unilateral headlight adjustment?

[Keith]

Having just bought an BMW X3 with xenon lights, contrary to what I was told, I find it nearly impossible to adjust the beam on the drivers side for driving in France. The other side is difficult but possible. Apparently it is not possible to use sticky bits on the headlight lenses with xenon lights.

My question is would it be alright to divert only the dipped beam on passenger side as this is the one that would dazzle a driver driving on the right in France. The drivers side light unadapted would presumably just be pointing straight ahead of the car or towards the passengers side but not over the other side of the road to dazzle oncoming cars

Many thanks for replies

Keith

[Sunday Driver]

If you are having difficulty in adjusting your headlamps, then it sounds as if either you're doing it incorrectly or there's a problem with the actual units. I'd suggest you ask your friendly BMW dealer to have a look at them.

Of course, for short term visits here, you could always do what I do when going over to the UK - use the little thumbwheel on the dashboard to lower the beams....[;-)]

 

 

 

[united]

It seems to be a problem with German cars I have a Mercedes with xenon lights and there are dire warnings in the handbook about adjusting the lights yourself . The book says only a dealer should do it.

I went to the dealers who then showed me how to do it myself its a real fiddle but can be done, I think they would rather I did it than go before and after each trip. There is a small lever on each headlamp unit.

[Jill<br><br>Jill (99)]

My car is a Skoda Octavia and it is possible to tilt the lights by twiddling something on the dashboard - but only for when you have a full boot so that it doesn't glare at people when you are driving in England.  This seems bizarre to me.  You would have thought that if the headlight can just be twiddled, it would be possible to make all headlights twiddleable so that you can tilt them for use in England or in Europe- especially given that surely there are more of most types of car on mainland Europe than Britain.  Why don't manufacturers think of such obvious things?  Oh, of course, it would mean that sales of deflectors would go down!

[Sunday Driver]

I suspect that the manufacturers have figured out that continental Europe is left hand drive and the vast majority of cars never go across to that offshore island where the headlamps need to shine the other way.  So, why go to the expense of fitting adjustable headlamp mechanisms as standard across Europe when they'll never likely to be used.  Temporary beam deflectors are a practical and inexpensive solution for occasional visits.

 

 

[AnOther]

It's not just a case of tilting or lowering the lights though is it Jill ?

The whole profile of the beam, especially on dip, is tailored for whichever side of the road you're normally driving on and is designed to enhance your range of visibility and thus your safety, as well as to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers.

Using the tilt is very much a compromise and should be used as a very temporary measure and not as a long term substitute for having the lights correctly set.

I drive an Octavia also BTW (1.9TDi Estate) and an excellent car it is too [:D]

[powerdesal]

Some years ago I had a 3 series BMW which had left dip / right dip adjustment. It needed (if my memory serves well) a dumpy x head screwdriver to slacken three screws on the rear of each light unit, turn the holder about 15 (?) degrees and re-tighten the screws.

The 7 series was similar but more fiddly, needing a long thin screwdriver.

The instructions were in the owners manual on the 3 series, albeit in German.

It seems that technology has gone backwards!!!!!!!

[andyps]

Many of the manufacturers use it as an excuse to get you to go into the dealer and give them some money to change it over and then more money when you get home to change them back again.

Go to the dealer and ask them to show you how - if they say it is not a DIY task ask them if they will pay any fines you incur through driving a car with illegal headlights between the dealership and the port. If you drive away from a dealer in the UK with headlights set to dip for driving on the right your car does not meet construction and use regulations so they would be liable for letting it go in that state!

[AnOther]

[quote user="andyps"]

If you drive away from a dealer in the UK with headlights set to dip for driving on the right your car does not meet construction and use regulations so they would be liable for letting it go in that state!

[/quote]Doubtful as ultimately it is always the driver who is responsible for ensuring his/her vehicle is lawful and roadworthy. Drive away in a hire car with a bald tyre and see who gets prosecuted for that !

[Baz]

[quote user="Keith"]

Having just bought an BMW X3 with xenon lights, contrary to what I was told, I find it nearly impossible to adjust the beam on the drivers side for driving in France. The other side is difficult but possible. Apparently it is not possible to use sticky bits on the headlight lenses with xenon lights.

Keith

[/quote]

I have a Honda Accord with xenon lights, they simply solve the problem of diverting the beam by supplying headlamp protectors with marks to show where to place black sticky bits. This is a useful accessory as it can remain in place the whole time to protect headlamp against stone damage,  plus the stickers will not damage xenon lights unlike when they are used directly onto the lamp glass.

Baz

[Jill<br><br>Jill (99)]

[quote user="ErnieY"]

It's not just a case of tilting or lowering the lights though is it Jill ?

The whole profile of the beam, especially on dip, is tailored for whichever side of the road you're normally driving on and is designed to enhance your range of visibility and thus your safety, as well as to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers.

Using the tilt is very much a compromise and should be used as a very temporary measure and not as a long term substitute for having the lights correctly set.

I drive an Octavia also BTW (1.9TDi Estate) and an excellent car it is too [:D]

[/quote]

I don't understand the technicalities, to be honest, I would just have thought that if you can tilt up or down you could tilt left or right - especially from reading one of the later postings.  I think it is all just a ploy from the manufacturers to get more money from us, one way or another.  But isn't everything!  And yes, I am very happy with my Skoda Octavia 19 which is now in it's 4th year and I had a Felicia estate for 6 years before that.

[bigears]

hi

when we were working we used to drive twice a year to the continent.  At one time I used to stick things on my headlights and do other silly things like painting them yellow for france.  When german cars came to the uk, I never saw any black things on their lights, so I gave up.  I just adjusted my lights from inside the cab so they pointed down and carried a black roll of electricians tape, just in case I was stopped.  Never had any problems.  Nowadays, If I was to drive a french reg to the uk I would just do the same.  I remember having a skoda once, it looked like a bath tub, it was an estelle 120 l, hope the new ones are better.

[andyps]

[quote user="ErnieY"][quote user="andyps"]

If you drive away from a dealer in the UK with headlights set to dip for driving on the right your car does not meet construction and use regulations so they would be liable for letting it go in that state!

[/quote]Doubtful as ultimately it is always the driver who is responsible for ensuring his/her vehicle is lawful and roadworthy. Drive away in a hire car with a bald tyre and see who gets prosecuted for that !

[/quote]

 

But try getting a dealer in the UK where you have just had your car serviced let you drive away with a bald tyre. They will tell you they are not allowed to let you out with a defective car, and will of course provide a very expensive solution!

[Bugsy]

Conventional lighting pattern for LHD vehicles

[IMG]http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/Bugbear2/lighttape.jpg[/IMG]

The black area is what was normally taped

[AnOther]

[quote user="andyps"]But try getting a dealer in the UK where you have just had your car serviced let you drive away with a bald tyre. They will tell you they are not allowed to let you out with a defective car [/quote]What does "not allowed" mean and exactly what do you imagine they're going to do about it. Confiscate your keys or clamp the car perhaps, or maybe make a citizens arrest and tie you up until the police arrive ?

Yes a dealer can and should advise on such things and could very well be held up as negligent if they didn't but I repeat, ultimately it is always the driver who is responsible for ensuring his/her vehicle is lawful and roadworthy and it is he or she who will be prosecuted for deficiencies.

If it were the dealers car then thats a slightly a different scenario although all it would mean is that the driver AND dealer would be open to prosecution, which I should have added to my earlier comment re a hire car.

 

[andyps]

ErnieY - I agree with what you are saying. My point is that if they use the rule one way with customers, customers should use it the other way with them. Technically it would be illegal to drive a car from the UK dealer to the port with the headlamps set for driving on the right, even in daylight. As it is almost certainly a quick job to change it and within the capability of most people I think dealers should help their customers comply with the law and tell them how to change the lights over themselves.