headlight masks

[trickydicky]

i've got a new fiat ducato. can anyone tell me, on these type of headlights do they need masks to drive on the continent. thankyou.

[Itexuk]

Hi, You need beam benders which you can get from Halfords.

[mike 202]

Agree that halfords do beam benders, I would however suggest that you get a set of headlamp covers and stick the beam benders to these.

That way you do not risk any damage to the vehicle plastic lenses when you remove the benders when you get back to the UK. Also you do not have to keep buying beam benders again, so in the long run it is more economical.

Headlamp covers from Fiat main dealers are approx £65 inc Vat.

Many happy trips on the continent

Mike

[chatterdog]

Agree with the above post use the beambenders on the headlight protectors as have heard the glue sometimes causes crazing on the plastic now used for headlights. Infact i have two sets of protectors one for europe with the beambenders on and one for over here just to help protect the plastic headlight from stones etc thrown up by any vehicles in front when out driving. Would rather have damage to a protector than end up paying 200+ for a new headlight unit.

[Mr. Grumpy]

Before you buy covers from Fiat check Peugeot prices, for the old version they were half the Fiat price!

[mike 202]

sorry forgot to add that the Fiat covers include 2 sets of masks, so it is more of a bargain as you will not have to buy the beam benders if you are happy with the masks

[Way2Go]

Itexuk - 2008-11-19 10:04 AM Hi, You need beam benders which you can get from Halfords.

I would have to disagree and advise you NOT to stick 'beam benders' on to your plastic lenses.  It will cause crazing and there are no line up marks to fit them correctly so it'll be almost impossible to fit them correctly.

Your best option is to get a set of 'headlamp protectors' (part number 46003173) from your local Fiat dealer.

While you're at it, you might want to also add a pair of mudguards for the front wheels part number 50901517.

W2G

[Brambles]

..and to clarify something else, it is NOT the adhesive which causes the crazing, it is the heat built up caused by the benders being in contact with the surface of the plastic when the lights are switched on. It is thermal stress.

[Itexuk]

Way2Go - 2008-11-19 11:55 AM

Itexuk - 2008-11-19 10:04 AM Hi, You need beam benders which you can get from Halfords.

I would have to disagree and advise you NOT to stick 'beam benders' on to your plastic lenses.  It will cause crazing and there are no line up marks to fit them correctly so it'll be almost impossible to fit them correctly.

Your best option is to get a set of 'headlamp protectors' (part number 46003173) from your local Fiat dealer.

While you're at it, you might want to also add a pair of mudguards for the front wheels part number 50901517.

W2G

Have you ever had any craze??? I bet not.Have been using beam benders for years on plastic and never had a problem.

[neillking]

I can vouch for the headlamp protector route. I bought a pair from Fiat because I was losing expensive headlamps to stone damage. They came complete with a triple set of masks for European travel and I have to say their use is easy and convenient - on my previous model Ducato at least. There is a catch-22 in that Fiat UK don't stock the black masks so after using up the very posh initial set you'll have to make your own!  Given how good they are both for masking and headlamp protection and also really easy to use being just a clip-on (locked in position by the closed bonnet), I'm thinking of getting a second set - one set permanently masked for Europe and one permanently clear for the UK. There are cheaper sources than Fiat by the way, http://www.formula4.co.uk was once source when I last checked.

[Rapido-lass]

We fitted headlight covers to our new Fiat cab, the beam benders then stick on the marked area, so easy- we've used one set twice so this year with no reduction of 'stick'.

 

Best advantage of all is the protection of the actual headlight unit from being cracked by stones etc and the resulting cost. If you travel abroad in the scandinavian countries where headlights are compulsory day and night, should you be unfortunate be in this situation, the cover protects the headlight and doesn't totally ruin your holiday by wasting precious time of your holiday waiting for a replacement headlight.

[Way2Go]

Itexuk - 2008-11-19 7:39 PM - Way2Go - 2008-11-19 11:55 AM

Have you ever had any craze??? I bet not.

Well that's a very arrogant statement considering you don't know me and have never seen my vehicle.  Do you think I'm making it up?

Unfortunately for you, you're wrong and have lost your bet.  Mine crazed after using the Halford ones for a 5 day trip.  In addition, two of my colleagues have similar problems.

Have been using beam benders for years on plastic and never had a problem.

Well good for you *-)

[Derek Uzzell]

If I recall correctly, the headlamp 'crazing' issue was originally raised some years ago in MMM's Interchange columns and involved damage caused to Ford Transit plastic headlights. The idea that adhesive was a contributory cause was (I'm pretty sure) mooted by Interchange's editor George Collings. However, the Interchange discussion related to headlamp opaque 'masks' that physically obstruct the light-beam rather than 'beam benders' that should allow it to pass through.

 

Crazing occurred on the headlights on my 1996 Transit-based Herald. This was on both headlamps and was directly behind the opaque masks I was using and closely followed the masks' outlines. The damage happened during a fortnight's holiday in France and I always attributed it to a single night-time driving session during cold wet weather.

 

It was well recognised that the heat generated behind opaque masks could crack glass headlights during heavy rain and all the visible evidence pointed to the crazing on my motorhome's plastic lights being due to localised thermal stress as suggested by Brambles. It seemed more logical to assume that blanking off a large section of a headlight with opaque tape masks could lead to this type of damage, than choose the more complex 'adhesive' explanation. If transparent/translucent materials are employed (ie. the type of stuff beam-benders are made of), then the chance of thermal stress happening should be much reduced.

 

I don't think there is any hard evidence that it's the adhesive on masks/beam-benders that causes the crazing - it's just a reasonable theory that might explain why some motorcaravanners' plastic headlights craze and others' don't. As I consider George Collings just below God (perhaps around the Archangel Gabriel level) when it comes to providing well-balanced and technically accurate advice about motorhomes, I'm certainly not going to reject the adhesive theory out of hand.

 

Anyway, fitting 'covers' + masks/benders is plainly the no-brainer approach as it sidesteps the crazing possibility and also protects the lights themselves.

 

[Way2Go]

As we appear to have a few peeps here who have bought the official Fiat headlamp protectors, could I temporarily highjack the thread and ask a question about fitting them?  Potential buyers may find it useful?

The attachment metal 'hanger' is nicely bolted to the bodywork but when you 'hang' the protectors on to the hangers they just dangle and I suspect would blow off at any speed over 10mph.

Am I to assume that when people say they are 'clip on' that you hang the protectors on to the hangers then force the plastic lugs on the protector between the body and the existing headlight?

I had assumed before purchasing that there would be 'clips' and it would be more secure then pushing the plastic lugs into the narrow recess around the light.

Having said all that, the two sets of plastic stickers are an interesting shape and nothing like the universal ones you get in Halfords and the like.  I also liked the fact that there are clear marking outlines to enable you to fit each mask to the correct protector thus enabling you to fit them in exactly the right place.

W2G

[Rapido-lass]

Fitting the headlight protectors is easy; we were told by the garage to open the bonnet (and appologies as going from memory- dangerous at my age I know!) and remove the small bit by the actual headlight (good with technical stuff too!)so as to allow the protectors to be clipped in place. The instructions do not mention this at all. If any one needs further instructions that make sense, let me know and I will find out properly from the old man.

 

It sounds alot worse than it was to fit them, and is definatley not a garage job which of course they will do, but they will charge you silly money for doing so - I could have done them- that simple once you know how.

 

Once on, they are secure and although we are law abiding citizens and never break the speed limits (lol) I can tell you that we haven't lost one yet.

[Way2Go]

Thanks for the feedback.

I have attached an image to show what I did :-

I opened the bonnet (B) and removed the "small bit by the headlamp" (A) to bolt on the metal hanger to the bodywork then reassembled.  As I say, the metal hanger is very secure.

The only way I could see to attach the plastic lugs to the light was to force them between the gap © and (D).

Are you saying that when you detach (A) you can then 'clip' the protector in place?

I only intend to use them when I go abroad so how quickly can they be fitted?

Many thanks

W2G

[Rapido-lass]

Yes you remove 'A' and then as I said from memory the other side clips in and the clips are held in place when 'A' is refitted. I will however check with the other half rather than giving duff info, as we fitted them a year ago.

 

We have left ours in place - we've paid for them so we may as well use them and carry on having the protection for the headlights. We just unpeel the light deflectors and save them for next time - the ones that came with the set, we've still got the 2nd set untouched. Originally we had thought about putting the protectors on each continental trip so we didn't have to keep buying the beam deflectors, but soon changed our mind - deflectors are cheaper than headlight units!

 

 

[Way2Go]

Thanks for that - and thanks for your feedback - but I can't see how removing (A) will allow the protector to clip over the headlight?  According to the limited instructions, that's only removed to allow the metal hanger to be bolted to the body.

As far as I can see, to get the lugs attached to the protectors to fit securely to the body either the headlight needs to be loosened then tightened again once the protector has been pushed in place.  Or, the lugs on the protectors are pushed into the gaps with your fingers crossed that they won't snap off (not an easy task) :-)

[dikyenfo]

Any vehicle designed to operate in Europe has 'E' marked lights and everything else. In the bad old days 1964 about the Construction and use regs was altered and about this time yellow lights for France and many other regs were altered and this even more so when full membership of the Common Market came about. There is no regulation for bits of sticky to be applied to lights and can you imagine trying to prosecute for not haveing bits of tatty rubbish blocking light from lenses. I lived in France for years and spoke on several occasions about our obsession with these bits of sticky and there police were as non-plussed as me but I suppose that if it makes you feel better then go ahead but you will never NEVER see a continental vehicle being prosecuted over here for not having sticky rubbish on lights and you will never see a British Lorry having them on -- funny that???

[Brambles]

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/226302/holiday_headlights_feature.html

[Brambles]

dikyenfo - 2008-11-21 11:50 AM

 

Any vehicle designed to operate in Europe has 'E' marked lights and everything else. In the bad old days 1964 about the Construction and use regs was altered and about this time yellow lights for France and many other regs were altered and this even more so when full membership of the Common Market came about. There is no regulation for bits of sticky to be applied to lights and can you imagine trying to prosecute for not haveing bits of tatty rubbish blocking light from lenses. I lived in France for years and spoke on several occasions about our obsession with these bits of sticky and there police were as non-plussed as me but I suppose that if it makes you feel better then go ahead but you will never NEVER see a continental vehicle being prosecuted over here for not having sticky rubbish on lights and you will never see a British Lorry having them on -- funny that???

 

You are sadly very misinformed. There is no point in replying to your post as it is so full of controversy and misleading information.

[neillking]

It's amazing how many people would like to believe that modifying your headlamps isn't required. And all despite the extensive information available including the leaflets handed out at ports and the foot high scrolling message on the departure boards!!  (Including the importand rider night AND day to dispel that other urban myth!)

The belief that you won't get caught and/or prosecuted seems to encourage this behaviour.

Maybe this will have more impact “If you are involved in a crash on the Continent, and your headlights aren’t adapted properly, your insurer will only provide third-party cover.”  Hmm so it could cost you up to the full value of your written-off motorhome, in some circumstances even if it wasn't your fault - quite a serious bet that one even for dedicated gamblers.

 

[Jasper]

I was wondering what to do about the headlights - and now I know! Following this thread I ordered some headlight covers from fomula 4 (thanks for link neillking) late yesterday and was astonished when they arrived this morning. Just got to work out exactly how to fit them on my Ford but again the info supplied is useful. So thanks to all who have contributed to this thread.

 

[Derek Uzzell]

I remembered that this subject was seriously mauled over in an earlier thread that (rather oddly!) also contains a comment from a forum member who had lived in France about the French police's apparent lack of interest.

 

The link is:

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=8342&posts=19

[trickydicky]

hi jasper, did you get the deflectors (for driving in europe) from formula 4 or just headlight protectors.if you got deflectors could you give me the part number please.also, can you tell me how much they were.(did you check price against fiat.) thanks a lot.