Not sure whether this has been commented on before. The IVA requirements for side indicators changed from SVA to IVA in regard to the 'seven type
car' exemption. The field of view requirements for all cars is now min 5 deg out/ 5 deg down and 15 deg up VIEWED FROM THE REAR. I find it weird
that every production car on the market seems to have side mirror based side repeaters that seem to meet these requirements in reverse ie. they meet
IVA vision requirements FORWARD but are virtually INVISIBLE TO THE REAR!
Anyone understand this?
Tin-top ones all meet the angles of visibility test. They have a wrap-around/stuck-out bit, that is visible to the rear. It's not very big but it
is there.
Most aftermarket (all the ones I've seen) don't have the wrap around bit and that's why they won't pass IVA. Thats where the
"repeaters in mirrors won't pass" comes from.
edit. to correct 'phone predictive text. "visibility" became "his ability"
[Edited on 27/8/15 by adithorp]
I will need to check the ' wrap around ' statement with a few more on the road observations. My real point was the difference in emphasis. Clearly OEMs whether driven by regulation or not seem to emphasise the forward visibility element, IVA on the other and does the reverse. Strange or not?
Porsche cayenne has side repeaters in the wheel arch, only really visible from the rear.
Manufacturers don't have to meet IVA standards - they get type approval instead.
IVA is a minimum std for us and the big boys can do things that we would never get away with.
I would much rather comply with the IVA even with its idiosyncrasy's than go through a type approval process
My car would have passed SVA but during the build the goalposts moved.
To me SIDE repeaters should be visible from the SIDE. The clues in the name.
The inspector at Norwich marked out the 5deg at the rear but couldn't see the repeater in the scuttle due
to being blinded by the rear indicator on my wheel arch.
I bit my bottom lip, fitted trailer markers in the naff mirrors, and passed.
When I got home I took them off and hung them on a nail in the garage to be used by the spiders.
( We have very vain spiders in this neck of the woods. )
The bullet mirrors and Mitzy repeaters are now back on.
Cheers
Paul G
I talked to the Iva inspector about this and like everything else he said it makes perfect sense. Big manufacturers get type approval because they
can test the cars in every situation and even smash a few up. The iva cannot do this so they have a belt and braces approach. For example we need
grade 8.8 bolts for seat belt mounts. A big manufacturer can use a lesser cheaper bolt because the fixings passed the crash tests.
Somethings on the Iva don't make a lot of sense on some cars. I failed on my rear reg light radius. My dad who was with me at the test said
something about me being unlikely to reverse into a pedestrian. The examiner said the requirements don't make much sense in this case but they
are there to prevent some idiot from mounting a sword on the rear of the car.
Indicators on some production cars are ludicrous - they just can't be seen in less than perfect conditions, especially those on VW Golfs where
the indicator is in the middle of the ring-shaped rear/brake light. When the driver's slowing down for a corner you can't see the flashing
because of the very bright brake light. There are many other production cars like that (my Yaris isn't a lot better).
The few exceptions are the very big Audis and Mercedes - you need your shades on when they flash!
quote:
Originally posted by 907
To me SIDE repeaters should be visible from the SIDE. The clues in the name.
The inspector at Norwich marked out the 5deg at the rear but couldn't see the repeater in the scuttle due to being blinded by the rear indicator on my wheel arch.
quote:
Originally posted by kingster996
quote:
Originally posted by 907
To me SIDE repeaters should be visible from the SIDE. The clues in the name.
The inspector at Norwich marked out the 5deg at the rear but couldn't see the repeater in the scuttle due to being blinded by the rear indicator on my wheel arch.
This one really does seem utterly nonsensical - how the placement of an indicator can fail by being obstructed by something with an indicator on it beggars belief!