Bulletguy Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Forget fancy Beam Benders which cost silly money only to have one drop off en route........this is what you need. Not only does the job, but at a fraction of the price too. Oh and it stays on until you remove it! (lol) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ELECTRICAL-BLACK-INSULATING-INSULATION-TAPE-19MM-X-4-5M-/270909324640?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item3f13743d60#ht_944wt_754 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 ....and then you risk crazing the plastic headlights from heat. Hence why people use covers. The masks which come with the covers are white on the sticky side and black on outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 griff 585 - 2012-02-19 7:14 PM With reference to the cars with no deflectors... Most of the modern cars have the facility of converting the lens to l.h.d. mode.. This is not the case. A relatively small number of cars have headlamps with the design-capability of being adjusted so that their 'normal' dipped-beam pattern (ie. left-dipping for a RHD car or right-dipping for a LHD car) is easily convertible. Any headlamp that uses a twin-filament bulb (eg. an H4) to provide both main and dipped beams won't have a conversion capability. Headlamps that use a single-filament bulb for the dipped-beam may be convertible by rotating the bulb-holder, while others (like my Skoda's) that use a single-filament bulb to provide main and dipped beams via a movable mirror arrangement may be convertible by moving a lever within the headlamp unit. As far as I'm aware no standard light-commercial vehicle has (or has had) headlamps that include a dipped-beam pattern conversion capability. Possible reasons that UK motorists travelling to Continental Europe don't put beam-deflectors/masks on their headlights are a) they are ignorant of the requirement, b) they choose to ignore the requirement, c) their RHD vehicles' headlamp dipped-beam pattern is claimed not to dazzle when the vehicle is being driven in 'right-hand traffic' conditions, d) their vehicles' headlights have the design-capability of being converted to a different pattern, f) their vehicles have right-dipping headlights . a) and b) will be by far the most common reasons. Analogous reasons will apply to Continental European drivers entering the UK without beam-deflectors/masks on their vehicles' headlights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ChrisB Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Years ago didn't we all enjoy either painting the headlamps yellow or clipping on (nearly all headlamps were circular) the yellow plastic beam deflectors before getting on the ferries? Also "accidentally" leaving them on on our return to show the neighbours we had been abroad for the holidays? Derek I'm afraid I'm now one of your "b"s and have been for some 10 years. I ensure that the beam height adjustment is at its lowest position so as not to offend our continental neighbours. Seems to work for me and probably many others - if they dare put their heads above the parapet! Edit With regard to your final statement I can't say I have ever seen a continental vehicle (lorry, motorhome, car) with masking or deflectors on their headlamps - but perhaps they are of the "adjustable" variety? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob b Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I still use the yellow circular jobs and secure them with gaffer tape around the edges. I don't know if they're still legal, but I've never been challenged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 bob b - 2012-02-20 4:41 PM I still use the yellow circular jobs and secure them with gaffer tape around the edges. I don't know if they're still legal, but I've never been challenged. According to Wikipedia, In France (for French-registered vehicles) orange headlights are only legal nowadays for vehicles that were registered in that country before 1993 or that are more than 30 years old. No idea what the legal position In France would be for a UK-registered vehicle fitted with orange beam-deflectors. On the subject of Continental European vehicles being driven in the UK with masks/deflectors on their headlights, I don't recall ever seeing any either. However, the UK law is no different from the law of other EU countries regarding non-dazzling headlights and, legally, there's no special immunity for 'foreign' vehicles visiting the UK. "It's not a hot policing issue", I was told when I asked about it once at a local police station. And, of course, we haven't got an on-the-spot motoring fining system. Eurolites beam-deflectors for LHD vehicles are sold on ferries, so there's no real excuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonewalkabout Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 From the distant past, I have recollections of my father telling me that continental vehicles which are driven in the UK do not require masking. This is because when their headlamps are dipped, they just angle downwards. However headlamps fitted to British vehicles are angled to the nearside when dipped - ie dip to our nearside, and of course dip to the offside if driven on the continent - hence the need for the masking. I am not sure if this is (still) true, but it would account for continentals not masking their headlamps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike B. Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 gonewalkabout - 2012-02-20 7:15 PM From the distant past, I have recollections of my father telling me that continental vehicles which are driven in the UK do not require masking. This is because when their headlamps are dipped, they just angle downwards. However headlamps fitted to British vehicles are angled to the nearside when dipped - ie dip to our nearside, and of course dip to the offside if driven on the continent - hence the need for the masking. I am not sure if this is (still) true, but it would account for continentals not masking their headlamps. I read this somewhere recently and believe it's still applicable. Might have been on this forum where I read it even Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Mike B. - 2012-02-20 7:39 PM gonewalkabout - 2012-02-20 7:15 PM From the distant past, I have recollections of my father telling me that continental vehicles which are driven in the UK do not require masking. This is because when their headlamps are dipped, they just angle downwards. However headlamps fitted to British vehicles are angled to the nearside when dipped - ie dip to our nearside, and of course dip to the offside if driven on the continent - hence the need for the masking. I am not sure if this is (still) true, but it would account for continentals not masking their headlamps. I read this somewhere recently and believe it's still applicable. Might have been on this forum where I read it even Mike In a word - it's b*****ks! It's regularly claimed on on-line forums that the dipped-beam pattern of LHD Continental-European-vehicle headlamps differs conceptually from that of RHD UK-standard-vehicle headlamps. It doesn't - both types of headlamp produce an assymmetric beam-pattern, with LHD lights dipping to the right and RHD lights dipping to the left. See http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=24496&start=1 Possible reasons why "continentals" don't fit masks/deflectors to their headlights are a) they don't know that there's a requirement to do it, or b) they do know but either they can't be bothered or they are well aware that the risk of UK police action on this issue is minimal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnP Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 The ebay supplier mentioned (second post) is a firm called "Fourdrive" based in Lincolnshire. The ones they supply are suitable for a 2011 Fiat Ducato, are marked with the Fiat logo and are made in Australia (as are many of these protectors) They come marked on the inside to show the location of the "beam benders" which are also supplied as part of the kit. The benders stick on the outside so are easily removed. I ordered mine by telephone and they arrived in 36 hours and am well satisfied with the quality and service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 JohnP - 2012-02-23 10:21 AM The ebay supplier mentioned (second post) is a firm called "Fourdrive" based in Lincolnshire. The ones they supply are suitable for a 2011 Fiat Ducato, are marked with the Fiat logo and are made in Australia (as are many of these protectors) They come marked on the inside to show the location of the "beam benders" which are also supplied as part of the kit. The benders stick on the outside so are easily removed. I ordered mine by telephone and they arrived in 36 hours and am well satisfied with the quality and service. Ditto those from Van Comfort @ Retford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest machra Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I also ordered some from the ebay supplier. Ordered 11am one day arrived next day. Fiat marked, will fit a 2011 van, come with 2x sets of stickers for continental driving. I am very pleased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.