continental driving

[ed lucas]

How do I adapt the plastic headlights on my 2008 Volkswagen T5 for driving on the continent? There are no guide lines for positioning stickers, surely it's not necessary to buy LH bulbs.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[spospe]

Try: http://www.click-parts.co.uk/files/details.php?id=267

 

They claim that their products fit ALL vehicles.

[Guest Tracker]

When the lenses are unmarked you have to apply a little scientific know how to the problem - or do what we all do and just guess where to stick 'em!

 

When you buy a pair of beam benders as they are often called they will come with diagrams of where to stick 'em and as long as Monsieur Gendarme sees that you have them in what looks like more or less the right place he is unlikely to stop you.

 

Remove them carefully and clean the lenses with white spirit on return - taking care not to get white spirit or any other volatile fluid on the silver printing or markings on the plastic attachments - and by using double sided tape and removing with care they will last several trips - ours have done 4 trips on 3 different vans!

[starvin marvin]

Tracker - 2010-05-01 7:07 PM

 

When the lenses are unmarked you have to apply a little scientific know how to the problem - or do what we all do and just guess where to stick 'em!

 

When you buy a pair of beam benders as they are often called they will come with diagrams of where to stick 'em and as long as Monsieur Gendarme sees that you have them in what looks like more or less the right place he is unlikely to stop you.

 

Remove them carefully and clean the lenses with white spirit on return - taking care not to get white spirit or any other volatile fluid on the silver printing or markings on the plastic attachments - and by using double sided tape and removing with care they will last several trips - ours have done 4 trips on 3 different vans!

 

I put mine on when I get a "new" van and they stay on even when I sell it. This is ok for UK MOT, not a failure, its just noted.

[ed lucas]

Thanks "Tracker" for your reply. I've used beambenders on a number of vans and theres never been a problem because (a) there were always locating marks on the glass and (b) the fact that the lenses were glass meant that there was no danger of damaging them. But I'm concerned about the effect of the adhesive on plastic and it seems pretty important to get the benders in the most effective position.

 

P.S. I can handle a bit of scientific knowhow

[Keithl]

ed lucas - 2010-05-02 4:23 PM

P.S. I can handle a bit of scientific knowhow

 

Hi Ed and welcome to the forum.

 

A bit of technical info for you as you requested it.

There is no such thing as LHD or RHD bulbs. It is the complete headlamp which determines the beam pattern and not the bulb. All bulbs of a particular type will be identical irrespective of where purchased, eg a H4 bought in the UK will be identical to one bought in France, or Germany, or Spain, etc, etc.

If you want to permanently change the hand of drive of the headlamps you will have to buy a new pair of headlamps and that will be far more expensive than beam benders!

 

As regards how to fit the beam benders, wait until it is dark, shine your headlamps on a garage door or wall and then place the beam benders on the lens and observe the change to the light pattern on the wall. It should be fairly simple to decide exactly where to position them that way.

 

Keith.

[ed lucas]

Thanks Keith for your reply and info.

I'd thought of doing what you suggested, lookibg at the headlight pattern on a wall or something similar.

I'm still not sure if the plastic of modern headlights will be affected by the adhesive of the beam benders.

[dragonflyer]

Hi

 

We have fitted headlamp protectors and they come with black vinyl beam shades for continental driving, the position of which is indicated on the protectors.

 

They are quite expensive but we think it worth protecting the lights. Part No. ZGB7HA072100 [was about£40].

 

We have taken the shades off and on for more than 5 trips so far, being careful to keep them on the original sheet they were supplied with.

 

Joyce

[ed lucas]

Thats an interesting angle Joyce, thanks for that. That part no you quote is a Volkswagen isn't it? I might go for that option.

Thanks Ed.

[Guest peter]

Or do as Tracker suggests and use black insulating tape instead. It's cheap and is easily removed as the adhesive is not agressive.

[Guest Tracker]

peter - 2010-05-02 11:19 PM

 

Or do as Tracker suggests and use black insulating tape instead. It's cheap and is easily removed as the adhesive is not agressive.

 

Peter I think you are losing the plot again?

 

Nowhere did I suggest using black insulation tape and I have a vague recollection that as black can absorb heat using black tape could damage the plastic used on some 'modern' headlights? I am also not convinced that black tape would stay in place in bad weather conditions, although it should be very easy to remove.

Of course nothing much will ever damage a glass headlight - except stones!

[david lloyd]

peter - 2010-05-02 11:19 PM

 

Or do as Tracker suggests and use black insulating tape instead. It's cheap and is easily removed as the adhesive is not agressive.

 

Peter, as Tracker indicates, black insulation tape will increase the heat build up on plastic headlights - if using the tape method use white insulation tape - this still works as well but doesn't build up the heat asa much.

 

David

[Tony Jones]

Hi Ed, and welcome.

 

At one time your family made all our headlights of course, and they were all round, so there was no problem: we just bought a pair of truly universal yellow plastic things which clipped on and off!

 

The same result nowadays requires buying headlight protectors unique to your type of van, then sticking the "beam-benders" to them so you can clip the whle thing on and off as often as you like - and no risk of damage to the headlights. there have been a few threads on here about this method, and I've contributed to most of them. See if the search facility is working today.

[ed lucas]

Thanks Tony for your contribution, sadly my bit of the family was far removed from the headlamp and other car part division!

The response to my original queries has snowballed a bit out of proportion.

Perhaps I didnt make it clear at the outset. I've been using beambenders for a number of years with no problems it's just that now I'm the happy owner of an Auto Sleeper Sandhurst on an AL-KO chassis pulled along by the VW T5 and it's the first time I've had plain plastic headlamp "glass" with no marks to assist in correctly locating the benders.

All I really want to know is how to locate the benders correctly......line up the van in front of a suitable wall and try trial and error? and secondly, I'd just like to be assured that the adhesive won't adversely affect the plastic surface.

I'm really not keen on spending £40 on protectors.

I'm way out east in Essex,almost in the North sea at Tillingham

 

Cheers Ed