The Camaro Club (UK)

My Camaro has just failed it's MOT due to the rear lights, the reverse lights have been converted to be used as indicaters. When the indicaters are on you can also see the brake light area also flash! . The Garage tried telling me that there is a wiring fault. When i got the car home , it took all off 5 sec's to rule that one out. The problem is the internals of the light unit do not block 100% of the light, so some light passes into the other parts of the light unit.
I've taken the units a part and there is no damage etc, it's just the design!, not sure why they have picked this up, as they passed it the year before and nothing has changed. I have tried to block more light by adding some ali strips inside, i think that i have stoped around 50% of the light which was passing through. But still worried that this will still not be enough. Can any 74-77 owners please check there rear lights and report back if they have this issue or if you know the best way how to resolve it. I'm guessing that if i even buy brand new repro's, i will still have the same problem, as they would be a copy of the original design.

thanks from Luke

that's weird. mine are converted the same with just orange bulbs.. never failed the MOT..

I'll check it out ..

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“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

Ok thanks

Sounds like MOT guy is being picky - i've seen a fair few yanks with red flashers - no conversions, even some new Mustangs! Not sure what you can do here, as it's the original design, there's nothing you can do about it, so unfair of them to expect you to do that

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rear indicators - http://www.ukmot.com/1-5.asp#Text_top
brake lights - http://www.ukmot.com/1-3.asp#Text_top
lamp position - http://www.ukmot.com/1-1.asp#Text_top

alas cant find anything about reversing lights

I think you will find the main changes relating to USA/other imports in recent pre SVA years were in 88-89 when all post 88s must have amber indicators.Yours is pre 88 so showing some red as it flashes is not in breech of the relavent legislation,there,s still plenty pre 88 imports with red indicators at the rear and white at the front I had a Honda Prelude like it and never had a problem, seems the cars not the problem! Though I would stand corrected . Also having been on here in defence, quite reasonably of an unnamed MOT tester on past postings. I have to add if this was the ONLY point on which he could fail a second gen of that age. He is surely some SAD, naieve, jumped up jobsworth! When you return if he,s still not happy, try patronising him, asking if it was his car how exactly he would rectify the problem to make it comply. Sadly he has the last say unless one appeals to an even bigger more important bureaucrat!! so one,s little chance there. Beware guys because this type are now proliferating everywhere. We now have automotive legislation being dreamt up and passed into LAW by folk who it would seem, not only have nothing better to do with their time(TAXpayers money) but even worse do not know which end of a ratchet to hold,or change a wheel roadside without assistance. Most of OUR future problems are going to be coming from that wonderful unelected bunch of CLOWNS called the EU which none of US ever voted to join YES NONE of us !! Someone remind me WHY did my Dad fight a war? Such wisdom to fine folk and countries who have no money Eh??? You could'nt dream it up could you ? End of rant, for time being anyway!

Has any 74-77 owner managed to check there rear lights for me yet?

Thanks

I'm not going to copy and paste what Rockinfox has posted but as an MOT tester, I am slightly annoyed by his clearly uninformed rant. Amber indicators must be fitted to all post-1965 cars, nothing to do with 1988 or SVA.
MOT testers are human and therefore fallible, so although the MOT should be the same everywhere, it often is not. On top of that there are so-called 'sympathetic' testers who risk losing their job by passing cars that should be failed.
So, I am a sad, naive, jumped-up jobsworth for failing cars am I? Maybe you would like to die in a crash with someone whose car has passed an MOT when it should have failed. Maybe you would like your son/daughter/ wife/mother etc to be involved too?
I see people like you all the time, wanting to have a car passed when it should not. Do you know the potential consequences? Do you care? I think not.
I could rant on but I'll leave it there because I have better things to do with my time ( I have my racecar to sort out and a Camaro crossram to fettle) so I await your response ONLY to see if you can convince me that you are right and that American cars should be exempt from the laws which govern all other cars on the road in the UK.
Cheers, Martin

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Right.

Checked my lights yesterday and mine like yours, have the reversing lights converted to indicators with orange film in the light and orange bulbs, they definately show orange.
The light 'leakage' he mentioned is because of the design of the lens, the surround of the reverse/indicator does not seal around this area, and there is about 1/3" of red plastic that when lit this also glows red slightly.. Is this what he means ?.. if so it's a bit pedantic and jobsworthy.

I tried unsuccessfully to get a picture whilst on during the flash to show, but could catch it on my phone camera.. so here's a generic pic of the lens to show what i mean..

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“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

Please read my other postings in defense of the examiner, exactly the arguments you have given,AND then explain all the cars out there that STILL have red indicators,check YOUR facts I said Pre SVA and stand by the 88/89 around then anyway Cheers Rockinfox