changing headlights to continental

[merliauds]

We have a 1994 Jaguar X300, RHD that we need to register here. Do we need to change the whole of the headlight fitting for the CT or can we just change the lens?

Any help much appreciated.

[Pierre ZFP]

Not sure what you mean by 'just change the lens'  Is that not the front of the whole headlight assembly? If its not then it could well be the way to go but  I'm afraid that it might be an expensive item to replace.

[cooperlola]

I have heard (and SD will quickly correct me if this info' is wrong), that you can pass a CT with just tape on the dipped beam.  Not satisfactory long term, but can be a good quick fix whilst you search e-bay or wherever for proper LHD replacements.

[Anton Redman]

Not for at least five our years. Had friends who had registed a Citreon and a VW Caravelle with tape, two years latter at next CT they had to change to lights. Do not know of any body who has got through a CT with tape recently

[cooperlola]

My friends are trying it next week (on the advice of their garage).  As you say, they were told they could "do this only once."

[Ron Avery]

I have not heard of tape Anton, but one person I know got through with deflectors but quite frankly in my opinion its a false economy where we live and they are daft for putting their lives at risk for £80 on Ebay for a brand new set of lamps.

[cooperlola]

I was not advocating it as a long-term solution, but with a relatively rare car, it may take the o/p a little while to source what they want, so it could be a temporary fix.

[Ron Avery]

Coops its not satisfactory to use tape in the short or long term,  its downright reckless.  Have you ever driven a car on dark night in rain with tape on the headlights, I have on holiday here , it put the fear of Christ up me and I had to take the tape off. Great advice from the garage, I bet he sells insurance for UK registered cars as well[Www]

[cooperlola]

I hate the tape too, but many use it for hols and in summer it's not bad - I rarely drive after dark myself at this time of year anyway.

And no, he doesn't sell insurance for UK registered cars etc etc.  My friends are awaiting delivery of LHD headlamps and they've been quoted "up to four weeks."  In July, when they don't drive in the dark much, if at all, it's pretty safe.  If they waited, they could not re-register their car, and it would illegally have a UK registration.  Which is the lesser of the two evils, then?

[Will]

[quote user="cooperlola"]My friends are trying it next week (on the advice of their garage).  As you say, they were told they could "do this only once."[/quote]

Listen very carefully, you can do this only once...

Seriously though, listen up to this...

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/974030/ShowPost.aspx

[woolybanana (ex tag)]

Will, I just turned mine upside down. Doesn't everyone? Try it.

Tape was ok during the war, ok now!

[Claire]

Our Jeep Cherokee passed this week on deflectors. To replace the headlights, which is what is required for our car, would cost in the region of 800 Euros plus fitting charges.

[Sunday Driver]

CT regulation code 42141 provides that headlamp lenses must have the appropriate E markings.  Plastic stick-on supplementary lenses (beam benders) do not have EU type approval markings, so they are a fail item.  Adhesive tape applied to the lenses contravenes EU directive 70/156/CEE as enacted in French law by the Order of 1 October 1999 (Journal Officiel). 

In terms of importing a car here, it's the same process as in the UK - there, the UK Vehicle Certification Agency require proof that the headlamps have been changed for left dipping ones and state that "stickers, beam deflectors and other non-permanent changes are not acceptable".

Obtaining the necessary equipment to modify one's vehicle to comply with French traffic law should be done before arriving here, otherwise if you can't get the necessary parts within the time limit for registration, then you can't legally continue to drive the car.  

In terms of expense, it's just one of the costs of moving to France which should be taken into account before anyone moves over here.   

 

[Val_2]

WhenI bought a car over in 95, my insurers paid for the lights to be changed, bet they don't pay these days.

[Nick Trollope]

[quote user="Val_2"]WhenI bought a car over in 95, my insurers paid for the lights to be changed, bet they don't pay these days.[/quote]

I wonder if anyone will take you up on that Val?

 

[Val_2]

It was a nice surprise as I had to pay VW to fit new units,the invoice for which was presented to the insurers to proove they had beenchanged for the CT and then a week later I got a cheque from the insurers here for the full amount and I even went to see them asking why. Mind you there weren't many english cars coming here to be re-registered then compared to today.

[Ron Avery]

Just read on a Spanish Forum, looking for something else, that the from May 2007 any owner of any UK registered car not registered in Spain within 30 days of arrival in Spain would be fined 12% of its value. Not sure of the accuracy although it was on  spanish TV programme apparently, as the same topic said all cars imported to Spain had to pay VAT,  so not sure if this is true or how it applies, in most cases at the airport car parks that would be a fine of 30€.  One poster said her car was not worth putting iinto the Spanish system as that cost more than the car, I hope nobody on here meets her on the roads of Europe, mind you I just saw a F reg Rover in the village, it was exported in 1988 and still on UK plates so how much would that be worth and who the hell insures such wrecks?

[Val_2]

Well we have a VW Scirocco GTX bought brand new in UK 1985 and insured and reimatriculated here in France and not a patch of rust on her. In fact we were offered twice the price it was worth ten years ago by an enthusiast but decided to decline and keep her ourselves.

[suein56]

[quote user="Ron Avery"]mind you I just saw a F reg Rover in the village, it was exported in 1988 and still on UK plates so ... who the hell insures such wrecks?[/quote]

Probably nobody - would be my guess.

Sue

[sclarke2208]

I'm about to move over to France in September and have started a search re: right dipping headlights for my 2000Citroen Xsara. Tried E-bay and they are brand new at £149 + £21 p/p. There are 1 or 2 specialists in my area that may be able to help,  but I feel £170 is not a bad price to pay compared to the other poster who may have to fork out €800.

roseysan

[Onion van man]

[quote user="sclarke2208"]

I'm about to move over to France in September and have started a search re: right dipping headlights for my 2000Citroen Xsara. Tried E-bay and they are brand new at £149 + £21 p/p. There are 1 or 2 specialists in my area that may be able to help,  but I feel £170 is not a bad price to pay compared to the other poster who may have to fork out €800.

roseysan

[/quote]

I think its probably best to buy them in France. I found left hand drive headlamps for my car for £149 & £20 pp. But, RHD ones are only £100 here. Working on that basis LHD ones are bound to be cheaper in a country where they are the norm surely ? If not I can still get them from the company on Ebay (which are in Germany).

[Chancer]

[quote user="nicktrollope"]

[quote user="Val_2"]WhenI bought a car over in 95, my insurers paid for the lights to be changed, bet they don't pay these days.[/quote]

I wonder if anyone will take you up on that Val?

 

[/quote]

I was speaking to someone recently who is trying to reregister a British Transit van, when I offered to convert his headlamps (yes it can be done, and no I will no longer post how to after being flamed) he said that the local garage had done it and the insurance (French) were paying, he wasn't sure how or why as his French is not that good, perhaps they claimed under breakage of glass like windscreens or perhaps he will learn more when he loses his majoration but perhaps it is still possible?

Aside from my converted headlights and his new ones all the other reregistered british cars, (which are sadly outnumbered by those still on UK plates) have passed the CT with sticky tape or sick on lenses, mind you they all go to the same CT centre.

[Philouis]

If you have a popular make of car, it is possible to go a breakers yard and pick up LHD lenses quite cheaply. I did!

[LEO]

At the back of the headlamp on a Mercedes there is a lever/switch for RHD or LHD .Takes two minutes to excecute the change

[Chancer]

[quote user="Philouis"]If you have a popular make of car, it is possible to go a breakers yard and pick up LHD lenses quite cheaply. I did![/quote]

Oh dear I find myself once again drawn to comment, I just hope that I dont get flamed again[:(]

I apologise if you meant that you changed the whole headlight but your post indicated a change of lenses.

You could indeed fit LHD lenses, and having the relevant E number (E4 I believe) they may pass the requirement for say a DRIRE visual inspection but they will in no way at all change the beam pattern as tested at CT, this will be quite evident when driving at night.

Contrary to poular myth (and this is where I will probably once again get flamed) the headlight glasses to use their correct name do not deflect or mask the light emitted from the dipped beam bulb element, that is done by the angular orientation of the bulb within the housing, or to be more exact the angular position of the dipped beam shroud within the bulb.

During the 80's it was common for Italian cars especially Lancias to have two different angular locations for the headlight bulb one for LHD the other for RHD.

The only physical difference between E1 and E4 marked lenses or RHD and LHDF ones is the position of the lines indicating where to mask the lenses for temporary travel ie holidays driving on the other side of the road.

I can tell you exactly how and when I first discovered this: I had one of the first production Ford Galaxies, at its first MOT it failed on headlight dip pattern, on closer examination I found it had been fitted with LHD units. After paying loads of money for the new ones only to find that they appeared identical I examined them in detail, aside from the lens marking as above the only (yet significant) differnce was the angular rotation of the bulbs within the bulbholder.

I now convert my cars from RHD to lhd by modifying the bulb flange to fit in the correct angular position, every car I have submitted to CT like this has been met with scepticism but always remarked as "impec" after the beam test, it also has the advantage of being easy to switch back for travel in the UK by putting standard unmodified bulbs back in.

The above information does not apply to the new gas discharge projector type lights which as posted before usually have some form of lever control to effect the change.

P.S. It wasnt this forum that I was flamed on but the memory lingers on of being on the receiving end when trying to help someone who could not source LHD units, since then I have helped out several people, one or two on this forum but only by PM, it was very heartening though to get e-mails back to say how pleased they were to pass the CT and with the efficacity at night.