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Car Headlight, Rant!


billytheghillie
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Its not very often I drive at night, but was driving back from my daughters about 22.30 Saturday night. Was mainly on A roads, and the oncoming traffic,s headlights were dazzling! Is it just me or do modern cars have more powerful lights? I actually flashed at some vehicles, thinking they still had the main beam on, but was shocked when they flashed back at me.

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i stopped on the way back from Brundall the other night and verbally abused a cyclist with some sort of new LED cycle lamp...it was so bright i lost control of the landy and skidded to a stop on the verge...it was akin to being blinded by a laser.........

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They are suppose to check them for mot but a lot don't bother.

 

I've never known a garage NOT to check headlight alignment during an MOT test.

 

If you have proof of garages not carrying out the test properly, then I suggest you provide that proof to VOSA for further investigation.

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Well, ok, perhaps they do check them but ever heard of anyone being failed for it ? It's quite obvious it's ignored as there's so many motor around now with dipped beam too high.


 

I've never known a garage NOT to check headlight alignment during an MOT test.

 

If you have proof of garages not carrying out the test properly, then I suggest you provide that proof to VOSA for further investigation.

Yeah, like you're going to report your tame mot station :lol: :lol: :lol:

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I've never known a garage NOT to check headlight alignment during an MOT test.

 

If you have proof of garages not carrying out the test properly, then I suggest you provide that proof to VOSA for further investigation.

 

If I reported every garage for not carrying out the mot properly I would have no where to take my car. I know my motors are right before I take them so I'm not bothered about them missing the odd thing.

Edited by Luckyshot
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Modern type headlights are massively more powerful, the also project a flat beam at a predetermined height set by manufacturers and monitored at mot time,

The downfall is these only work to parameters if the lens is clean as dirt causes the beam to lose its normally well defined upper edge.

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i stopped on the way back from Brundall the other night and verbally abused a cyclist with some sort of new LED cycle lamp...it was so bright i lost control of the landy and skidded to a stop on the verge...it was akin to being blinded by a laser.........

I got blinded by one too , it was brighter than a motorbike headlight.

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I think that there is a minimum and maximum height for the purposes of MOT and a setting anywhere in between is OK. The Cyclops cars with only 1 headlight are far more dangerous, especially if it is the offside light that is out. I believe that Audi and BMW now offer indicators as optional extras too.


More annoying for me is the amount of vehicles having one headlamp out easily mistaken for a motorbike . They don't cost a fortune to replace and if you find it too difficult to change pay a small fee to halfrauds or a motor factor absolutely no excuse

 

They can cost a fortune to replace, with some Renaults costing up to £300 to change a headlight bulb.

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Most led bike lights not really designed for road as most bicycle led lights do not have a cut off.

 

My B&M (German) dynamo 120 lumen one does have a cut off and is EU approved but my Fluxient (2400lumen - 3 cree xml u2 leds) doesn't, but is only used when no traffic approaching or used to flash drivers who don't lower their main beams.

 

For comparison most car bulbs (55w) do 1350 to 1650 lumens per bulb with the average being 1500 lumen, the most common used chinese single cree led lights do 800 lumens although as a point source it appears much brighter than a reflected main beam from a car..

 

Part of the problem is with cars doing up to 60mph on the road, SMIDSY (Sorry mate I Didn't See You) is common and the extra shine from a bright LED is very difficult to miss.

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I think that there is a minimum and maximum height for the purposes of MOT and a setting anywhere in between is OK. The Cyclops cars with only 1 headlight are far more dangerous, especially if it is the offside light that is out. I believe that Audi and BMW now offer indicators as optional extras too.

 

They can cost a fortune to replace, with some Renaults costing up to £300 to change a headlight bulb.

 

Bad car design by the manufacturers, squeezing size of bonnet/front end down but making almost impossible to access panels to change bulbs. My old Corsa required about 1/2 hour to change a bulb due to very tight space (barely enough to get bulb out, never mind hand in to get it.

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Bad car design by the manufacturers, squeezing size of bonnet/front end down but making almost impossible to access panels to change bulbs. My old Corsa required about 1/2 hour to change a bulb due to very tight space (barely enough to get bulb out, never mind hand in to get it.

 

Hence the high number of Cyclops then !

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Totally agree! I do nearly 40k miles a year and the number of mercs and audis now with white bright headlights that blind you is becoming a bloody joke!

 

I fully agree and also do a lot of miles, I don't know how they got passed as they are dangerous, it's a total joke.

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I fitted some LED illuminated headlights designed for a Humvee to my Landrover this year and had them aligned by a local garage. They throw a very low horizontal arc of light but are very bright and I am occasionally flashed by oncoming traffic. Despite this I know they are legal and fitted and aligned correctly.

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I fitted some LED illuminated headlights designed for a Humvee to my Landrover this year and had them aligned by a local garage. They throw a very low horizontal arc of light but are very bright and I am occasionally flashed by oncoming traffic. Despite this I know they are legal and fitted and aligned correctly.

 

Only in Cumbria :whistling::whistling: Bet you got a custom bunnet holder fitted as well :rolleyes::rolleyes:

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They are suppose to check them for mot but a lot don't bother.

As a retired MOT tester may I point out that when presented for test you must leave the headlight adjuster(if fitted)in the position when presented unless alignment is too low when you may raise it. i.e. a car may pass a test with headlights that are capable of dazzle when set to max height adjustment.Just one of the anomalies of MOT testing such as having to fail a vehicle for missing wheel stud/bolt but not allowed to remove wheeltrims to check.Mind you when I get dazzled Isometimes wonder myself.

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