Continental Headlights (1 Viewer)

[ojibway]

Hi Funsters,
My Sprinter came with two sets of headlights - UK and original continental ones.

Is it true or just myth that vehicles with continental headlights don't need beam benders when on UK roads?
Because we have been driving mostly in France I have kept the continental headlight only to change them for the MOT.
Because we have been using the MH in the UK more frequently recently I have used the UK headlights.
Rather than keep swapping them I thought I might be able to keep the contis on if they don't need beam benders.
Any opinions/suggestions - sensible, of course
Michael

 

[Badknee]

Ask yourself this, have you ever seen a foreign registered vehicle in the uk with beam deflectors?

 

[Wickolad]

I personally think you've answered you own question. You put uk lamps on for MOT. If you took it for MOT with continental lamps on it would fail. This being due to exactly same the reason we have to put beam venders on when driving on continent, to stop blinding oncoming drivers at night. Hope this helps, Lance

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[Don Quixote]

The other thing is how many MH do you see driving after dark.......................

 

[Tea Bag]

Hi.
Had to buy new headlamps for the Renault,to pass the test for importing it into Portugal,but will keep the UK ones,incase i ever sell it on. RHD out here would not sell very well,plus the fact that if i did sell it here,i would have to pay back.."Import ? Tax" Don't ask.
Tea Bag

 

[****]

Why bother changing them for the MOT when a strip of dark tape over the datum line is suffice for the MOT.

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[ojibway]

Why bother changing them for the MOT when a strip of dark tape over the datum line is suffice for the MOT.

Not sure where the datum line is. My lenses are plain.

 

[ojibway]

The other thing is how many MH do you see driving after dark.......................

Not that often but often enough especially in the UK coming back from France on later tunnel crossings.

 

[ojibway]

.....This being due to exactly same the reason we have to put beam venders on when driving on continent, to stop blinding oncoming drivers at night......

I read somewhere that continental headlights don't do the same as UK ones , ie., shine on the curb side but I'm not sure that's the case. I will try facing a garage door and looking at the light configuration. I don't want to intentionally shine the beams onto oncoming drivers in the UK.

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[Wickolad]

Why bother changing them for the MOT when a strip of dark tape over the datum line is suffice for the MOT.

That's what I do when we drive in continent, bit of black insulation tape. Far cheaper that the beam venders usually on sale at a rip off price and doesn't leave the glue residue when you take them off back in uk

 

[ojibway]

Ask yourself this, have you ever seen a foreign registered vehicle in the uk with beam deflectors?

I don't think any eastern Europeans have a clue about UK rules nor do I think UK police carry out any such checks on headlights. Our cops have no teeth when it comes to dealing with foreigners who blatantly disregard our rules!

 

[ojibway]

That's what I do when we drive in continant, bit of black insulation tape. Far cheaper that the beam venders usually on sale at a rip off price and doesn't leave the glue residue when you take them off back in uk

That's what I will probably do, when I can figure out where to place the strips!

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[Wickolad]

Not that often but often enough especially in the UK coming back from France on later tunnel crossings.

It doesn't even have to be late in winter months uk, 3.30pm onwards and dark which is great when you finish work at 4 or 5 to then get away for weekend. Then there's the driving in rain and fog, happy days

 

[Wickolad]

That's what I will probably do, when I can figure out where to place the strips!

If you can't find it on google, could be worth you buying just 1x rip off price set of beam venders, they usually come with instructions for headlamp models to use in conjunction with vehicle make/year. Once you have that info, if you use regularly, put a couple of dots with permanent marker where the tape needs to be placed. After doing it a couple times you'll know instinctively, then just polish the dots off.

 

[****]

Not sure where the datum line is. My lenses are plain.

Not that often but often enough especially in the UK coming back from France on later tunnel crossings.

In that case i would leave the UK ones in and find the datum line for when in France. First time i took a car to Germany i got the black stickers on the lamps. I never took them off when i got home and to be honest i never relay noticed much difference when driving at night.

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[maxi77]

Ask yourself this, have you ever seen a foreign registered vehicle in the uk with beam deflectors?

That is more due to the reality that our police cannot deal with foreign drivers as they cannot fine on the spot. No enforcement no deflectors.

 

[Don Quixote]

That is more due to the reality that our police cannot deal with foreign drivers as they cannot fine on the spot. No enforcement no deflectors.

Oh..... but he/she can all be it not on the spot
Fixed penalty notices for non-GB licence holders, even for endorseable offences
One of the barriers to issuing fixed penalty notices for endorseable offences is that the offender must send in a driving licence and counterpart for endorsement. This is often difficult for foreign drivers who wish to return abroad before any endorsement can take place. The RSA makes provision for the DVLA to keep electronic records of penalty points so that this may be accessed by authorised officers and up-dated centrally, even without the physical presence of a licence.

For foreign licence holders, when the offender is able to provide the officer with a licence at the roadside, the officer will no longer seize it. Instead, authorised officers will check the Police National Computer for the penalty point record. If there is no such record, or the points on the record will not make the offender liable under the totting up procedures, then the officer will complete a fixed penalty notice as normal, but will record all the licence details on the fixed penalty notice, together with other evidence of identification, such as a passport number and date of birth. This process can be undergone either with or without a deposit being required.

The fixed penalty notice is then sent to the Central Ticket Office, which notifies the DVLA. The DVLA will update any existing record with the penalty points or will allocate a new record and licence number to the offender.

Where no licence is produced, the system is the same for foreign drivers and British drivers. The officer checks the record in the same way. If the record shows that the driver has a British licence and he also has a satisfactory address, then the officer will issue a provisional fixed penalty notice together with a requirement to produce the licence at a police station, in the usual way.

If, however, there is no record of a British driving licence then the driver is probably driving without a licence and, consequently, without insurance. It would not be appropriate to issue a fixed penalty notice (because more than one endorseable offence has been committed) and so the offender will be reported for summons. If he has no satisfactory address, then he may be required to pay the officer a deposit of £300 (per offence), by way of a surety against the summonses (and may have his vehicle immobilised if he fails to do so).

 

[Badknee]

That is more due to the reality that our police cannot deal with foreign drivers as they cannot fine on the spot. No enforcement no deflectors.

I think it is more to do with they can't be arsed.

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[martin2603]

Europeans make these Laws, we are the only ones to pay any attention to them on touring visits. Do you ever see a foreign HGV deflectors??

 

[****]

Dont HGV's have a jolly little button that tilts the lights for you when driving on the left or right?

 

[maxi77]

Oh..... but he/she can all be it not on the spot
Fixed penalty notices for non-GB licence holders, even for endorseable offences
One of the barriers to issuing fixed penalty notices for endorseable offences is that the offender must send in a driving licence and counterpart for endorsement. This is often difficult for foreign drivers who wish to return abroad before any endorsement can take place. The RSA makes provision for the DVLA to keep electronic records of penalty points so that this may be accessed by authorised officers and up-dated centrally, even without the physical presence of a licence.

For foreign licence holders, when the offender is able to provide the officer with a licence at the roadside, the officer will no longer seize it. Instead, authorised officers will check the Police National Computer for the penalty point record. If there is no such record, or the points on the record will not make the offender liable under the totting up procedures, then the officer will complete a fixed penalty notice as normal, but will record all the licence details on the fixed penalty notice, together with other evidence of identification, such as a passport number and date of birth. This process can be undergone either with or without a deposit being required.

The fixed penalty notice is then sent to the Central Ticket Office, which notifies the DVLA. The DVLA will update any existing record with the penalty points or will allocate a new record and licence number to the offender.

Where no licence is produced, the system is the same for foreign drivers and British drivers. The officer checks the record in the same way. If the record shows that the driver has a British licence and he also has a satisfactory address, then the officer will issue a provisional fixed penalty notice together with a requirement to produce the licence at a police station, in the usual way.

If, however, there is no record of a British driving licence then the driver is probably driving without a licence and, consequently, without insurance. It would not be appropriate to issue a fixed penalty notice (because more than one endorseable offence has been committed) and so the offender will be reported for summons. If he has no satisfactory address, then he may be required to pay the officer a deposit of £300 (per offence), by way of a surety against the summonses (and may have his vehicle immobilised if he fails to do so).

And how often do they do this? I have seen the German police use the deposit system, but it took 2 officers an hour to do it, perhaps that is why that option is so rarely used by UK police. It also show a big flaw in the various camera based systems beloved of our police in the place of human effort

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[Don Quixote]

And how often do they do this? I have seen the German police use the deposit system, but it took 2 officers an hour to do it, perhaps that is why that option is so rarely used by UK police. It also show a big flaw in the various camera based systems beloved of our police in the place of human effort

Once, twice three times a day - forgive me, but how do I know!

 

[Tea Bag]

Hi.
I am lead to believe that some new'ish headlights fitted to vehicles have a "Flat spread beam" Don't shoot the messanger. Mega truckin' Portugues fitters tried to "Adjust" the beam,but could not do it due to lack of enough movement. I have had an occasion,while working over a "Border" LOL,where myself and a fitter,whilst getting a HGV MOT'd (Ex Dutch army DAF) fixed a large pair of stillsons onto the bumper and stood on the handle until the h/light beam shone into the right space,on the understanding we warmed up the bumper with the gas axe and adjusted it properly back on site.......... Proper.
Tea Bag

 

[Malcolm Bolt]

Why bother changing them for the MOT when a strip of dark tape over the datum line is suffice for the MOT.

That's what I do with mine. Actually one of the garage staff did it before it was passed to the tester.

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[****]

That's what I do with mine. Actually one of the garage staff did it before it was passed to the tester.

My motorbike passed an MOT for two years with an Italian headlamp on it. The garage got a new tester who picked it up and he stuck the tap on. Nice man, i never did bother changing it after that.

 

[gus-lopez]

Here they go up & they go down they do not dip to the right to light the kerb. This is why we do not need deflectors in UK & why you see so many drivng at night here in the campo with fogs on so they can see the ditch .lol

 

[dabhand]

How old is the van, I've got a 2012 Hymer on a Sprinter you can alter the beam with a click of a bar on the back of each headlight.

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[ojibway]

Here they go up & they go down they do not dip to the right to light the kerb. This is why we do not need deflectors in UK & why you see so many drivng at night here in the campo with fogs on so they can see the ditch .lol

Thanks, gus-lopez - that's the sort of info I am after. Do German headlight do this and if so, can I keep my non-UK headlights?

 

[ojibway]

How old is the van, I've got a 2012 Hymer on a Sprinter you can alter the beam with a click of a bar on the back of each headlight.

A bit older than that, dabhand, 2004. I don't think there is anything moveable on the back but I will check!

Europeans make these Laws, we are the only ones to pay any attention to them on touring visits. Do you ever see a foreign HGV deflectors??

Some time ago I read that not having your headlights adjusted or deflected when driving abroad, if found out, can void your insurance, even in daylight. In other words, if you were involved in a prang and it was discovered that the lights were not correct then your insurer may not pay up. I can believe this as insurers will find anything to get out of paying.
Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Lenny HB]

How old is the van, I've got a 2012 Hymer on a Sprinter you can alter the beam with a click of a bar on the back of each headlight.

That is because your van is fitted with Hella projector headlamps which can be changed from the kick up to the right to flat dipping.

Thanks, gus-lopez - that's the sort of info I am after. Do German headlight do this and if so, can I keep my non-UK headlights?

They do on some upmarket German cars, fairly certain they don't on vans, if they did you wouldn't have two sets of headlights.

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