Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL

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Mon 4 Jun 2018 12:53
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - oldroverboy.

From Ask HJ.

My 2012 car failed its MoT due to a faulty DRL - is this right?

A couple of days ago my 2012 BMW 520d failed its MoT due to O/S DRL not working. The dipped and high beams worked fine. It cost me almost £800 to change the whole headlight and the DRL module to pass the MoT. They quoted 4.2.1(a) for the failure summary is as below

Repair immediately (major defects): Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a))

Are they right to do that as my understanding is that DRL rule has changed just last month and only apply on new cars and effectively applicable from 2021. As my car is from 2012, I'm not sure if it applied on my car?

£800 to get a DRL replaced.

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Mon 4 Jun 2018 13:02
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - concrete

Wow, that is a bit rough. Common sense would indicate that you should be able to disable the other DRL and run without them. Millions of cars do already. It is hardly a problem that will endanger you or other road users. £800, that is tough.

Cheers Concrete

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Mon 4 Jun 2018 13:13
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - gordonbennet

From what i've read its over £1000 for a facelift Jag XF headlight, and not only do you have a drl but also an led indicator that can't be replaced, so twice the chance of failure.

I hope some bright sparky has already come up with a repair cure for some of these light units, maybe make specific owners forums is where these chaps can be found, but you'll no doubt be VOR for several days at least whilst the job is done (parcel postage each way etc)...have the ECU repairers not got into this sideline yet i wonder, must be some money to be made there.

As for the MOT, i wonder if the other side DRL had been disconnected, assuming both sidelights work (or are they dimmed DRL's on the car in question?) then would the vehicle have passed the test or are DRL's now a legal requirement if OE fitted.

I ask the last question, because on my previous 62 plate lorry the DRL's (replaceable bulbs) could be switched off at the menu, be interesting when the next new one of the same make turns up (around September) and see if this happy state of affairs is still the case, the different make vehicle i'm driving currently the DRL's are on automatically unless you switch to sidelights where the same led's dim, its not possible to drive without every single sidelight on anyway and every outside sidelight on the whole vehicle including the tanker trailer is an led.

Edited by gordonbennet on 04/06/2018 at 13:14

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Mon 4 Jun 2018 13:20
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - skidpan

All new cars types introduced from February 2011 had to be fitted with DRL's. Existing models could continue to be sold indefinitely without them.

When fitted with DRL's they had to be working.

Just like the DPF rule but a bit easier to spot.

So no worky, no MOT.

But I am not aware of any rule that would prevent an owner fitting aftermarket ones when a factory unit failed providing their location complied with the law and they switched in the same way as OEM.

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Mon 4 Jun 2018 13:29
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - gordonbennet
But I am not aware of any rule that would prevent an owner fitting aftermarket ones when a factory unit failed providing their location complied with the law and they switched in the same way as OEM.

A good idea (assuming the canbus would play ball), but maybe not the answer if sidelights are dimmed DRL's, unless you would be allowed to fit alternative side lights too, and i wonder if you would have to get the aftermarket DRL's to dim to sidelight brightness when that side's indicator is working.

Sparky's nightmare and might be no cheaper than replacing the light unit.

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Mon 4 Jun 2018 13:33
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - skidpan

and i wonder if you would have to get the aftermarket DRL's to dim to sidelight brightness when that side's indicator is working.

That is what I mean' t when I said

and they switched in the same way as OEM.

Anythings possible, only relays and resistors unless canbus would prevent it working in some cunning way.

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Mon 4 Jun 2018 15:32
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - pd

As far as I am aware DRLs are only a tested item on cars registered after March 1 2018.

They are not a test item on a 2012 car.

It appears to have been failed becuase a parking light is not working. I can't remember whether the DRL and parking lights are seperate on a F10. Basically, if you put the light switch to "P" and lights appear on both from sides it should have passed.

Edited by pd on 04/06/2018 at 15:33

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Mon 4 Jun 2018 15:37
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - pd

So no worky, no MOT.

Not quite true, no inspection necessary on cars prior to March 2018.

However, if the DRL provides the function of a position lamp (i.e. saide light, parking light or whatever you want to call it) as well as acting as a DRL then obviously it needs to work.


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Mon 4 Jun 2018 17:56
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - elekie&a/c doctor

Seems to be some confusion here. As Mr Pd suggests .Drls only testable on cars made after 1/3/2018. So will only be tested from the first Mot in 2021..However on some cars the side/position light is also the drl ,so if this does not work it will fail .A friend has a 2012 Insignia with Hid headlight system .It has failed the Mot on left front position light not working (which is also the Drl) .Sealed led light combination. New headlight £900.That's about a 1/3 of the value of the car,just to get a light working.! No doubt some aftermarket system could be fitted,but if it is not integrated correctly into the electronic system,then lamp fault warning light would show...another mot fail.

Edited by elekie&a/c doctor on 04/06/2018 at 17:58

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Mon 4 Jun 2018 18:03
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - gordonbennet

Looking at the costs how long till we get a spate of thefts of such parts from parked cars.

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Mon 4 Jun 2018 18:10
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - Alby Back
I've looked into buying my company supplied Mercedes and coming to a different expenses claim arrangement to get around paying the eye watering bik tax on it.

I could afford to buy the car, but I'm not sure I could afford for it to go wrong too often. I suppose I'd just have to decide if I was feeling lucky if I ever go down that route.

( or buy a Japanese petrol manual instead I suppose ) ;-)
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Mon 4 Jun 2018 19:52
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - Bolt

Looking at the costs how long till we get a spate of thefts of such parts from parked cars.

Or they come up with a canbus hack or two....

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Mon 4 Jun 2018 20:01
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - pd

You can buy the LED modules for this generation 5-Series for about £130. Still not cheap and you need to fit them but less than £800 for a complete new unit.

As cars get older solutions tend to come along and you sometimes need to go beyond the main dealer.

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Mon 4 Jun 2018 20:35
Shock horror! - car failed its MoT £800 for DRL - sammy1

Too true with new parts at these prices makes sense to try pattern parts or my first port of call car breakers.

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