Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Plus 4 Headlight Upgrade Recommendation

Yes it's bonkers. Apart from A. Going illegal or B. Full unit replacements how about C. Halogen bulbs that are uprated compared to standard H4 bulbs - the sort they have on Halfords. Has anybody tried them and what are your thoughts?

I've used uprated like Osram Nightbreaker, but find they have a much reduced life to normal H4 bulbs (and never done a side by side comparison so can't say how much better they are).

If you rarely drive at night, they could be a good upgrade, but if you're driving regularly at night be prepared for more frequent changes.

Even using the yellow covers means to drive a illegal car in Germany!

And after an accident that was not one's fault, it can mean that contributory negligence is alleged...

To be honest, I don't know if my headlights are legal in Germany, but I think they are by now. After I drove a few years with not so nice but very effective lights I have these headlights now with LED light and I am more than satisfied. No one is blinded and the light is better than with the modern LED headlights I had before.

http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthread...ook-to-classic-led-headlights#Post738470

I agree with Heinz,

If you're improving your own nighttime visibility of the road ahead while at the same time ensuring other road users are not dazzled by your headlight set up, then the fact is you're improving safety not making it worse.

Insurance companies are collectively processing litrally hundreds of claims a day, they neither have the time or resources to conduct detailed forensic examinations of every component fitted to every car they insure that's been involved in an accident. The investigation of insurance fraud is way higher on their priority list, so just like the British police they rely on the annual MoT testing process to ensure the safety of vehicles on the UK roads.

If you have an accident in a vehicle without an MoT of course your insurance policy will be null & void, but if you do have an MoT and make a claim your insurer isn't going to send Inspector Clouseau round to check if you're running the right kind of headlight bulbs, they just want to process your claim and move on.

If the OP is seeking better headlights but also wants to remain within the letter of the law, his best bet is to fit a pair of fully E marked DOT E9 type approved LED 7" units, there are actually plenty of options out there like these from Wipac.

https://www.wipac-led.com/find-out-more

https://www.wipac-led.com/_files/ugd/8782f0_2e923d19fddb4c728b710aba3ab1747f.pdf

However, just like the LED headlights fitted by Morgan themselves to some of later produced special edition trads, you'll need to be comfortable with the rather challenging modern aesthetics. I'm happy with my LED bulbs in my PL700 tripods and given Monty was first registered in 2012 they're no more legal than my vinyl number plate. Regulation is there to protect us all, but we all also have a personal responsibility as grown ups to respect others and not to be complete idiots.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...pecial-notice-01-21-headlamp-conversions

And being frank, as Monty appears more like he was built pre 1966 let alone pre 1986, I doubt I'll have too many issues with the local plod

You may not have trouble with the local plod but as a recently retired Roads policing officer I can tell you that traffic officers check every vehicle with black and white plates with the on board computers £100 fine. By the way many traffic officers are trained to MOT standard and will seize a vehicle involved in a serious RTA or if they suspect illegal modifications for full examination.

I can maybe understand comments made by many on this thread concerning LED bulbs in halogen designed reflector bowls. Why are earlier vehicles not subject to the legislation, I've invested before, don't like the looks of modern etc etc.

The claims that they don't blind others on dipped beam are subjective though particularly to the eyesight of oncoming driver. How do they really know Could it simply be to that a Morgan's low profile reduces likelihood. Does this make them ok though under all road conditions?

Given the huge leap in brightness and colour temperature manufacturer's of full LED headlamps have gone to a lot of trouble to ensure a neccessary extremely sharp dipped beam cutoff using focused optics. I simply cannot believe that some LED bulbs from established manufacturers will perform as well in halogen reflectors despite them somehow gaining approval in some parts of Europe, although I note Heinz's doubt on this matter.



This prompted my decision some time ago, well before current legislation, to opt for modestly priced E marked full LED headlamps which use such to provide dipped beam, supplementing the separate main beam when selected. I note the E marking is not an MOT requirement BTW.

I've proven to myself that there is splatter from OE halogen headlamps on dipped beam which can only be greater with a much brighter light source as below.



OE halogen on left where there are four rows of illuminated bricks above cutoff highlighting splatter.

Given that most cars now have autodip and most drivers seem to set them on auto, the result is a one or two second wait for the approaching car's brain to react and dip by which time I am thoroughly blinded, pupils dilated and night vision gone.
So I think we should go to candles and drive slower....

Since when did cars have "Autodip" crikey!!!!

My MoT tester would be "understanding" about illegal bulbs. We've discussed it at length, because he's an old friend. But I wouldn't lay that on him, because of potential come back. I suppose I could change the bulbs for the MoT then change them back, but as I said up there ^^^, the number of times I'm in the dark really doesn't justify doing any of that.

Having spent my working life enforcing certain laws, I'm disinclined to deselect the laws which don't suit me. But some behavioural laws can be broken multiple times a day, like doing 31 in a 30 zone.

I could have specified it on my Volvo. I think it's been around for about 10 years. I don't have it nor am I sure how effective it is.
"Active main beam is a function which uses a camera sensor at the top edge of the windscreen to detect the headlamp beams from oncoming traffic or the rear lights of vehicles in front, and then switches from main beam to dipped beam."