.
 
Is it a smiley banana engined tranny? Best van ever.
Apart from rust and crispy wiring. Mine dissolved 20 years ago.😭
 
No 2.5TD Automatic. The only rust is under the secondary battery tray in the top of the inner wing. The battery tray itself was like flaky pastry but as most vans didn't have this tray getting another one is nigh on impossible. Only done 24000 miles in 22 years.
 
RossN said:
Anyone know if somewhere like Halfords will replace the headlights with better ones ?
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Halfords will fit new bulbs for you but I think they charge something like £8 per side. It's not that difficult to do yourself.

They will sell you HID and LED bulbs but usually have a notice up to say they are illegal on public roads. Only exception is where your vehicle comes from the manufacturer fitted with LED's.
 
Hairyfool said:
No 2.5TD Automatic. The only rust is under the secondary battery tray in the top of the inner wing. The battery tray itself was like flaky pastry but as most vans didn't have this tray getting another one is nigh on impossible. Only done 24000 miles in 22 years.
Click to expand...
Make a new tray out of GRP and use stainless steel nuts & bolts
 
Hairyfool said:
The law makes no distinction, a halogen bulb is a halogen bulb whatever refinements it may contain. About the only caveat is the colour temperature cannot exceed a particular value not sure if it is 3900k or 4200k.

It appears that the headlamp assembly is a complete unit including the lamp itself so changing the bulb type constitutes a modification to a certified assembly (all the numbers and logos moulded into it).

The problem comes with converting incandescent light output to what a LED produces. We have all found what the makers claim is the equivalent LED to a domestic bulb is far from accurate, 7 watt is nothing like the 60 watt bulb it is supposed to be but how does a 40w LED compare to a 60w halogen in a HB3 lamp, I don't know but it seems a lot higher than 7w. This is the top result on Amazon, also at 6500k it is definitely illegal.
Click to expand...
Not sure it’s a 40W LED each rather than total for the pair as Philips quote 20W each bulb and 1850 lumens, the same as their Pro150 HB3 halogen. Confusingly they also claim LEDs are “up to 250% brighter, consistent light on the road than the legal minimum for halogen bulbs” but the Pro150 is 150% brighter for same lumen output.

Irrespective, still just as illegal as any other non-halogen bulb fitted to a headlight designed for halogen bulbs.

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When I used to do night rallies I sat in a off road car set up for night time competition. 200w of halogens were astounding but you could toast bread with them:cool:

But you could hear the engine grunt when they were turned on
 
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