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Failed CT - Headlamp deflectors


Andy
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Whilst there are people around who seem to be watching this thread and who know their stuff - a quickie please.

For years travelling in France only during summer I have pretty much ignored deflectors but since my house purchase I do find myself going down in winter and having to drive in the dark.  Up till now I have forgotten all about deflectors till this thread reminded me.

Do I still need those cut off strips for my 2/3 day visits?  (I think I already can guess the answer).  What are the penalties for being caught without them?  Can one only be caught at night? What is the best method for regular changing back and forth?

Thanks

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We have had 4-5" of snow overnight so I will not be testing Chancer's method until I can get a dry car in the garage.

I will try and take some photos of before and after beam patterns, with a tripod I should get an image, I hope. I will post here when done.

The Wikipedia article is indeed interesting, perhaps the "fresnel" ridges on the front of the glass are more for light intensity than direction.

Andy

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Stan,

If your car is UK registered you really ought to do something the cut off strips as you put it are fine. The clip on plastic shields are probably better and have a built in blacked out area to prevent dazzling the oncoming traffic.

Or you could do as Chancer suggests and change the position of the actual bulb.

Of course you can dazzle ongoing traffic in daytime - when its raining etc so please do somthing.

I've no idea what the penalties are.

As you will see by reading this thread opinions appear to be polarised.

Andy
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[quote user="Stan Streason"]

Whilst there are people around who seem to be watching this thread and who know their stuff - a quickie please.

For years travelling in France only during summer I have pretty much ignored deflectors but since my house purchase I do find myself going down in winter and having to drive in the dark.  Up till now I have forgotten all about deflectors till this thread reminded me.

Do I still need those cut off strips for my 2/3 day visits?  (I think I already can guess the answer).  What are the penalties for being caught without them?  Can one only be caught at night? What is the best method for regular changing back and forth?

Thanks

[/quote]

If French law works the same way as UK law then it is illegal to have incorrect / non functioning headlamps at any time, i.e. the car must be in full compliance at all times.

Yes, you need them whenever you enter France. Surely, as well as safety it is also common decency not to dazzle other drivers.

I do notice though, how few cars have them when we come back via the Shuttle.

And check whether there are rigid plastic deflectors for your car. These simply clip over the headlight so are reusable and will always be correct.

Paul

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I bought a set of genuine Jaguar plastic covers with built in deflectors and all they did was block the light! so got rid of those and got some standard clear headlight protectors and stuck Eurolight converters on... much better . Takes a few seconds to swap them over at the port
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A couple of points. I have used the cut flanges and turn method perfectly succesfully for a few years now and the CT station has always been quite happy with the result. I have an old E class Mercedes which has the luxury of being able to unclip and replace just the front glass section of the headlights. I have tried both LHD and RHD glass fronts versions and can definitly state that if you use the correct lens with the bulb in say the LHD position, you get a more clearly defined beam pattern. With the the wrong lens fitted, the beam of course is still deflected but the pattern is slightly diffused.

The other more basic and important point, call your insurance company. Most policies cover headlights along with windscreens on a fixed excess basis. Its quite normal for lights that fail an CT to be covered as failed (Could be from the plastic crazing and cutting the light down. The CT man told me about this , and the insurance company said OK. It would seem it wouldnt be allowed for a straight failure on intitial presentation, but if it passed one year and failed the next time then the Insurance seem to be happy. Saves a lot of loot!
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[quote user="bobdee"]

The other more basic and important point, call your insurance company. Most policies cover headlights along with windscreens on a fixed excess basis. Its quite normal for lights that fail an CT to be covered as failed (Could be from the plastic crazing and cutting the light down. The CT man told me about this , and the insurance company said OK. It would seem it wouldnt be allowed for a straight failure on intitial presentation, but if it passed one year and failed the next time then the Insurance seem to be happy. Saves a lot of loot![/quote]

There's a name for that, I think, from memory, its called Fraud.

.

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[quote user="bobdee"]Bugsy,

It cant be fraud, if you call the insurance company, explain the circumstances 

BobD[/quote]

As in "Hello, I bodged up my headlights by 'cutting and shutting' to avoid buying new LH units and despite passing last year, it has just failed the CT. Can I have some new ones under my insurance cover please."

Correct, that's not fraud, but the chance of it producing new units ....................nil to no.

.

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You sure what the bloke said?  Its been said on here before that some CT centres recommend a small collision with a hammer or "stones thrown by kids" as the cure to having to pay legitimately for new LHD lights.  Given that they are around 150€ a pair on ebay from Germany, is it really worth fiddling the insurance? You pay in the long run anyway as claims rise, premiums rise[blink] 

 EDIT  Jut as an additional point, I just read my guide to my car insurance from Pacifica  and there is no mention of headlights being covered in the same way as windscreens.  With a 150€ excess on collision damage, what is to gain from claiming, you pay it back through higher premiums over the next few years[8-)]

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When one of my front fog lamps got broken due to the truck in front throwing up a chuck of old tyre, I asked my dealer how much a new unit would cost.  He said just ask your insurer and they'd pay for it.  So I popped into MAAF and they said yes, it's covered under 'brise de glace'.  Handed me a billy doo to give to the dealer authorising them to fit the new lamp and bill them direct.  No excess charge to me and no loss of bonus.

Not sure I'd be prepared to stoop as low as smashing my own headlamps then lying about it.....[8-)]

 

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I know of people that through one reason or another and bad luck have been through several UK sourced second hand cars, for each one of them their French insurers have footed the bill for new headlights within a month of insuring the new vehicle, I cannot work out why they dont put two and two together [8-)]

I dont blame these people as it is the garage that encourages and facilitates this fraud, they would not be capable of fitting new headlights so they go to the garagiste that speaks a bit of English (and hence most of the English use), his modus operandi is whenever an English customer asks the price of fitting LHD headlights for the CT to respond, "dont worry your insurers will pay and I will arrange it all".

He is laughing all the way to the bank, he gets business that would definiteley have walked away from a real devi for changing the lights, the insurers pay promptly and it is not him signing his name on the bottom of the fraudulent claim form.

I think that this is far more widespread than we think and perhaps even by the French as headlights are just thought of as being like a windscreen as far as insurance is concerned, there will be a franchise to pay but the bonus malus is not affected by windscreen and indeed headlight claims.

To those that have sent me PM's regarding the headlight procedure I have just returned from a UK trip and will E_mail you soon.

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Didnt work like this in the case I had a connection with. The car had passed the CT on the previous occasion, fitted with American Style headlights that dipped straight down instead of to the right. This year the rules had tightened, or at least the CT station's rules had tightened. Now the headlights had to dip to the right. The CT inspector said the insurance should cover the new lights. The insurance Co was contacted, situation fully explained and a quote was requested for the new headlights. This was duly passed to the insurance comapny, was accepted. The work was done, bill submitted to the Insurance and a cheque received by return. All very proper, no fraud, just the way things are done..Also it seems, some insurance companies actually like to pay out occasionally. I have found that with household claims here. We had an electric blanket fire and of course we didnt have receipts for the matress that was at least five years old. The insurance company huffed and puffed and took ages to make up their minds but eventually sent me a payment that more than covered replacement costs. Thus they kept my goodwill and my business and I go about saying nice things about that particular company. It's different here, thank God!
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[quote user="bobdee"]

Also it seems, some insurance companies actually like to pay out occasionally. [/quote]

Are you really so naive that you believe that.

 

Wake up and smell the coffee Bob.

Fraudulent insurance claims are one of the main reasons why premiums rise every year.

.

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Also Bob, if anything the rules have relaxed in as much as the new CT regulations only stipulate that the beam must have a horizontal cut off (as all new projector lamps have), a kick up to the right is still acceptable but one to the left is as always was, not acceptable.

A bad explanation I know but the regs were posted on here some time back by SD.

I no more believe your tall tale Bob than the person that told me that they were registered as a business in France but didnt pay taxes or cotisations (in fact they said "what are they") because they didnt earn more than €68k. Although I think that lack of language skills may have played a part in both of them.

Perhaps my insurers will pay for a new heated windscreen for my car (the element is open circuit) after all it passed the CT last time but not this time after my attentions with a marteau!

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  • 4 months later...
our suzuki 4x4 has just failed the CT as we can't use the plastic deflectors anymore. He also said our Citroen should have failed last time (February I think it was) but he forgot to mention it as he was too busy pointing out that the lens had the same crack in it that he mentioned 2yrs earlier. We've been here for 5 yrs and not had a problem before so it looks like the law has definately changed and we're off to the breakers yard to get some replacement lights.
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  • 2 weeks later...
Checked on 'pieceonline-pro' site for my peugeot 407sw and price for xenon headlight assemblies at 1036euros for both is far better than the 1800euros I have already been quoted. Before I buy have you used this site and could you advise if it is a trustworthy and reputable site?

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