We are having our first trip to france in just over a week and having bought everything required i have had a look at how to alter my headlights with the beam benders. unfortunately the instructions state to put the sticker over the defraction point on the lens, this instructions show a picture of the defraction lens and it appeared quite simple. however my alhambra's headlights are clear and have no obvious markings for the defraction lens. has anybody any idea where i should put the stickers on these headlights ?. a friend of mine who has a shogun with clear headlights says he never bothers but knowing my luck im the one that would get stopped.
headlight beam benders on clear headlights
- Thread starter Icemaker
- Start date
Icemaker,
The last time I went over to France I used pieces of two inch duck tape, I put the headlights on dip, sat on the tarmac in front of each light moved my head untill the beam hit me in the eye and then applied the tape to blank it out, it seemed to work as where ever I positioned my head after that I wasn`t blinded, seems logical to me.
good luck
Tony A.
The last time I went over to France I used pieces of two inch duck tape, I put the headlights on dip, sat on the tarmac in front of each light moved my head untill the beam hit me in the eye and then applied the tape to blank it out, it seemed to work as where ever I positioned my head after that I wasn`t blinded, seems logical to me.
good luck
Tony A.
Icemaker,
I commute almost every other week to Rotterdam, so I'd be for ever sticking and ripping those things off my C270 and as my car has Xenon headlamps, beam benders or masks wouldn't work anyway (just melt).
The solution - switch the headlamps over to symmetrical pattern:
1. Your garage can do this for you (at a price)
2. If your car has the adjustment levers already fitted to the headlamps - do it yourself
3. If you have headlamp height adjustment on the car dashboard, just lower the lights so you don't dazzle.
It's not a requirement to fit the masks - they either won't work or are just plain difficult to fit on modern cars - just adjust the lights so that they don't dazzle.
Robert
I commute almost every other week to Rotterdam, so I'd be for ever sticking and ripping those things off my C270 and as my car has Xenon headlamps, beam benders or masks wouldn't work anyway (just melt).
The solution - switch the headlamps over to symmetrical pattern:
1. Your garage can do this for you (at a price)
2. If your car has the adjustment levers already fitted to the headlamps - do it yourself
3. If you have headlamp height adjustment on the car dashboard, just lower the lights so you don't dazzle.
It's not a requirement to fit the masks - they either won't work or are just plain difficult to fit on modern cars - just adjust the lights so that they don't dazzle.
Robert
Had the same problem with clear Kia Sedona headlights. Bought a pair of beam benders - a disc with a 'wing' attached rather like the R.A.F. navigators badge - the instructions tell you to locate a small pip at the centre of the headlight lens and use the disc part of the beam bender only. Not tried it yet though so no idea of how effective they might be.
Hi, we go to France with and without the caravan 4/5 times a year so I have bought light protectors which fit over the headlights, fitted to these are the beam benders which I asked Landrover to stick in the correct place.
On the old stye freelander the light covers comes with beam benders attached but they dont do them for the new one.
The light covers cost me
On the old stye freelander the light covers comes with beam benders attached but they dont do them for the new one.
The light covers cost me
I have been travelling to France for the past 30 years and have never bothered with yellow paint and / or deflectors. This is not because I am not conscious of other drivers, it's because I never drive at night when on holiday. When we get to our destination it's invariably light (or dusk) and there has never been a need for such deflectors; especially not when towing!
John
John
I can in one way see your point John I. But even when our kids were a little younger we've found an evening trip into nearby towns has provided free and very interesting entertainment from street performers and street markets that set up in the evening only, we've also seen music and dance of all sorts and even laser and fire work shows that we have not known about. Part of the French holiday experience has been trips to the local towns in the evening and taking part in the cafe or ice cream parlour evening life style apart from the meals in restaurants.
Hmm - how do you cope with wet weather when French law demands that you use your headlights ?
You really should try and solve the beam bender problems
You really should try and solve the beam bender problems
Ah that's easy, I use low headlights or side lights. During the day, normal low beam headlights won't inconvenience anyone; it's at night when one get's an eye-full of 'white light' contrasting from teh low light of night time. Likewise in towns at night, it's not an issue because the relative light levels are high.
John
Hi Icemaker,
On my clear Golf headlights (with protectors) I spend ten minutes in front of my garage door when it is almost dark, with the lights on dipped beam. It is then easy to experiment with a strip of black insulation tape and establish the correct position for it. Cheap as chips as well.
Enjoy your hols.
Trevor M
On my clear Golf headlights (with protectors) I spend ten minutes in front of my garage door when it is almost dark, with the lights on dipped beam. It is then easy to experiment with a strip of black insulation tape and establish the correct position for it. Cheap as chips as well.
Enjoy your hols.
Trevor M
Hi
I have been driving on the continent for some 20 plus years and have never used beam benders, also i'm just back from a holiday in France without them but on reflection i really did'nt do any night time driving.
Bryan
I have been driving on the continent for some 20 plus years and have never used beam benders, also i'm just back from a holiday in France without them but on reflection i really did'nt do any night time driving.
Bryan
With an increasing number of countries requiring daytime headlights it can become a problem, especially for the increasing number of vehicles fitted with xenon headlamps and/or active headlight systems that follow the road ahead. 'Beam benders', lens covers and the suchlike are absolutely of no use in those cases. There's no way around a visit to the dealer to reset the beam aim then.
Our Seat Altea handbook tells us where to put the blanking plates on the headights.
Maybe we are lucky - I don't know but I really do thik that anyone who goes over to France without dealing with their headlights is asking for trouble.
If you are in an Accident at night or in rain - God forbid - I wonder what the Insurance folk will say when the ploice report says that headlights were not altered.
Sorry - but you really should stay legal - do you have your GB sticker on or the approved EU number plate ?
Maybe we are lucky - I don't know but I really do thik that anyone who goes over to France without dealing with their headlights is asking for trouble.
If you are in an Accident at night or in rain - God forbid - I wonder what the Insurance folk will say when the ploice report says that headlights were not altered.
Sorry - but you really should stay legal - do you have your GB sticker on or the approved EU number plate ?
just returned from our trip and must admit after getting to port and walking round all the other cars i only found 7 cars out of nearly two hundred that had bothered with headlight adjusters, i know it seems sad but i just walked up and down the four rows of cars towing vans and had a look. after seeing this i decided to just lower my lights to the lowest setting and had no trouble what so ever, not one car ever flashed us even with the van on tow at one in the morning on a pitch black n road. regarding GB stickers my car was supplied with GB plates so i just bought another one for the van and had no reason for the stickers which in the past have left a horible sticky mess on the car.
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