Xenon headlamps and beam conversion for driving abroad

Lemoncurd

Two days before taking our car to France my OH has discovered that we can't use the stick on headlamp beam converters on our car and have to have the lights adjusted.

The car manual says that this needs to be doen by a dealer and the Audi dealer and another Audi specialist near us want £44 each time the switch is done. i.e almost £90 for the trip Is there another way to do it?

There was I thinking we'd save money by driving rather than flying!

anewman

Take a look on the Audi/VAG owners forums. AFAIK it's normally some sort of hidden switch or sequence which is generally hidden to the owner, and if that's the case, rather than paying Audi £44 to press some buttons, do it yourself.

peterbaker

Some Audis have a simple manual lever behind the lights. My current one doesn't. I would forget it and just tell hubby to drive slower with the lights angled low and on dip. (All Audis have a 0123 beam angle adjuster nob somewhere on the dashboard I think!)

Alternatively buy the cheapest adhesive ones you can get and plead ignorance if any authority demands an explanation.

You can't be any worse than the hundreds of foreign vehicles on our roads that have had no adjustment. Unless you are planning on lots of high speed driving in bad weather or at night, I wouldn't give it another thought.

Just my two-pennorth of course and I'm open to reminders of reasons why this might be too naughty for words!

donaldtramp

Lemoncurd,

I had the same issue when driving my BMW to France. It turns out it was pretty simple to modify.

There is a little metal lever behind each headlight and you have to flick it up or down. The lever is in behind the plastic cap on the back of the headlamp unit inside the bonnet. On my car it was down on the passenger headlight and up on the drivers side. To check, drive your car close to a wall after you have done the conversion. You can tell with the beam pattern.

BEWARE THOUGH!! DO NOT TOUCH BEHIND THE HEADLIGHTS WITH THEM SWITCHED ON. XENON HEADLIGHTS RUN ON 25000 VOLTS!!

ALWAYS turn the lights and ignition off when you adjust and every time you check the lights.
Warning out of the way! It's not difficult. The lever works down on one side and up on the other to change from/back to British spec. Play about with them and you will suss it.

DT

Stephen_Leak

peterbaker wrote: »

You can't be any worse than the hundreds of foreign vehicles on our roads that have had no adjustment.

They don't need it, because their lights are directed straight ahead, not into the oncoming carriageway.

The problem with our lights is the part of the beam that is directed towards the kerb in the UK, which becomes the oncoming carriageway when you are on the continent.

boyse7en

Same on the Xenon equipped Ford Mondeo a friend has. Ther is a small lever under a plastic cover on the rear of the lamp unit which adjusts the beam over. If it is on Ford and BMW, it should be similar on most cars.

Have you tried the Audi Owners Club forum? Most are only too willing to help with info on this sort of thing.

Victors_Bruvver

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

They don't need it, because their lights are directed straight ahead, not into the oncoming carriageway.

The problem with our lights is the part of the beam that is directed towards the kerb in the UK, which becomes the oncoming carriageway when you are on the continent.

I find that incredible. I have been mulling recently (sad?) why we brits are always pounced upon at Dover and possibly at the other ferry ports with people in high viz jackets handing leaflets on what the legal requirements of driving on the continent of Europe are. Obviously having the headlamps pointing in the other direction and not blinding oncoming traffic is a high priority but what baffles me is that you do not see the same band of men & women over there handing out a similar leaflet to ‘Johnny Foreigner’.

By the way, with reference to mine about people in high viz jackets or gilets. It is the law in a few European countries not to have one or two, depending on how many people in the car, in the boot in case of a roadside emergency. Not only is a sensible law that we should take up but if you are passing any good French supermarket like Auchan or Carrefour, they will cost you a fraction of what they over here and at the ferry terminals. Have not got the till receipt to hand but I think two euros in Auchan Calais. I can recommend the one kilo bags of salted peanuts; they go well with a drink whilst at the PC.

Would the cost for the changing over above Audi headlights be similar for my VW Passat or does anyone here know if there is switch hidden away in the engine compartment?

peterbaker

Victors_Bruvver wrote: »

...Would the cost for the changing over above Audi headlights be similar for my VW Passat or does anyone here know if there is switch hidden away in the engine compartment?

... VAG hourly rates are truly eyewatering almost everywhere ... I've given up using them. As for whether there's a switch it might be standard on the latest Xenon-equipped ones, I don't know. But my 1995 A6 SE had the switches (levers behind the lights) and my 1999 A6 (not SE) does not.

I must admit I too am very surprised to learn about the European dip straight ahead difference ... I naturally assumed that they dipped to down to the right instead of down to the left like ours ... oh well, we live and learn :beer:

Actually I'd like to add some further practical experience to this thread:

1. I have an originally French LHD motorhome which someone has fitted with adhesive beam deflectors when it was imported and it has been through several MOTs like it. What's that all about then?
2. The best test of whether you are a nuiscance to drivers on the opposite carriageway is whether the bored lorry drivers coming the other way flash you or not. I don't have Xenons but I will always get flashed if I forget and am on high beam even when on a left hand curve on the motorway sur le Continent, but I don't recall being flashed when on dip. There is such a huge difference in acceptable headlight intensity now that I would say it is actually more of a question of if you KNOW you are a problem to others by being constantly flashed then that's when to spend money/turn down the angle/dare I say even get normal 55W halogens!!. If you are not an apparent nuiscance (like me:A ) then I suggest continue doing whatever proves reasonable!

Stephen_Leak

Victors_Bruvver wrote: »

Obviously having the headlamps pointing in the other direction and not blinding oncoming traffic is a high priority but what baffles me is that you do not see the same band of men & women over there handing out a similar leaflet to ‘Johnny Foreigner’.

As advised, their headlights direct all of the light straight ahead, so no adjustment (or blanking off the bit of the lens that directs the part of the beam towards the kerb) is required.

BTW, I agree about the high visibility vests - the cheapest I've found so far is £2.99 for adults and £1.75 for children at Ikea (with their free discount card).

Mind you, if I have any more emergency equipment in my car, I will have to repaint it dark green with a "2" on the roof!

peterbaker

Stephen does that mean I can safely remove the adhesive beam deflectors on my (ex French) Ducato?

anewman

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

BTW, I agree about the high visibility vests - the cheapest I've found so far is £2.99 for adults and £1.75 for children at Ikea (with their free discount card).

Sure I've seen them in Poundland. Also seen them in Home Bargains, but the price I think was 99p or 1.99. Not 100% sure.