headlight beam deflectors

[Valerie_374371624]

Hi everyone

We have been told that these must be fitted when travelling in France (and possibly the rest of Europe) or one's insurance can be invalidated. We always thought that as long as oncoming drivers were not dazzled then deflectors were not needed.

We have Xenon headlights and thought that these were not supposed to be covered by beam deflectors,

thanks

Valerie

 

[rob_jax]

Valerie,

You will need UK asymmetric headlamps to be converted to European pattern if you drive anywhere on mainland Europe.

As your car has Xenon headlamps, this is achieved by moving a lever inside the headlamp unit - your car handbook will describe this process.

The legal requirement is that you don't dazzle on-coming drivers - and in general that means masks or prismatic lenses on halogen headlamps, and dip correction on Xenon

Robert

 

[Lara_374353049]

Hi Valerie,

We've got xenon headlights, and were advised not to put the deflectors directly onto the headlights. We got round the problem by buying a couple of headlight protective lens covers (which you can hardly see when they are fitted on), and sticking the beam deflectors on them. Just come back from France and they worked fine.

We got the covers from our local VW dealer, obviously it'll just depend what type of car you have where you get them from,

Hope this helps,

Lara.

 

[empee]

We don't have xenon headlamps but they are some kind of plastic (Chrysler G Voyager)and the current stick on deflectors that look like a small stick on lens are EXTREMELY difficult to get off without scratching the plastic! The old black tape style no longer seam to be available.

For our last visit we used no deflectors at all - instead we selected the maximum down position on the beam adjuster control that compensates for a heavy load in the back. Don't know if all cars have this fitted though.

Drove all the way to Spain and back via my sisters in Belgium and it worked fine, although you can't see as far on main beam - but if you're towing maybe that won't matter.

On a completely separate matter -

While we weren't towing ourselves we kept an eye out for any the UK reg 'vans along the way, and the most common model range by far that we spotted was the Bailey Senator! Not a very scientific survey I suppose!

 

[ScouseIan]

I have a VW phaeton with twin headlights. To adjust the headlights requires a visit to a VW dealer and upon my initial enquiry would require 1 hour, plus another hour when I returned.

Now this is obviously ridiculous. In the end I just left it. I wasn't doing much night driving anyway. I saw many other vehicles who had also not bothered. Its probably not legal and mostly just not showing consideration to other road users.

On the old normal headlights there were guidelines on where to actually fix the deflectors. On a clear headlight its simply a guess isn't it?

Ian

 

[ScouseIan]

sorry, I meant twin xenon headlights

 

[KnL]

Hi Valerie,

You are correct about your headlight set up for driving in France and also about not sticking items to your Xenon light lenses.

The light spread pattern from a typical UK car set up will throw more light to the nearside and further ahead on the nearside, to illuminate more of the nearside footpath (for pedestrian safety).

Obviously when we drive on the other side of the road on mainland Europe, this "extra" light is thrown directly towards oncoming motorists and as Robert has already said, it is a legal requirement not to cause dazzle, so this light must be reduced or deflected.

Robert has also mentioned an adjusting lever, however I would advise you to carefully read your vehicle manual as our VW has the levers fitted, but a warning in the hand book that says this adjustment must be done by VW if Xenons are fitted.

It also requires the removal of the entire headlight assembly, which I wasn't happy doing in any event.

I spent quite a bit of time with VW trying to resolve this issue, as, if they did the adjustment in the UK, my lights would not have been UK legal for my journey to the ferry port and similarly, they would not be legal on the other side for a trip to a dealer in France.

Ian suggests doing nothing as he did not plan driving during the night, however lights are mandatory at other times in some countries, ie. Inclement weather / tunnels etc and need to be legal to use at all times.

I know it is very unlikely to happen, but if another driver crashed as a result of being dazzled by illegal lights on a visitors car, the insurance company would be within their rights to decline the claim.

We hardly saw any Police on our recent visit to France so a vehicle examination was unlikely, however I like to try to stay safe and legal, but maybe I worry too much ?

I'm sure other vehicle manufacturers have simpler and less expensive fixes to this problem, however as Lara has already stated, we ended up buying a set of clip-on headlight protectors, that came with a pair of adhesive black masks.

These provide a small gap between the headlight lens and the protector and prevent the build up of heat that causes problems when things are placed directly on to the lens.

The protectors are now in permanent place on the car and the masks were stuck on, on the outbound ferry and peeled off on the way back.

Ken.

 

[rob_jax]

Hi Ken,

The bi-Xenons headlamps fitted to my E-class are probably very similar to the VAG items - and I'd guess there's a reasonable possibility that the same company makes them.

The MB drivers handbook advises you of the specific dangers of the high-voltages associated with Xenon headlamps, and makes recommendations about how you could safely make the adjustment - leave the car with the electrical system off to allow any residual voltage to leak away.

It is my impression that the "dealer adjust only" warnings are more to do with user safety than with feasibility.

There are warnings in the MB documentation about using masks with bi-Xenon headlamps - the beam pattern from the projector style headlamps is much, much finer than the old Halogen headlamps - and it's much more difficult to correctly align the mask and it's all to easy to make the situation worse...

It's not illegal to drive a car with symmetrical headlamp pattern - European cars visiting the UK have this light pattern - but you may fail the MOT test with symmetric headlamps.

And since I regularly commute from the UK to my office in Rotterdam - I use the symmetric headlamp beam pattern in the UK as well.

Robert

 

[weejock]

Valerie in a follow up to Ken if it is a vw group light the swithing over is very simple you just remove a black rubber plug and insert a 8mm allen key and turn.

It really does depend upon the type of car though as in most Mercedes I have driven you just scroll through the onboard set up menu and tell it l/hand drive.

2 years ago I forgot to perform this little thing and upon exiting a tunnel near Hiedelberg I had the missfortune to be illuminating a police car. This was in the daylight as I left the tunnel but he still felt the need to relieve me of a few hundred Euro's.

 

[KnL]

Hi Ken,

The bi-Xenons headlamps fitted to my E-class are probably very similar to the VAG items - and I'd guess there's a reasonable possibility that the same company makes them.

The MB drivers handbook advises you of the specific dangers of the high-voltages associated with Xenon headlamps, and makes recommendations about how you could safely make the adjustment - leave the car with the electrical system off to allow any residual voltage to leak away.

It is my impression that the "dealer adjust only" warnings are more to do with user safety than with feasibility.

There are warnings in the MB documentation about using masks with bi-Xenon headlamps - the beam pattern from the projector style headlamps is much, much finer than the old Halogen headlamps - and it's much more difficult to correctly align the mask and it's all to easy to make the situation worse...

It's not illegal to drive a car with symmetrical headlamp pattern - European cars visiting the UK have this light pattern - but you may fail the MOT test with symmetric headlamps.

And since I regularly commute from the UK to my office in Rotterdam - I use the symmetric headlamp beam pattern in the UK as well.

Robert

Thanks Robert,

I've had another read of the hand book and it gives instructions for using the levers to adapt asymmetric lights for continental use (down for driving on the right), although it does mention high voltage element of Bi-Xenons it offers no advice on allowing them to discharge before handling, only to go to a specialist workshop.

The procedure is further complicated if cornering lighting and adaptive lighting is fitted and in all set ups, the entire headlight unit on each side has to be removed in order to reach the levers.

The car has the full lighting compliment and I'm not prepared (or confident enough) to stand in a wet Portsmouth car park and try to change everything over, whilst waiting for the ferry, with bouncing children in the car.

I believe that the later models are able to alter the settings via the onboard computer, however this one being barely a year old missed out.

It's a bit disappointing that a car built in Europe is so difficult to set up to drive back there, but our recent trip made it worthwhile.

The clear lens protectors that we ended up buying have etched marks on them for the position of the masks, so that was never a problem and they are situated with a gap between the headlight and the protector, which prevents any build up of heat and the associated problems.

I suppose that they also help prevent the headlight glass from stonechip damage, which on seeing the price of a replacement is good value for money.

Thanks again,

Ken.

 

[smiley]

We had a vectra four years ago. Didn't have to use any deflectors as the lights did what Rab says.

Just lifted the bonnet and turn lights in opposite direction. Waiting to change our mondeo now don't know what to yet though, but it would be nice to have the lights backs again just by flicking over.

 

[Valerie_374371624]

Thanks to everyone who has replied. We have a Nissan pathfinder and there is nothing in the manual about changing the lights for Continental driving. We contacted our local dealer but they didn't know anything about this, though they have said they will find out.

I think we shall probably go with the idea of the lens protectors with appropriate beam masks as this seems the easiest option if we cannot easily adjust the beams ourselves. i totally agree that it is not feasible to be adjusting beams just before and after the crossing if more than a lever or computer change is needed, and having the dealer do it is not good either with a long drive in the UK to do before getting to the Channel.

Valerie

 

[Lutz]

Is there anyone who out there who knows whether Continental (symmetric) beams are legal in the UK or not? Being symmetric, it doesn't matter which side of the road you drive on, they should never dazzle if adjusted properly. That's why you never see Continental cars in the UK with beam deflectors or masks.

I have been unable to find any information whether asymetric beams normally found on right hand drive vehicles are actually a legal requirement in the UK. If not, why are they fitted?

 

[rob_jax]

Hi Lutz,

There is a requirement in the annual MOT test for the headlamp beam pattern to be checked - and this includes the asymmetric part - and has always been so.

So I have my car Xenon headlamps set for symmetric beam pattern for my commute to Holland, but when my car becomes 3 years old next year - I'll need to flip them back to asymmetric for the MOT test - and then flip them back afterwards. That was the best advice from Mercedes UK...

Totally agree it would make sense to update the regulations to require new UK cars to be fitted with symmetric pattern headlamps...

Robert

 

[Lutz]

If the MOT checks for an asymmetric beam, then presumably there is some requirement in the Construction and Use Regulations which covers this item, but I have been unable to find any reference to it.