Sorry to bring up what is probably an old subject, but I need some clarification on this.
I’ve just swapped rear bumpers for one without the fog lamp/cut out (looks much neater!).
I have also swapped bootlids for one with a high-level brake light and therefore had wired this up as my fog lamp. Looking through those posted MOT notes, I can’t see anything to say that what I’ve done is illegal, however I’ve seen someone quote somewhere else that I can’t use my high level brake light as a fog lamp.
Does anyone know if this is true? If so, could you provide me with a reference?
I have the High level brake light as a Fog. Its Legal as long as you dont also use it as a brake light aswell.
Although I did have to have an argument with kwik Fit after they failed the MOT due the the fog being in the centre of the car. I pointed out that the 206 and MINI have fogs in the centre to which they replied that there must be a special clause for those cars. I forced them to check the MOT details in front of me and they proved themselves wrong.
So, a bit confusing as the regs specify no requirement for wattage and intensity but that approval reg says a HLB light won’t do.
Personally I wouldn’t do it as I’d find it very confsuing following someone with what appeared to be their HLB light stuck on.
For 99% of driving I think a HLB light would be a much more useful safety feature. The only time I’ve been rear-ended (ooer!) was twice in 6 weeks in traffic in a car without HLB light.
This is a topic like many others [stick on front number plates comes to mind] where the MOT and the construction and design regs are not in accord. I remember a well known MOT tester on the forum saying that the front plate could be a bit of cardboard with crayon letters. So long as it’s fixed properly and legible. Lights fall into the same category, the MOT is only concerned with roadworthyness and safety issues…as laid down in the book…
I chose to go the convert the right hand reversing light route, as like Mal I prefer the visibility of the boot brake light.
However, rather than relying on a red coloured bulb it is better to apply some red film to the reversing lamp lens, super bright LED`s like the rear hi-viz Formula 1 lights (Mclaren supply all the teams with them) would be even better.
The only reason the government dont want you to have stick-on number plates is because in most instances they are not quite so easy to capture on a camera when photographed by a sneaky camera speed-tax van (although a Police helicopter can see them easier)…
Both my cars have stick on plates which are perfectly legible, no point in making it even easier for the swines
Yes, from memory, the number plate on the bonnet edge thing was because the regs said the plate should be vertical I think. We used to argue that E Types had them and some testers were sniffy and others not. Perhaps it was construction and use regs comparted with MOT regs, I don’t know. I had one on the bonnet of my Mk1 Cortina but rolled it before it needed an MOT so that was ok as well
The MOT does say that all lights must be working if fitted so a bootlid light must be working as something. I too would use it as HLB light, if someone behind saw it they’d expect it to light up when you braked and might make an issue of it if they ran into you. Also, I’m still mentality scarred from a motorcycle copper who looked over my shoulder into my first MGB with the hood down then pulled me over for having a speedo that didn’t work! Sharp or what? He then went through the car and found the non-working horn and gave me a ticket for both!
That brings to mind a court case - many years ago - when an engineer was stopped for not having a working speedo. He went to court, and proved he could gauge the speed by his tach, and the case was thrown out. A good lawyer would have a record of that, if anyone gets caught.
My feeling about using the HLB as a fog light - there’s too many high vehicles on the road, and they may not see your brake lights (forward and down visibility) while tail gating - so while I did think about using it as a fog light, I soon thought about it again. In fact I was so concerned about that possibility, that I bought and fitted an extra led stop light in the top of the hardtop rear view window. - That stops 'em!
