Smoke damage in a headlight assembly

[Herbiv4]

Hello again,

The auto electrician didn't say anything about legality. I think he just wanted the money.

I know this makes me look really daft but I've not long moved down from Lincolnshire to north Hampshire and having done a search for dedicated auto electrical shops in this area I found that I'd need to go to either Swindon or Southampton.

Up in Lincolnshire I was spoilt for choice and had two good shops with 10 miles of each other.

So I used the Yellow Pages and all I could find were pretty annonymous "we come out to you" auto electricians.

I am not in good health and I am also a disabled driver so a trip to Swindon or Southampton was not possible.

I am sure that if I had gone to either I would have been told not to fit the HID kit.

So - it's all my fault I guess but I would say that it is also the fault of Autobulbs Direct for trying to claim that the kit was street legal at that time and the electrician should ahve warned me but maybe he didn't know.

An expensive lesson has been learned.

Wish I had joined this forum earlier.

Stephen.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

The auto electrician didn't say anything about legality. I think he just wanted the money.

Sadly, that seems to be a fact, whoever you deal with.

I know this makes me look really daft but I've not long moved down from Lincolnshire to north Hampshire and having done a search for dedicated auto electrical shops in this area I found that I'd need to go to either Swindon or Southampton.

What about Salisbury or Andover - both reasonable sized towns/cities? Should have a good choice of sparkies! I used to know both places quite well!

So I used the Yellow Pages and all I could find were pretty annonymous "we come out to you" auto electricians.

Does your local county council not provide lists of "approved traders"?

I am not in good health and I am also a disabled driver so a trip to Swindon or Southampton was not possible.

Are you chair-bound, or walking-wounded? Either way, I'm sure any reasonable trader nearby should be able to accomodate your needs, even if they give you a lift to a local coffee shop for the hour or so while they do the work.

I am sure that if I had gone to either I would have been told not to fit the HID kit.

Hmmm . . . I wouldn't be so sure - afterall, many traders are unaware of the illegality of retro-fit or aftermarket HID kits.

So - it's all my fault I guess but I would say that it is also the fault of Autobulbs Direct for trying to claim that the kit was street legal at that time

I presume Autobulbs were selling them for replacements in normal road-going cars, and not specifically listing them in some kind of "motorsport only" section on their web site. If that were the case, then you are fully protect by law, which states "must be fit for purpose". You can legaly get a full refund, either by taking them to Court yourself (which is very easy and straight forward), or by claiming directly from your credit card (even if the purchase was only part funded on the credit card). That latter bit does not apply to debit cards, though.

I would seriously pass your evedence onto Trading Standards. The government, through the DfT, VOSA and the Police, have issued explicit instructions on the illegality of these HID kits, and Trading Standards may well prosecute them. Even if Trading Standards take no direct action from your own issues, if enough people complain about them, a pattern will develop, and action should follow!

and the electrician should ahve warned me but maybe he didn't know.

Or maybe he was just turning a "blind eye", for the sake of another payday!

An expensive lesson has been learned.

Maybe - but don't give up without a fight!

Wish I had joined this forum earlier.

Well, you are here now, so welcome to the forum, and stick around. We are usually quite a helpful bunch, and you could well continue to learn more about your A6.

[wantmygti]

Is it me Sean, or is this looking all too familiar!!??

[Herbiv4]

Thanks very much Sean.

Later in the year I was considering going to AMD Technik and having the engine tuned to increase the BHP - mainly to improve the torque.

But I'm not sure I will now having got my fingers burned this time.

I understood that Audi uprated the 1.8T in the A4 to something near the stock 2.0T around today but I guess that discussion should be in another thread.

http://www.amdtechnik.com/

And to the person who posted after Sean... I do not know why my postings would "sound familiar?" I have never joined any VW Audi forum before.....

[Herbiv4]

Just wated to add before anyone jumps on the ECU remap and not informing my insurance company....

If I had an ECU remap the first thing I'd do is let my insurance company know as I did before I had my windows tinted mainly to protect our dogs during hot waether and to reduce the load on the air con system.

In the case of the window tinting my insurance company said that was fine even with the UV screening film put on the front driver and passenger doors.

Just prempting and flack.....

.......and now diving for cover.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Is it me Sean, or is this looking all too familiar!!??

It's you, you cynical old bugg . . . . .

No, the OP, Herbiv4/Stephen, whilst it's a little obvious that he got his fingers burnt (along with his headlamp! - sorry, that little "pun" was just too good ), came here for advice. He has listened to the advice with grace and dignity, and is clearly looking sensible opinions and advice. So in that respect, it's not at all familiar!

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Thanks very much Sean.

That's fine. It's nice to be appreciated! It's a shame that not everyone shares your good manners.

Later in the year I was considering going to AMD Technik and having the engine tuned to increase the BHP - mainly to improve the torque.

But I'm not sure I will now having got my fingers burned this time.

I understood that Audi uprated the 1.8T in the A4 to something near the stock 2.0T around today but I guess that discussion should be in another thread.

http://www.amdtechnik.com/

OK, best to keep the Mods happy, and start a new thread on that one, and I'll dive in and offer you my £0.02 worth. The Mods/Admin are pretty strict over here, so we'd better not drift off-topic!

And to the person who posted after Sean... I do not know why my postings would "sound familiar?" I have never joined any VW Audi forum before.....

Oh . . . don't worry, and certainly don't take it personally - it's a completely separate issue! He's just injecting a bit of light-hearted banter!

His comment simply refers to another web forum we both hang out on, where some other poster blatantly spammed with retro-fit HIDs, posting a very "journalistic" style of write up, complete with photos of the install, AND photos of the beam pattern from an MoT beam tester!

A number of other posters gently advised that they might be illegal, and someone ... erm ... "invited" my opinion. In that instance, the original poster adamantly refused to accept they were illegal, and refused to counter any of the other criticisms raised. It turned into quite a dirty, and VERY heated mud-slinging match! I'm sure anyone who stumbled across that thread must have had watery eyes!

Rgds

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Just wated to add before anyone jumps on the ECU remap and not informing my insurance company....

If I had an ECU remap the first thing I'd do is let my insurance company know as I did before I had my windows tinted mainly to protect our dogs during hot waether and to reduce the load on the air con system.

In the case of the window tinting my insurance company said that was fine even with the UV screening film put on the front driver and passenger doors.

Just prempting and flack.....

.......and now diving for cover.

Oh, don't worry about that. I think you'll find that most people simply offer advice, rather than demanding you carry out a specifc instruction. Afterall, I'm sure each and everyone of us has driven faster than 70mph (on private land, your Honour! )

Rgds

[AJO]

I am very confused about these comments about how illegal the after market HID kits are....

i too have one of these kits fitted by myself, and never had any problems...
The MOT went well with them too even though the inspector did say that he would be checking them well.

because the A6 has clear glass the pattern is not disturbed and therefore does not blind other road uses...

no one ever flashes me due to my lights being blinding and they light up the road so much better than the standard lights.

needless to say mine went through an MOT with the conversion

[Eshrules]

excuse my hijacking of this thread and my ignorance guys, but why is retro fitting HIDS illegal?