One of my front side-lights is out, is that illegal?

[Marcos]

I had it replaced for the last MOT and the bulb is out again, is that important?

[Saracen]

I had it replaced for the last MOT and the bulb is out again, is that important?

Yes, it's an offence. Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations, s.23.

There's a minor get-out, IIRC, involving journeys from sunrise to sunset, where bulbs have blown during the journey. But other than that, yes, lights fitted must be working, and when but only when they should. So, for instance, headlights and even rear bright lights like fogs, myst be correctly adjusted so as to not dazzle. And, ni showing of red lights at front of vehicle, or white lights at rear except when reversing, and so on.

But for your specific question, yes, a bulb blown is illegal.

[GoNz0]

I say we send out the lynch mob to get him!

[smargh]

IANAL, but I see that the regs state "Every ... running lamp ... which is fitted" - so, perhaps if you remove the lamps, and remove the fuse, that might be legal. They could perhaps still prosecute under the whole "insufficient lighting" and/or dangerous driving type laws. If no lamp is fitted *and* it's not usable by way of the fuse being removed, then the MOT tester might perhaps not be able to fail that because there's no lamp to test, and it's not usable because of the fuse anyway.

For just passing the MOT, though, perhaps it might be like a faulty seatbelt - if you remove the seat and seatbelt, there's no seatbelt to fail the MOT.

Googling this possibility is proving to be quite awkward.

IANA-MOT-tester, obviously.

[peterb]

Subject to the usual disclaimers...

Side lights aren't running lights, they are "front position lights" are are obligatory. As they are obligatory, removal or disabling would also be an offence.

Given that a replacement lamp isn't that expensive, is it worth taking the risk of being stopped and the potential for a fixed penalty notice?

[Macadee]

The amount of cars you see with faulty headlights and rear & brake lights on the road you would be extremely unlucky to get caught with a faulty sidelight, however, is the cost of a bulb worth the risk?

[Marcos]

It's not the cost of the bulb but the pain in the butt to fit it :-/

[Macadee]

It's not the cost of the bulb but the pain in the butt to fit it :-/

Is it an E60 angel eye?

[Andy3536]

It's not the cost of the bulb but the pain in the butt to fit it :-/

There should be a list of cars that you can buy where the headlights are still easy to change.
Too many cars nowdays need bumpers coming off, wheel arch linings to come out. It's daft.
If it's law that headlights must always be working, it should also be law that headlights should be able to be changed in 10 mins with minimal tools.
In some cars now if you have a bulb out you need to arange an apointment with the dealer

[Saracen]

There should be a list of cars that you can buy where the headlights are still easy to change.
Too many cars nowdays need bumpers coming off, wheel arch linings to come out. It's daft.
If it's law that headlights must always be working, it should also be law that headlights should be able to be changed in 10 mins with minimal tools.
In some cars now if you have a bulb out you need to arange an apointment with the dealer

Well, yeah, maybe.

The converse, though, is that in years gone by, I had to carry a bulb kit, because bulbs either blew regularly, or because easy-change options led to inefficient or intermittent connections .... or idiots putting the wrong bulb in, or dual-element bulbs in the wrong way round.

My wife's car (VW) is 7 years old, and has yet to have a bulb blow. In fact, the entire maintenance history is a £3 sensor blew (add £10 labour charge to diagnose and fix) plus VAT, and a new alternator a couple of months ago. Beyond that, just tyres.

[Marcos]

Is it an E60 angel eye?

Mk1 Focus

[peterb]

It's not the cost of the bulb but the pain in the butt to fit it :-/

From http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/?t=51203

Sorry Viz must engage brain before posting.
The above instructions were for fitting the headlight bulb.
The sidelight bulb is a lot easier to change. Pull down the cover, Take off connector. Turn the bulb holder clockwise and bobs your uncle.
Wilkinsons do 2 bulbs for about £2 or £3.

It is a seven year old quote, so the prices may be a bit different.

It may also be worth paying more and getting a lamp of reputable make - cheap lamps can tai earlier. Vibration is one killer of lamps, and cheaper lamps may use thin materials and be less robust, although that is only a supposition, I have no evidence to back it up.

[DanceswithUnix]

It's not the cost of the bulb but the pain in the butt to fit it :-/

Side lights in my wife's car are a pain to fit. Shouldn't be, but some previous owner snapped the handle off the plastic carrier that helps you guide it into place.

Halfords is shockingly expensive for bulbs (and they don't take long to blow so you aren't paying for quality), so in the end I went for some LED replacements from Amazon. There are a few to choose from with the LED modules in different configurations so you might want to choose one that suits your car. I went for CANbus enabled with LEDs around the outside more than at the front.

I think a pair of LED bulbs delivered was about the same cost as a single blow-o-matic bulb from Halfords. Hoping they last a few years.

[Marcos]

I know LEDs themselves are robust with decent supply of power, but can dodgy car electrics or bad weatherproofing knock out their circuitry as easily as a regular bulb?

Hope that question made sense.

[Lowe]

Problem with LED sidelights is the way they're made and heat. The cheap ones on eBay can be very hit and miss, but typically aren't very good. The Cree ones are crazy bright (and pricey), but the heat causes the PCB to crack and they eventually stop working. It's especially bad if the headlight bulb is directly adjacent to the sidelight, again the heat becomes an issue.

[DanceswithUnix]

We shall see how well they last. My wife's car has the CAN-bus bulbs that cost something like 6 or 7 quid *each* at Halfords. These cost that much for a pair even with delivery, if they last 6 months they have done as well as the Halfords incandescent bulb will have.