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Cars with adjustable lights that dip to right and left


mint

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Without having to plough through reams of specs, is there a quick way to find out models of cars with lights that dip both ways?

Off back to the Ole Country in a month and I have seen the tempting prices of cars (new and used) back there.  Eg Mazda 6 Break 1.8 £11 485 against over € 23 000 in Aramis Bordeaux.

As the biggest expense with the re-registering process is the cost of replacing the headlights, I thought it worth investigating those cars that have adjustable lights.

Any ideas of makes or models or even what to google? 

Go on, it's damp, it's wet, it's Easter:  won't you get a lovely, warm feeling helping a fellow human being?  Just point me in the right direction and away I'll go...............[:D] 

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Audi TT Mk I,
BMW E46 3-Series
BMW E39 5-Series
BMW E92 3-Series coupes
Ford Focus II
Ford Mondeo with bi-Xenon headlights
Honda Accords with Xenons have flat dip headlights so no need to switch.
Jaguar X-Type has switch to prevent dazzle when driving on right
Jaguar S-Type has switch to prevent dazzle when driving on right
Lexus IS220d and IS250
Most Mercedes can be switched to dip down rather than to the left.
SAAB 9-3 Sports Wagon (lights dip down, not to the side)
Vauxhall Calibra
Vauxhall Vectra 2002 - 2005
Vauxhall Signum 2002 - 2005
VW Passat from 2001 - 2005
Volvo XC90 with Directional bi-Xenon headlights

 

According to Honest John.

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I suspect Honest John's list refers to UK RHD cars where the headlamps can be adjusted for temporary holiday travel in France.

However, when it comes to passing a controle technique here, this [url=http://www.utac-otc.com/Upload/base_doc/1200/SRVF4-1_2008_ECLAIRAGE_b.pdf]UTAC Technical Notice[/url] sets down the actual requirements for vehicles subject to testing in France.  It would seem that horizontal beam patterns are no longer compliant....[:(]

 

 

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Thank you, SD, for your magisterial contribution.  Unfortunately, lacking any sort of knowledge of trigonometry, I was unable to understand the diagrams with the beams illustrated.[blink]

I suppose the savings could still stack up even if the lights have to be changed.  Oh Temptation, why are you always out there, giving me ideas that I can't get out of my head?

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[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

I suspect Honest John's list refers to UK RHD cars where the headlamps can be adjusted for temporary holiday travel in France.

However, when it comes to passing a controle technique here, this [url=http://www.utac-otc.com/Upload/base_doc/1200/SRVF4-1_2008_ECLAIRAGE_b.pdf]UTAC Technical Notice[/url] sets down the actual requirements for vehicles subject to testing in France.  It would seem that horizontal beam patterns are no longer compliant....[:(]

[/quote]

Having read the document carefully SD I beg to disagree. The angle of the raised portion to the right is no longer tested, en revanche they are looking for a horizontal beam pattern on the left hand side cut off at 0.8m with a tolerance margin as expressed in 4.1.

Good news for all those still passing their controle techniques with black sticky tape [:)]

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JR, I am so relieved that someone can understand the diagrams.[:D]  However, I don't understand your post any more than I did SD's document [:(]

So, can you tell me in words of one syllable and in English, what the position is with headlamps that can be adjusted to dip either way or to have their beam lowered?

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I will try Sweet 17 but its not easy for me to use one word when many would suffice!

I had not seen the document before but my reading of it is that headlights will no longer be required to dip to the left or right (as before according to the country) but to dip and not dazzle oncoming traffic.

The traditional kick up to the left or right (according to country) that illuminated the kerbside verge is no longer necessary or tested, as more and more modern cars no longer have it with their "flat" beams.

The testing regime in France is from heronin to only test the left hand portion of the dipped beam, i.e; the part that could dazzle oncoming traffic, this is the part difficult for me to correctly express simply but I will try; it must not shine "up" at all but must shine down at a slight angle. 

I hope that explains it better for you, in practical terms if you have the modern flat beam headlights and they are correctly set for UK use they will pass the French controle technique and not cause problems for oncoming drivers

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Thank you so much, JR.

What a good explainer you are!  I have understood perfectly and that also is the information I need before making any decisions.

You have been very helpful indeed so here is a [kiss] and a [B]

Cheers!

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I was dull enough to just take my old lights to the decheterie last time around.

But, Erns, the lights were more expensive than the registration fee.  Oh well, I'm going to see if I could get myself a nice deal as I won't be part-exchanging.

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We bought a secondhand Citroen C5 estate in the UK in December for the very reason you state - much cheaper than in France. The headlight beam can be changed on this, which the guy carrying out the CT very kindly did for me before he carried out the test.[:)]
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  • 11 months later...
[quote user="Chancer"]Having read the document carefully SD I beg to disagree. The angle of the raised portion to the right is no longer tested, en revanche they are looking for a horizontal beam pattern on the left hand side cut off at 0.8m with a tolerance margin as expressed in 4.1.

[/quote]

My x-type jaguar has just failed it's first CT because the beam pattern was flat, would it be possible for you to point out the section of the document SD provided, that says that the 'kick-up' is not tested.

My technical French isn't good enought to figure it out.

Thanks
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