I recently put these in my missus’ car and all was well. However, VW main dealer has just failed it’s MOT due to these bulbs not being correct/legal etc.

Can’t find anything online to substantiate why this would be the case. Philips say they are CEE approved and should not cause a fail. Sounds like VW are just playing the “they’re not the same as OEM, therefore you can’t have them …” card. FTR, the OEM bulbs are shockingly poor.

Any ideas? Cheers

Are they more than 60W?

If so they are not road legal, otherwise complain to the DVSA

Nope. 55w.

Manufacturer Philips
Fitting H7 (499)
Lumens 1500 ±10%
Technology Halogen
Kelvin Rating Up to 3700K
Road Legal Yes
Wattage 55W
Voltage 12V

If they’re road legal then surely no reason for them to fail it…ask them to explain.

BUT…I hate very bright bulbs, they’re unnecessary and it’s uncomfortable for other drivers.

Is it definitely the bulb itself, not aim or function?

The aim is easily adjustable…that’s not a fail…garages should do that for free.

The aim is easily adjustable…that’s not a fail…garages should do that for free.

It is a fail on the MOT and you would hope the garage would resolve that for free but they don’t *HAVE* too.

I’ve seen bulbs incorrectly inserted before which has altered the beam pattern and made a car fail. Just had to fit the bulk properly and close the catch but they didn’t.

Its an easy way for them to make you buy new bulbs from them and pay for fitting.

Why on earth are you going to a main dealer for an MOT anyway?

I can’t see why they are the casue of an MOT fail either. I’ve had a quick look at the specs and they are 55W. They compete directly with Osram Nightbreakers which I have and cause no such problems with my VW dealer and MOT.

Go back to the dealer and tell them that you don’t agree with their decision Take evidence from Phillips if you can. They will be interested to hear that their premium bulbs cause MOT failures.

If you get no joy from the dealer, you can use this route to complain about an MOT fail: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/complain-about-an-mot

Looks like they want to charge you for fitting another set of bulbs* and then giving you the ‘free’ retest.

*assuming your VW is one of those like mine which is a real pfaff to change a bulb as you have to remove lots of bits to gain access to the back of the lamps.

This ^ plus, what did the garage say when you asked them why it was a failure?

I’ve seen bulbs incorrectly inserted before which has altered the beam pattern and made a car fail.

I’ve had this, it didn’t fail an MOT, but I changed the bulb, it all seemed to go back together properly, but when I turned them on the beam was too high on the side I’d changed. Took it out, refitted it and it was fine. It must have not been seated quite right, the beam dip adjuster wouldn’t have fixed it.

Can’t see how a non-OEM bulb makes the car unroadworthy, not even sure how they’d have noticed tbh, sounds like a complete scam.

Edit: I also use the 130%/150% bulbs and have had my car MOTed at the council depot and it was all fine.

I’ve seen bulbs incorrectly inserted before which has altered the beam pattern and made a car fail. Just had to fit the bulk properly and close the catch but they didn’t.

I’ve done this myself and noticed from the beam pattern.

It could be that with brighter bulbs there is more light going where it shouldn’t, even if the pattern is correct which I guess would be a fail? Not sure quite how they test these things.

Edit – if it’s failed from the bulbs themselves “not being legal” just challenge it. If they’re CE marked, then it’s a load of bollocks (I’m sure there are plenty of bluey bulbs that aren’t CE marked and would not give adequate illumination or pattern).

My volvo went through 5 mots with 100w headlight bulbs, at 3 different garages.
They are trying to scam you.

Am chasing them for a full explanation. Calling them back in a mo if not heard.

Why on earth are you going to a main dealer for an MOT anyway?

3 free MOTs bundled into the original purchase. I have my preferred indies for most work and avoid main dealers unless I really have to use them.

I can’t imagine that they’ve physically checked the bulbs, unless they failed the light test and then they looked at them to see why.

FWIW one of my cars’ bulbs was incorrectly inserted at some point and when MOT’d last month the mechanic mentioned that he’d had to ‘tweek’ it to pass. Small local garage though that we’re good customers at.

When my mondeo failed an mot for illegal sidelight bulbs, it was a ‘free’ mot at a main dealer which was built into the price of the car.

What does it actually say on the MOT sheet?

As others said, could be the alignment.
My first car was an old rover 214 and it needed alignment redoing every year without fail.

MOT reference document – Sections 1.7 and 1.8 relate to headlights.

I doubt they care what bulbs you have – they won’t get them out to look. They turn your lights on and test them, tick or cross, and move onto the next test surely?

3 free MOTs bundled into the original purchase. I have my preferred indies for most work and avoid main dealers unless I really have to use them.

Aaah, as you were. (-:

Are they “E” marked?

Why are you taking your car to a main dealer for an MOT anyway?

£27 at kwik fit. Tell them you do all your own work on the car and you want them to show you anything it fails on while on the ramp, that way they can’t BS you.

Do you use the same VW main dealer as I do, in Bury? They are always trying to scam me out of money. Most laughable was when they told me the car needed new brake discs at about 23,000 miles. I asked to see the discs on the ramp and suddenly they were OK after all. I’d have paid if I had been my dear gullible old Mum.

I’ve never had any problems with uprated bulbs. As long as they are correctly marked and adjusted they should not fail

All bulbs used on vehicles should be “E” marked for use on the road. Possibly not after brexit.

I’ve had my headlights fail at a (dedicated) MOT test centre on alignment before taken them to Honda who claim its was fine, they adjusted a tiny bit, i go back.. all fine.. but.. it still comes up every year, at the same centre, even with the new MOT inspector

i miss my VWs, changing the bulbs on a civic is a bitch, always pay the fiver for someone at halfords to do it. sometimes it takes 3 of them! 😮

It’s quite easy to fit the bulbs upside down which will ruin the beam pattern resulting in a fail.

My partners 11plate Polo passsed it’s first MOT in 2014 at the dealer we bought it from with exactly the same bulbs as the OP. We had fitted them as the OE ones were like glowworms.

To give VW some credit, changing the bulbs was so easy as the whole light unit comes out forward after removing a single machine screw

It’s quite easy to fit the bulbs upside down which will ruin the beam pattern resulting in a fail.

I could’ve sworn that last time I changed a headlight bulb (some time around the end of the last Ice Age) that they were keyed so you couldn’t do that. Has the design changed or am I misremembering?

^ you’re not misremembering, only one way on my car too..

btw used to work next door to a vw “stealership”, parts guys were awesome, sales floor people were proper weasels.

Is it definitely the bulb itself, not aim or function?

Are you sure you put them in square? I’ve put them in wonky before; I’m sure a lot of people have. They’re not idiot proof…

I could’ve sworn that last time I changed a headlight bulb (some time around the end of the last Ice Age) that they were keyed so you couldn’t do that. Has the design changed or am I misremembering?

POSTED 11 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST
Access to the back of the light has often worsened, so one often has to fit the bulb by feel.

What colour does the light look like, if it’s too blue then it’ll be classed as an “offroad” lamp, hence the Kelvin rating as this gives the shade.

Did you fit one bulb or a pair? If only one bulb changed to a 130% brighter type, then the tester may have decided that the light from the bulbs is a different colour (“brighter” usually means “wavelength your eye is more sensitive to”). This is legitimate reason for a failure. If you fitted a pair, then probably an aim issue. Or a scamming main stealer.

Are they really 130% brighter, or 130% brightness compared to the originals?

If they really are 130% brighter then that’s well over double the OEM lamps. I’m not surprised they’ve failed the MOT, VW were probably getting complaint letters in French.

Think its called confusion marketing!!

Not quite sure what you’re getting 130% of!

Just to add to the confusion my old Accord had rubbish headlights. Bought some aftermarket HID bulbs for the projector head lamp units and it passed every MOT fine with no mention. General internet wisdom seems to be that it’s a fail. 😈

Whether they are 80%, 100% or 130% is irrelevant to a test. The test looks for things like alignment as suggested, and brightness only comes into it if one is brighter than the other.

There is no instrument allowed in an MOT test that will identify time brightness versus OE fit, the tester you had is either new or on the up-sell. There is no <60w stipulation for an MOT AFAIK

As far as fixing alignment during a test, the tester can’t. Once a test is started it has to be completed, it can’t be ‘paused’ to carry out remedial work.

I am a qualified NT/Authorised examiner. I call bullshit. Tell them you’re calling in the Ministry (VOSA).
VOSA complaints proceedure
This will often bring about a change of result, if they don’t want VOSA up their butt 😈

A lot of blue tinted headlight bulbs are specifically for off road use only. Philips diamond vision are one such example.