Headlight beam deflectors when over the channel

Chris Evans001

Chris Evans001

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So, you've crossed the channel, either by tunnel or boat... The headlights need using because it's getting dark...

Do you put the sticky beam deflectors on the headlights that I'm told are a pain to remove?

Do you not bother?

Is there a switch that flips the headlight over to the right hand side so as not to dazzle others?

Do you put some making tape on the headlight?

I would be really interested to hear from all of you. We are planning to head south in the summer with our 2010 Iveco daily (similar mechanically to fiat ducatto?) and I'm struggling to believe that there is no built in provision for altering the headlight for euro use. Seems crazy to be sticking things on headlights in this modern age of technical wizardry! I have looked in the manual and can find no reference to it.

I even read on another forum, I cant remember which one, some fella carries a spare set of headlights in the front locker of his caravan and fits then when needed. Sounds a bit over the top to me! :eek:

What do you do?

Cheers

Chris
 
I used to have a 2007 transit and put the beambenders on it. Easily removed after use and the sticky residue can be removed by WD40 with out much bother.

My current Motorhome is a Hymer with fancy headlamp units which are not a common make, so would not know where to put benders. Hymer headlights are notoriously crap, so I try not to drive at night. Some of the tunnels in N. Spain are up to 1km long and headlights are required. Nobody flashed me for blinding them so they are either ok or as stated just crap.

They do have levers that allow you to flip from Uk to European settings, but the instructions are poor and you would need arms and fingers like ET to reach them.

My only concern is the tiny possibility of a policeman making an issue out of not having them for want of something better to do!

Davy
 
My comments in blue

Chris Evans001 said:
So, you've crossed the channel, either by tunnel or boat... The headlights need using because it's getting dark...

Do you put the sticky beam deflectors on the headlights that I'm told are a pain to remove?
Yes - although you can get away without them the police particularly in France may well fine you if you don't have them. As for removing them the usual method is to turn on the headlights for a few minutes to warm up the deflectors. They should then peel off reasonably easily. You could use a hair dryer as an alternative but take care to warm up the glass (unless its plastic) slowly or it might crack.

Do you not bother?
I bother - its not a great issue. Buy Eurolites on Ebay from around 4 pounds for a decent set or less for lower quality.

Is there a switch that flips the headlight over to the right hand side so as not to dazzle others?
I think you can be very certain that there are no production vehicles that have this facility. NATO vehicles sometimes use centre dip bulbs to save the problems of left and right hand dipping lights.

Do you put some making tape on the headlight?
It might work but its not official and you might still get in trouble with the police. You would also need to know the size and where to put the tape for the correct effect. The Eurolites come with detailed instructions

I would be really interested to hear from all of you. We are planning to head south in the summer with our 2010 Iveco daily (similar mechanically to fiat ducatto?) and I'm struggling to believe that there is no built in provision for altering the headlight for euro use. Seems crazy to be sticking things on headlights in this modern age of technical wizardry! I have looked in the manual and can find no reference to it.
You won't find anything built into the vehicle for this

I even read on another forum, I cant remember which one, some fella carries a spare set of headlights in the front locker of his caravan and fits then when needed. Sounds a bit over the top to me! :eek:
Yes some people do this but it is a pain to change the lights.

What do you do?
Definitely use the Eurolites

Cheers

Chris
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We have headlight protectors fitted to our x250, these came with masks and markings showing where to stick them, the masks are now long gone but I just use a couple of bits of tape now, clean it off with meths, which reminds me haven't taken them off since last trip.
 
I fitted Eurolite masks to my Ducato headlights and I have not removed them.

I avoid driving at night but the Ducato headlights are excellent and I find that the masks have had little effect on their performance.

In my view it is not worth attracting the attention of the police either here or abroad. All it needs is an over-zealous copper who is determined to find something wrong ...
 
Sometimes I fit them, sometimes I don't. I did fit them earlier this year, and have left them on this time.
 
Yes i use them because for the sake of a couple of quid i don`t want the hassle in case you get a " jobsworth " of a Gendarme over there.

I use Eurolites and fit them at Canterbury P&R just before we drive down to Dover for the ferry.

After the holiday / trip i drive back to Calais with the headlights on then once in the queue lane i remove them.

The headlights being on have softened the glue and they easily pull off, a little methylated spirits removes the glue residue.

DO NOT USE white spirits because that will set the glue and you`ll never get it off.

This regime works for me and i`m happy with it :dance:
 
Hi, we have a Hymer A class and there is provision on the back of the lamp units to change, but since ours is LHD and I've set them to level the beam for UK use I've never bothered to alter them when we go to Europe because there is no need as there is no high part to the dipped beam, the motorhome has been through 7 MOT's with the lights set like this. When we go to Europe in the car we never use beam benders or anything, just look at all the trucks waiting for the ferries never seen any of those use anything.


Graham







Urology nurses just take the pee
 
I spent over eight years doing courier work all over Europe in a sprinter van, so went over at least once a week, and have never used them and never had any problems, I just left the height adjustment set to it’s lowest setting.
When you drive a white van with UK plates through France, it is like a red flag to a bull to the French authorities, so I have been stopped and checked hundreds of times and not once have they mentioned the head lights.
Out of the few people I have seen using them the best system I have seen is to buy some headlamp protectors and stick the beam benders to them, that way it is only a few seconds to clip them on and off again
 
I put them on 4years ago and they are still on. They have never been a mot problem.
 
Headlamps

Just point the van at a light coloured wall, turn on dipped lights, determine where the dipped lamps deflect to, by trial and error apply a broadsheet triangle of pvc tape to lamp. Once you have done it once, and removed the tape back in uk, the residual sticky mark will tell you where to put the tape next time. Alternatively and easier buy the stick on deflectors first time. When you remove them leave the marker spot on the lamps and next time use tape instead. Once you know where to put them it only takes a minute to apply tape.
 
Why bother, with 20+ years of commercial driving in Europe I have never been checked for deflectors. I've been asked for the vehicles papers, whether I have a GB sticker, and regularly stopped for legally driving on a Sunday, but then how many foreign drivers have been stopped in the UK without deflectors? I've never seen a European vehicle in Britain with deflectors.
 
We are bombarded with stuff needed for travel into Europe. In the que at the ferry port each trip a bloke from P & O tries to give all the vehicle drivers a list of shiz needed that can be purchased on the ferry.
I have high vis vests, 2 warning triangles but no breathalysers or beam benders for my camper. This only happens on the uk side. As said before have you ever seen a foreign vehicle fittted with them driving here?
 
antiquesam said:
Why bother, with 20+ years of commercial driving in Europe I have never been checked for deflectors. I've been asked for the vehicles papers, whether I have a GB sticker, and regularly stopped for legally driving on a Sunday, but then how many foreign drivers have been stopped in the UK without deflectors? I've never seen a European vehicle in Britain with deflectors.
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It's that time of year when driving home from work I get dazzled by the morons with badly adjusted headlights, maybe some of them are Europeans with deflectors, although I'm not sure LHD cars have the (reversed) kick up that GB cars have, and IIRC LHD trucks all have flat beams.
 
mark61 said:
Have had a few cars imported from Europe, all have had lights that dip to the right.
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The difference is that the European headlight has an assymetrical beam with a defined cut-off to the kick up, whereas the British headlight has an extended assymetrical kick up. On modern RHD vehicles however, the headlights should also be of the European type, albeit with the kick up on the opposite side of the dipped beam. My Volvo headlights are of the European beam type with a leftward restricted kick up, and Volvo state that no adjustment or masking is required for driving on the right.

On my Ducato, I have a pair of the clip on headlamp covers with a permanent masked area. I only use them when going abroad, fit them before leaving home and remove them on my return. You shouldn't apply adhesive masking tape or film direct to modern headlamps with plastic lenses as it can cause permanent damage to the plastic due to a reaction with the adhesive.
 
antiquesam said:
Why bother, with 20+ years of commercial driving in Europe I have never been checked for deflectors. I've been asked for the vehicles papers, whether I have a GB sticker, and regularly stopped for legally driving on a Sunday, but then how many foreign drivers have been stopped in the UK without deflectors? I've never seen a European vehicle in Britain with deflectors.
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Simply they are not a legal requirement here or foreign vehicles, unlike France. Whether someone chooses it ignore it is up to them.
 
As far as I know requirement is not to dazzle other drivers. Same here as abroard.

A LHD I imported failed MOT on it's lights, all that was needed was sticky tape and it passed. I did eventually get lights for driving on left.
 
Fazerloz said:
I put them on 4years ago and they are still on. They have never been a mot problem.
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Nor would they be. In essence the MOT test checks that your headlights do not dazzle oncoming traffic. The masks, not beam benders because they don't do that, much reduce the likelihood of dazzle.
 
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