Dipped Beams for Spain (1 Viewer)

Aug 31, 2009
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hi
we are going to Spain in 3 weeks and I am looking for advice on how to adjust the headlights on our 2008 Rapido motorhome (fiat Ducato) for RH driving. Or indeed if they need to be adjusted....apparently some headlights on modern vehicles don't deflect to the left or right on dipped beam setting.

thanks a lot for any advice

Peter
 

MicknPat

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I'm lead to believe that most modern vehicles head lights now just dip up & down, this has gone on for years with foreign vehicles.........you never see a Spanish, French or German registered vehicle in the UK with beam benders on do you?

Mick
 

kenspain

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May 22, 2009
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If your not sure on your lights just bring a set of beam benders with you because if your lights are wrong the police here will stop you and can fine you on the spot for that here. Also a lot or road checks around Alicante this week.

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lebesset

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May 31, 2009
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if you have the dip up and down then putting beam benders on will render them illegal
having said that the police in spain carry no equipment to check your beam anyway ...are they really going to take you off to a test staion ?

wait until dark then try your lights against a blank wall , you will soon see if there is a big shift to the right when you dip , if there isn't , forget it

in any case the whole thing is a nonsense , when the lights are dipped , who are they going to blind anyway , it's main beam that does that and they face straight ahead whatever the system
as an aside , for many years british motorists were told by the motor clubs et al to paint their headlights yellow for france ...this rendered them illegal in the uk , and as you have to have a vehicle which is legal in uk [ if registered there] to drive in france , so you were illegal in france technically ; the french only ever required that french registered vehicles had yellow lights anyway

but as usual , someone made a lot of money out of selling mugs yellow paint , and headlamp covers

and by the way , if you DO decide to fit beam benders , wait until you are outside the UK , otherwise you will be illegal there , won't you ?

personally I don't drive around in the dark or rain in france/spain anyway
 

kenspain

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May 22, 2009
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if you have the dip up and down then putting beam benders on will render them illegal
having said that the police in spain carry no equipment to check your beam anyway ...are they really going to take you off to a test staion ?

wait until dark then try your lights against a blank wall , you will soon see if there is a big shift to the right when you dip , if there isn't , forget it

in any case the whole thing is a nonsense , when the lights are dipped , who are they going to blind anyway , it's main beam that does that and they face straight ahead whatever the system
as an aside , for many years british motorists were told by the motor clubs et al to paint their headlights yellow for france ...this rendered them illegal in the uk , and as you have to have a vehicle which is legal in uk [ if registered there] to drive in france , so you were illegal in france technically ; the french only ever required that french registered vehicles had yellow lights anyway

but as usual , someone made a lot of money out of selling mugs yellow paint , and headlamp covers

and by the way , if you DO decide to fit beam benders , wait until you are outside the UK , otherwise you will be illegal there , won't you ?

personally I don't drive around in the dark or rain in france/spain anyway

Sorry to say we now have here all that is needed to check any thing they want to last year the police have have have 6 new vans on the road for road side checks I know because they stopped me and with in 20min the van arrived and took 30 min going over my van
 

vwalan

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if it bothers you stick some tape on the lense .ocer the little triangulershape bit (or similer0 if you hannt got one then guess it. dont drive atnight much. thepolice will see it think youare correct andmove on. .if you have plastic lenses then look for lense protectorsor something so you dont damage the original lense.

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madbluemad

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Sorry to say we now have here all that is needed to check any thing they want to last year the police have have have 6 new vans on the road for road side checks I know because they stopped me and with in 20min the van arrived and took 30 min going over my van

Hi Ken
Out of interest, what was the reason for the police stopping you and what did they check/investigate etc on your van.

Jim
:Smile:
 

kenspain

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May 22, 2009
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We have had some problems near Alicante with with a lot of English cars with no tax or mot that have been here a long time, as my van is Spanish reg i thought that i want get stopped at the road check they did, just went through most things they can then called the van and they went under my van just looking and sent me on my way. My local police mate said there was a drug raid and the check was for that,
 
Feb 5, 2009
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Hi All

What an amazing co-incidence (for me) that this thread cropped up today. :whatthe:

I was due to go tonight to get some beam benders for my 58 plate Ducato based CI, as we're off to France on Friday night...

So, do you think I need them ? It's our first time over there in this 'van, so I haven't had to worry up till now...

What do you think ?

Cheers

Steve

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Stephen & Jeannie

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When you are on holiday and relaxing, why drive in the night anyway ???
I don't even drive in the rain, but as I have no time issues that's OK...:thumb:
 

madbluemad

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Hi All

What an amazing co-incidence (for me) that this thread cropped up today. :whatthe:

I was due to go tonight to get some beam benders for my 58 plate Ducato based CI, as we're off to France on Friday night...

So, do you think I need them ? It's our first time over there in this 'van, so I haven't had to worry up till now...

What do you think ?

Cheers

Steve

Hi Steve

I would say that you definatley need them. They only cost a few bob and you will soon work out where to stick them on your headlights.

Do you have your High Vis Vests, Warning Triangles, Spare Bulbs and Fist Aid Kit :Eeek:

Stay legal and safe.

Jim

:Smile:

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hilldweller

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So, do you think I need them ? It's our first time over there in this 'van, so I haven't had to worry up till now...
What do you think ?

Get then, less than a tenner, I don't think they work much anyway, but stick 'em on and if you get the copper who's wife has a headache then you're covered.

Apply a load of polish to the lens first, the first ones I used the glue just would not come off the plastic. I've not actually tried polish, so do one side as a test to make sure it sticks.

Hmmm, to French wives get headaches, we know a little frog who will tell us.
 

madbluemad

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Get then, less than a tenner, I don't think they work much anyway, but stick 'em on and if you get the copper who's wife has a headache then you're covered.

Apply a load of polish to the lens first, the first ones I used the glue just would not come off the plastic. I've not actually tried polish, so do one side as a test to make sure it sticks.

Hmmm, to French wives get headaches, we know a little frog who will tell us.

Same here Brian, I had to scrape the stuff off in the end.

Jim
:Smile:
 

hilldweller

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Same here Brian, I had to scrape the stuff off in the end.
Jim
:Smile:

I did all the right things - heat - label removal spray. Gave up waited, Then in the end just kept gently rubbing.

This year I bought some deflectors off ebay - totally different, proper fresnal lenses with a thin ring of double sided tape. They came off a treat and I think I can re-use them.

Here they are:
Link Removed

Fair old difference between ebay prices and the docks !!
 

lebesset

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May 31, 2009
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well kenspain , did the police check your headlamp beams ?
no , I thought not , they have no kit to do so

and why anyone on this forum would say ...you definitely need them ...is beyond me ..based on what evidence ?

as previously stated you can test them yourself ....in 30 seconds at no cost ... so if you are bothered , why guess ?

when I changed a uk registered vehicle to french registration I just changed the bulbs to the modern flat topped bulbs so it will pass the mot anywhere if I understand correctly , certainly passed in france ...don't tell me the old fashioned dipping system is still fitted to vehicles sold in the uk ...come to think of it they probably do knowing british officialdom !
 

Geo

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well kenspain , did the police check your headlamp beams ?
no , I thought not , they have no kit to do so

and why anyone on this forum would say ...you definitely need them ...is beyond me ..based on what evidence ?

as previously stated you can test them yourself ....in 30 seconds at no cost ... so if you are bothered , why guess ?

when I changed a uk registered vehicle to french registration I just changed the bulbs to the modern flat topped bulbs so it will pass the mot anywhere if I understand correctly , certainly passed in france ...don't tell me the old fashioned dipping system is still fitted to vehicles sold in the uk ...come to think of it they probably do knowing british officialdom !
Might only be a minor point but er, it a legal requirement:RollEyes:

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pappajohn

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not 100% but if your lense has no pattern then its straight dip and main.

its the glass pattern and ,ofcourse, the bulb that produces the dip beam shift.

older uk light will always have a cutoff in the beam so dip shines further along the verge than in the road center or off side.

im sure Geo can verify or shoot down my thoughts:thumb:
 

lebesset

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it is only a legal requirement if you have the old fashioned type lights ; so saying it is so without knowing what sort of lights the enquirer has fitted cannot be correct !!

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Apr 27, 2008
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My headlights are tiny little round ones, so having no clue what was needed I made up a couple of little dots about 5p size, sticky back plastic as per Blue Peter, and stuck them where they would intercept the dipped beam. I don't normally ever drive at night sur le continent anyway but at least if the police looked I had made an effort.:RollEyes:
 

pappajohn

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My headlights are tiny little round ones, so having no clue what was needed I made up a couple of little dots about 5p size, sticky back plastic as per Blue Peter, and stuck them where they would intercept the dipped beam. I don't normally ever drive at night sur le continent anyway but at least if the police looked I had made an effort.:RollEyes:

i think if you have the small round lights you have the new straight dip/main and it doesnt have a left bias.

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Geo

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I can only comment on what I have tested and the science of headlights has gone beyond all recognition its a combination of lens/reflector and bulbs.
Also any comination seems to have been made to work
in essence yes a plain lens can have the left lick off.
I drew a pic once and posted it on here
how to check and
What to look for also what to blank off, but I cant find the post now:Doh:
Geo
 

pappajohn

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I can only comment on what I have tested and the science of headlights has gone beyond all recognition its a combination of lens/reflector and bulbs.
Also any comination seems to have been made to work
in essence yes a plain lens can have the left lick off.
I drew a pic once and posted it on here
how to check and
What to look for also what to blank off, but I cant find the post now:Doh:
Geo

a shame Mr Lucas didnt know that.....he could have saved a fortune on glass molds and got rid of the pattern.::bigsmile:
 

lebesset

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the truth of the matter is that the lighting regulations have changed several times all over europe in the last decade , you know the sort of thing , yes you can fit xenon bulbs except no you can't because...........etc ; you never know who to believe ...if you ask the ministry they will sometimes just give an opinion as to what the law is !! ask more than one person there and you get different opinions !

so I reiterate ...if you want to get this right FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE THEN DECIDE WHAT YOU NEED ..CIRCUMSTANCES ALTER CASES

eg it used to be that you had to change your headlights if you had a LHD which dipped to the right , in order to pass the MOT
I am given to understand that you can now fit deflectors and the vehicle will pass the MOT like that !

and have you EVER seen a foreign registered vehicle in the uk fitted with deflectors ....how many times have you seen foreign trucks being passed through ministry checks without them

why do we bother ? nobody else does and I have never known anyone being picked up for this in 35 years!!!

as rhett so appositely said...frankly , my dear , I don't give a damn

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pappajohn

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and have you EVER seen a foreign registered vehicle in the uk fitted with deflectors ....

thats because our wonderful constabulary dont have the spanish polices "lets stop this sucker and see how much we can screw him for" attitude. ::bigsmile:
but if a fatal night time accident happened the attitude may change if the lights were wrong.

i reckon most wouldnt even know what to look for.:Doh:
 
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lebesset

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well pj , I have only been going to spain for a little over 40 years , ok , 43 years if you press me
but I can honestly say that ,since the franco era , I have received ,from the police and the guardia , unfailing help and courtesy

I am not saying they won't jump on you for a moving traffic offence , just as they do on the spanish , but for little things like wild camping illegally a little ...don't do it again or there will be a fine ....a salute and a smile and ok you can stay until the morning but we will be back then [ they never are ] , and off they go

I often wonder where all the adverse comment comes from ...depends how you treat them I suppose

I well remember being moved on with a number of others from a favoured wild camping spot not too far from the sea ; as luck would have it one of the guardia [ a young lady ] spoke perfect french ; why move us on I asked , we are doing no harm , and keeping the place clean and tidy ...and we will only go somewhere else

she was indignant ! it is not we spanish , she said , we don't mind ; but we have a lot of english and german residents who keep ringing the chief and complaining , so we are told to move you
but really , she said , it is because they like to come here with their dogs to have a s**t and leave the place like a cess pit
 

kenspain

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well kenspain , did the police check your headlamp beams ?
no , I thought not , they have no kit to do so

and why anyone on this forum would say ...you definitely need them ...is beyond me ..based on what evidence ?

as previously stated you can test them yourself ....in 30 seconds at no cost ... so if you are bothered , why guess ?

when I changed a uk registered vehicle to french registration I just changed the bulbs to the modern flat topped bulbs so it will pass the mot anywhere if I understand correctly , certainly passed in france ...don't tell me the old fashioned dipping system is still fitted to vehicles sold in the uk ...come to think of it they probably do knowing british officialdom !

No they did not check my headlamp beams as my van is Spanish.

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