Excuse the rant...

My coupe went in for its MOT today, just had a phone call to say it has failed on incorrect headlight colour. I've had my HIDs for the last 2 MOTs at the same place and it's never been a problem! Anyone else failed on this before??

Surprise surprise handbrake efficiency also a fail despite having new rear callipers, discs, pads, cables all within the last 12 months!

This is the third time my coupe has failed on rear brakes, I'm getting utterly fed up!

End of rant

No, went strait though with the HID's (as yours did before) That said if they are having a off day, expect them to fail, my advice to any one with HID's is just take them off for the MOT, its less hassle in the long run.

Regards the brakes, how often do you have weight in the back of the car? lack of use makes the RCV start deteriorate (could be snake oil, but thats what I read somewhere)

I had the brakes done at FCSS, they would put you though the windscreen when he was finished

Typical they had you on the colour (I trust they aren't red or something?) but didn't say a thing about the lack of auto level and wash facility. Definitely an off day for the garage.

I just assumed it would pass again with the HIDs as it had done before, but you're right it's probably easier to put the old bulbs back in. Actually is that even possible? Presumably I would have to re-do the wiring too because it's been messed with to connect the ballasts up.

Living in Cambridge I can sometimes go months at a time without ever seeing anything that resembles a hill, so I'd say I very rarely have any weight on the back of the car. Maybe that's the issue. I did have the handbrake adjusted at Poweritalia a couple of months ago when I had rear discs fitted so thought it would be OK.

They're 6000k HIDs so do have a blueish tinge. With the benefit of hindsight I would've gone for 4300K HIDs as these are less blue and probably wouldn't have failed the MOT.

mine has never failed with HID'S i have 6000k. Had mine MOT'ed at 3 different places over the years and they all passed it.

Ironically I spent a good half hour or so last night in the rain trying to sort out a problem with one of the headlights that decided it only wanted to work intermittently (it's funny how these problems always occur the night before the MOT!). I traced the problem to a bad connection but I would've been better off just putting the old bulbs back in

LOL hilarious update - turns out it wasn't the HIDs, it was my sidelights!! I have "white" LEDs but apparently aren't legal

Mechanic said the handbrake is actually fine, so no idea what the MOT tester is on about

But it has failed on a rear number plate light so a new numberplate light holder is needed.

Must've just been a bad day for the mot tester...

Sometimes they get worried about their work being inspected by VOSA or whoever and get picky.

Mine failed this year for number plate spacing that had been on the car for the last 4 tests at the same place.
No big deal, double sided tape and wipe the cobwebs off my old plates for the duration of the retest.

What a load of tosh - I've got those LED sides and they are much clearer and IMO safer to be seen with. What about those bleedin' Audi's!

Couldn't bloody agree more, some of the new Audi & Porsche side lights are extremely bright.... and there's normally a long strip of them!.......

i also have white led side lights and they flew through the MOT. They must make it up as they go along

Check your rear compensator is working if you've got poor rear brake effort. That's a fantastic "How-To" for it as well

Same here, white LED side bulbs and 4300k HIDS, wasn't even mentioned at the MOT...I think they make it up as they go along!

And again here - White Tower LED sideights & 6000K HID's. Passed MOT three weeks ago!!!!

The HID's shouldn't fail if there only 6000k, and niether should the LED white sidelight bulbs.

As for the handbrake - if they have used a roller brake tester then the LSD on the front really should not have been put through it idealy so a decelerometer test would have been the safer choice and the hand brake would probably have passed OK.

Suggest a better MOT station next time..

Daz. (mot tester)

Why is the roller bad for the Visco unit, because one side is held and the other spun?

mine failed on LED sidelights as well....

well in fact it failed on one of the LED sidelights, as it was the wrong colour

weird as they were both exactly the same, the joys of the human eye eh?

Mine flew through its mot with Hid's and Led side lights, my sides have a blue tinge similar to the 6000 Hid's

Indeed Rich - The current 911 LED strip is ridiculous. Theres a parent at my eldest school with one - The car looks loverly in Guards red but the side strip is probably brighter than my Coupes Main pre-HID!

Switch testing stations if they're being overly picky with you. Years ago my old car failed for having a crack in the number plate. It was the only testing station within an hour's drive so I ended up paying for them to fit a new plate. They cracked it (it was far worse than the original plate's crack) yet it passed the new one.

my cars going in tomo with 6000k and blue'y sidelights. i'll let you know how i get on!! worried now!

It doesn't matter whether the lights are LED's or HID's as long as they are bright enough and the correct colour then they should be tested just like ordinary halogen/filament bulbs.

Here's the link to the page in the MOT testing manual that concerns testing your lights. You'll note that there is no mention of HID's or LED's (other than LED's must have at least 50% of their light sources working).

Baz

Mine also failed a few months back because of the led sidelight bulbs, it annoyed me a bit as all the new audi's are a very bright blue/white colour and big strip of them, i just swapped them over for horrible yellow ones for mot

Mine passed with the HIDs both times on the MOT, failed on the LED side lights once. I got into an arguement with the guy over the colour and produced my trusty colour chart and proved that the LEDs were white and not blue.

He passed the car after that, couldn;t argue with the chart

sounds like business is slow & they are trying anything to get abit of work in... i have worked at a few mot garages & noticed this is the case at a few

be wary of the one's offering cheap mot's as they will fail it just to shaft you on labor.

I'd agree that it seems MoT places may be drumming up work.