Questions (for the MOT wise)

[slater]

Do i need sidelights?

do they need to conform to anything?

Can i have smoked headlights?

[hairnet]

www.ukmot.com/1-2.asp#Text_top

they don't mention sidelight just main and dipped

gotta be clear - bit like window tints gotta let enuff light thru/out etc

[hairnet]

www.motester.co.uk/cog.html

this says they do

clear innit :\

[B-8-D]

need sidelights yes but carefully drill the rear of your light lenses and fit some in the rear of them with those rubber push fittings you get in lots of headlights.. keeps it tidy and still legal!
si

[keithyboy]

If it's for the Pug, I'd conform wherever possible. Unless you know the tester, something tells me he's going to be itching to fail it.

Good luck.

[slater]

Oh no my tester is quite understanding, he hardly bothers looking

Il probably put them in the headlights anyway i think, depends

thanks for the answers

[surprisingskoda]

because i have a car here with nothing stopping an mot BUT the sidelights, i can safely say you do need them. they just have to work, as they're 5w bulbs they don't get pitch tested.

and surely you can have smoked lights if they're still bright enough to pass the inspection? although personally i'd go for the "mot set and rest of year set" option...

[daverapid]

You need sidelights. Smoked headlamps are fine as long as they emit an acceptable amount of light and the correct beam pattern.

;)Doesn't really matter though if your tester hardly bothers looking!

[sparko]

yer have i not seen a few lowrider with opaque painted front lights?

think it was a pearl green merc on wires....

[MartinC]

www.ukmot.com/1-1.asp#Text_top

yes you need them. Dunno what car you have but if on 5 1/4" or 7" standard lamps you can get a version with the bulbs built in.
If it's pre-'65 front indicators can be clear, and rear indicators can be red.
if it's pre-'31 you only need one front headlamp...

[tonycocacola]

sparko said:

yer have I not seen a few lowrider with opaque painted front lights?

think it was a dave green merc on wires....

covers matey, and imho, look pretty rubbish.

[J.P]

Is it the same with Yellow headlights? As long as the correct light is emitted they're fine?

[akku]

So long as the light emitted is the right colour (ie not coloured) and is bright enough you're away. I've seen a few done and all have looked gash IMO. I await the one which breaks the trend. I knew a guy who has access to some specialist kit was going to resilver the reflectors in his headlights with a tint but in the end he didn't. No way would they have been leagl btu he was OK with swapping in another set for the MOT.

Construction & Use / SVA Manual specifies all the legal requirements for lights, more detail than what is in the MOT handbook. Depends if you want to be legal or pass an MOT ;D

LEDs are your friend for hidden and vaguely MOT friendly sidelights, indicators, etc. Seen them flush fitted and then tinted over with well-thinned body colour paint and you can lose them completely and they still about work and are still almost legalish. You can also get LEDs which look matt black when off. Ideal to hide in grilles and dark recesses. Obviously you need a few of them to be legal-ish.