UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

is it an mot requirement to have headlight washers with discharge lights if they are in a reflector light fitting and not a projector? some guy in another post said it was and if so my car will fail with flying colours! as should a lot of other peoples...

jimed29 wrote:is it an mot requirement to have headlight washers with discharge lights if they are in a reflector light fitting and not a projector? some guy in another post said it was and if so my car will fail with flying colours! as should a lot of other peoples...

I thought it was a requirement to have load sensing headlight beam adjustment - not sure about the washer bit!!

Best bet is to just drop in and ask em if you're worried, at least if they give you bad news you have some time to sort it out..

Good luck!

does the polo mk5 not have automatic headlight adjustment? or is it only manual on that little dial thing?

The Mk5 GTi HID headlights are self-levelling aye, but the other models have a dial to manually adjust the level of the beam.

According to what I've read in Auto Express all cars that have factory-fitted HID headlights have the washer system fitted as part of this, and it is a requirement for the MOT. I'll do a little more research into it, but if you drop into a dealer or an MOT testing station, they'll be able to set you straight

Yep, the European legislation on HID lights is that the car must have headlight washers and also a auto levelling / self levelling system fitted to the headlights. Both reasons are due to the extra brightness of the HID's and to stop dazzling oncoming road users. The self levellers to stop you dazzling due to extra weight in the rear of the car and the washers are required because any film of dirt over the lens can defract the light beam off course causing it to dazzle.

This info was in an issue of Volkswagen Driver a year or so ago that handled everything you might need to know about Xenons.

Even if the car has the older reflector style headlights and not the thick glass lens type used on the Polo GTi you still have to have washers & Self Levellers...... Take a look at a new Lexus IS200/300 Sport (With aeropack) ,as up till this year you lost the headlight washers if you got the aeropack as it was a differant bumper to match the body kit.... Now they have fitted xenon's as standard, they have had to re-design the aeropack front bumper so as to incorporate the washers...... I know this cos my better half has an 03-reg IS200 Sport with the aeropack and i was comparing the differences with a brand new 54-reg version the other week at the dealers.

Cheers

Dave.