Honda Accord headlights.

[bobmaddison]

Hi folks, Going to France do I need headlight deflector for my 09 Honda accord, I've been told it switchable ?

[Derek Uzzell]

The requirement is that a vehicle’s headlamps must not dazzle oncoming drivers, and this is true for a vehicle being driven in the UK as well as abroad.

 

Many vehicles’ headlamps have an asymmetrical dipped-beam pattern designed to illuminate the kerb of roads in the country in which the vehicle is intended to be marketed. So the headlamps of vehicles intended to be marketed in the UK (that has ‘left-hand traffic’) tend to have a leftwards dipped-beam pattern, whereas the headlamps of vehicles intended to be marketed in countries that have ‘right-hand traffic’ (eg. Continental European countries) tend to have a rightwards dipped-beam pattern. Besides dipping towards the relevant kerb, it’s commonplace for the beam-pattern to have a ‘kick-up’ on its outer side, and it is this that can cause dazzle and what headlamp deflectors seek to alter.

 

My 2009 Skoda car has ‘projector’ headlamps that have a single H7 halogen bulb and the dipped-beam pattern is produced by a metal shield inside the headlamp. It is possible, by moving a small lever at the rear of the headlamp, to easily alter the positioning of the shield so that the ‘kick-up’ on the left of the dipped-beam pattern is suppressed. However, other same-model/same-year Skoda cars have headlamps with a twin-filament H4 halogen bulb and these need to have deflectors (or ‘masks’) to suppress the leftwards kick-up.

 

I can’t answer your question about your Accord’s headlamps, but I can say that my Skoda’s Owner Handbook includes advice on how the dipped-beam pattern of my car’s headlamps can be altered for driving in countries that have ‘right-hand traffic' by moving the lever in the back of the headlamp. So, if your Accord’s headlamps have a similar capability, I’d expect that feature to be described in its Honda Owners Handbook.

 

A Honda agent SHOULD be able to advise. If not, try asking on the forum of the Honda Owners Club

 

https://uk.hondaownersclub.com/forums/

 

If you shine the headlamps of your Accord on to a light-coloured wall - or on a light-coloured garage door - in the dark, you should be able to see the shape of the dipped-beam pattern and be able to decide whether this is likely to cause dazzle while driving at night in France.

 

You don’t HAVE to fit deflectors and, if your car has a dashboard control to adjust the headlamps’ beam downwards, using that should prevent dazzle (though you might not be able to see very far if the headlamps are depressed so far down that they can’t dazzle...)

 

Or you could just fit beam deflectors irrespective of whether or not your Accord’s lights can be twiddled for right-hand traffic. I recall reading an independent test of these things and their effectiveness was much criticised, but a set of “Eurolites” deflectors is under a fiver and, being visible, on the headlamps will indicate to anyone interested (eg. the French police) that you are being a considerate law-abiding UK driver. ;-)

[bobmaddison]

Thank you Derek, most enlightening. (Get it)