Light bulbs

[turbonutter]

Is the legal limit expressed in Watts or Lumens? The march of technology has dramatically changed the relationship between the two.

To be legal I think the bulbs need to be e marked The PIAA night tech have that, so are legal and the equivalent of 140W. I guess as most of the high watt bulbs are really aimed at competition cars the manufacturers just dont bother with aproval.

[Griff]

All covered in:- The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989
Full legal position described here:- http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/made (this is UK legislation - not applicable elsewhere)
I think you may be shocked at how much the regulations have changed since the old 50/55W maximum. Schedule 4 covers dip beam headlamps, and Schedule 5, main beam headlamps.

[Bernard]

Well Done Griff

Question for people who have passed SVA... were your bulbs checked ?????

[STR_Strat]

The only check when mine went through IVA last year was the normal "e" marking on the lens and the alignment. No check on the actual bulbs themselves.

Dave

[Sando]

Weren't checked on my SVA Phil, just alignment. But they are just 55/60's so not especially bright anyway.
dont know if IVA goes any further.

[ChrisCar6]

All covered in:- The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989
Full legal position described here:- http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/made (this is UK legislation - not applicable elsewhere)
I think you may be shocked at how much the regulations have changed since the old 50/55W maximum. Schedule 4 covers dip beam headlamps, and Schedule 5, main beam headlamps.

After a quick scan, all I saw was some minimum wattages (15W). Otherwise, they've to be white or yellow, turn on & off appropriately, point in the right direction and be mounted in the right place.

[Bernard]

After a quick scan, all I saw was some minimum wattages (15W). Otherwise, they've to be white or yellow, turn on & off appropriately, point in the right direction and be mounted in the right place.

nice to see that her Maj's Gov is on top of this sort of stuff !!......... LOL

[Griff]

nice to see that her Maj's Gov is on top of this sort of stuff !!......... LOL

It has more to do with DoT (& HMG solicitors) realizing that the widespread use of HID, and now LED lighting makes the old wattage measurements meaningless, I suspect it will eventually come down to Lumens, and the accuracy of the beam pattern. If you look at what Audi research has been doing lately with "mouldable" LED lighting, which means that the same lighting units will used in both LHD and RHD markets (huge cost advantage), and of course it will also mean the end of the main/dip beam, as lights become interactive, and there projected beam length constantly varies to maximize vision and minimize dazzle. I think we will see WRC cars with bonnet integrated additional lighting within 12 months. Just look at some of the WRC2 Fiestas are doing with the 1st generation auxiliary lighting.

[ChrisCar6]

And here's me just ordered a new lamp pod.....when all I'll need is a couple of 5mm holes in the front clam with a miniature sun behind each one! Ah well.