headIight Benders

[fesspark]

Is it possibIe to adjust your headlights right or left on new euro 6 Fiat m,homes to save keep purchasing beam benders Fesspark

[Derek Uzzell]

The standard headlamps of Citroen/Fiat/Peugeot X290 vehicles are available in two dipped-beam formats. One format has a dipped-beam pattern that deflects to the left (ie. for ‘left-hand traffic’ as in the UK) and the other format has a dipped-beam pattern that deflects to the right (ie. for ‘right-hand traffic’ as in Continental Europe).

 

The headlamps have no means of converting one dipped-beam pattern into the other - to do this the complete headlamp unit needs to be replaced with the alternative type. (This was equally true with the standard headlamps fitted to earlier Relays/Ducatos/Boxers.)

 

The Euro 6 factor is irrelevant - all ‘standard’ X290s (built from mid-2014 to the present day) have the same headlamp dipped-beam formats.

 

(Some Fiat Ducato-based A-class motorhomes have lights that allow the dipped-beam pattern to be adjusted relatively easily, but I'm assuming that you don’t own a A-class model.)

[PJay]

We use plastic covers with the grey stick on beam benders ! About £40.00 They last a few years, then just replace them. Take them off while waiting for the ferry home!

PJay

[Billggski]

" The legal requirement is to 'not dazzle oncoming drivers' rather than specifically to adjust/convert the headlamp beam pattern. Without adjustment the dipped beam will dazzle oncoming drivers and this could result in a fine. Headlamp beam converter kits are widely available but may not be suitable for all types of headlights. " AA guidance

 

I have always used a bit of black tape, the area to be covered is quite small.

 

(In days gone by you had to paint your headlights yellow to drive in France!)

 

http://www.motoring-into-europe.co.uk/download/motorcaravanning-matters-article.pdf

[laimeduck]

Billggski - 2018-07-06 8:40 AM" The legal requirement is to 'not dazzle oncoming drivers' rather than specifically to adjust/convert the headlamp beam pattern. Without adjustment the dipped beam will dazzle oncoming drivers and this could result in a fine. Headlamp beam converter kits are widely available but may not be suitable for all types of headlights. " AA guidanceI have always used a bit of black tape, the area to be covered is quite small.(In days gone by you had to paint your headlights yellow to drive in France!)

Agreed - I use round fablon or sticky back plastic discs cut out in the shape of the commercial benders. Placed in the 7 o'clock position to the dip bulbs (as per the instructions for my Ducato) This system satisfies the common or garden Monsieur Le Plod, who probably doesn't even know they are required. 

Incidentally, why don't you see headlight converters on foreign vehicles in the UK? Are we missing a trick here to fleece Johnny foreigner out of a few Euros? 

[fesspark]

How true,they are onIy after our money.Thanks for the info otherwise I wiII have to stick with benders,stick,get it Fesspark

[crocs]

laimeduck - 2018-07-06 8:52 AM

Billggski - 2018-07-06 8:40 AM" The legal requirement is to 'not dazzle oncoming drivers' rather than specifically to adjust/convert the headlamp beam pattern. Without adjustment the dipped beam will dazzle oncoming drivers and this could result in a fine. Headlamp beam converter kits are widely available but may not be suitable for all types of headlights. " AA guidanceI have always used a bit of black tape, the area to be covered is quite small.(In days gone by you had to paint your headlights yellow to drive in France!)

Agreed - I use round fablon or sticky back plastic discs cut out in the shape of the commercial benders. Placed in the 7 o'clock position to the dip bulbs (as per the instructions for my Ducato) This system satisfies the common or garden Monsieur Le Plod, who probably doesn't even know they are required. 

Incidentally, why don't you see headlight converters on foreign vehicles in the UK? Are we missing a trick here to fleece Johnny foreigner out of a few Euros? 

On the grounds of staying below the gendarmerie’s radar, I will not give my reg. number here but I have been driving in France regularly over the past 30 years and never fitted benders. I do tend to drive only in daylight (although no excuse).

[Bulletguy]

 

I use these; http://www.travelspot.co.uk/product-eurolites.html

 

Available at half the price and less on fleabay. Stuck mine on about five years ago, left them on as i rarely drive at night in UK, and they're only just beginning to show signs of wear. Full headlight driving in daylight is compulsory in quite a few European countries so it's best get some fitted. Masking tape or insulation tape does the same as long as you know where to make the cut.

[blaven]

I’m a bit lazy regarding beam benders and have reluctantly used all sorts. The problem with some insulating tapes is that the adhesive can adversely affect the plastic headlamps causing crazing to the surface, especially if left on for some time in hot climates as I’ve found out to my cost. So that rules out the cheap option for me.

Also it’s easy to say to oneself that ‘I don’t intend to drive in the dark’. You never know if something will happen to occasion that, also headlights are often compulsory in long tunnels and bad weather. A summer thunderstorm for example in France can turn midday into midnight.

[colin]

On our x250 we have headlamp protectors fitted (not sure if they are available for x290) these came with precut masking and small marks which show where to fit them. The original masks are now long gone, but I just cut a bit of tape to fit, when back in UK I remove tape and clean up any adhesive residue with meths.

[malc d]

PJay - 2018-07-06 8:32 AM

 

We use plastic covers with the grey stick on beam benders ! About £40.00 They last a few years, then just replace them. Take them off while waiting for the ferry home!

PJay

 

 

 

Same here.

 

I bought plastic headlight protectors and stuck the beam benders on those ( and never take them off unless I intend to drive at night in the UK, which is unlikely )

 

Been using the same ones for about 10 or more years - so no problem of peeling them off - plus our headlights are protected from stone damage.

 

:-|

[Bulletguy]

blaven - 2018-07-06 11:25 AM

 

I’m a bit lazy regarding beam benders and have reluctantly used all sorts. The problem with some insulating tapes is that the adhesive can adversely affect the plastic headlamps causing crazing to the surface, especially if left on for some time in hot climates as I’ve found out to my cost. So that rules out the cheap option for me.

Plastic headlight lenses also suffer from 'fogging'...kind of a misty glaze with age. Can't beat glass headlights which fortunately as a Transit owner i can still buy new (tho' my van came with plastic ones). Removing beam benders and the adhesive is a cinch on glass headlights too.

[Derek Uzzell]

colin - 2018-07-06 12:08 PM

 

On our x250 we have headlamp protectors fitted (not sure if they are available for x290) these came with precut masking and small marks which show where to fit them. The original masks are now long gone, but I just cut a bit of tape to fit, when back in UK I remove tape and clean up any adhesive residue with meths.

 

Headlamp protectors are available for the standard headlamp units fitted to X290 vehicles. (Example advert here)

 

http://www.vancomfort.co.uk/headlampdeflectorspage_000.htm

 

The deflection of an X290 headlamp’s dipped-beam pattern (to the left for UK-norm headlamps) is considerable. There’s no way that a ‘beam bender’ can modify this so that the deflection is to the right, though it should be practicable to modify the pattern to suppress the ‘kick-up’ from the upper left part of the pattern and thus minimise its potential to dazzle. A ‘mask’ stuck on the headlamp/protector should do the same thing.

 

My experience of night-driving abroad with an X290 with left-dipping headlamps is that the standard beam-setting results in a significant downwards inclination of both main and dipped beams and, consequently, even if no benders/masks are fitted, it’s unlikely that oncoming drivers will be dazzled.

 

It is possible to adjust X290 headlamps’ aim laterally quite simply, which will reduce the dipped-beam’s leftwards deflection somewahat (and also ‘point’ the main beam’s pattern more to the right) but doing this won’t affect the ‘kick-up’.

 

[Den]

The continental head are not deflected. The beam is forward facing. Thus they do not require deflection when traveling in the UK

[Derek Uzzell]

That’s a commonly held (but incorrect) belief, particularly among the motrcaravanning community.

 

If the headlamps of a vehicle marketed for ‘left-hand traffic’ have a dipped-beam pattern that deflects to the left (as the standard headlamps of RHD X290s do), the standard headlamps of the equivalent vehicle marketed for ‘right-hand traffic’ (eg. the standard headlamps of a LHD X290) will have a dipped-beam pattern that deflects to the right.

 

The fact that most LHD motorhomes imported to the UK have potentially dazzling right-dipping headlamps is why it is insisted that such headlamps be replaced by left-dipping versions as part of the UK registration procedure. My LHD Rapido’s headlamps dip left, but only because the UK vending dealership had to replace the original right-dipping units before the motorhome could be UK-registered.

 

These 2018 and 2014 discussions refer

 

http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/LED-Headlights-or-flat-beam-lights/48440/

 

http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/LHD-European-motorhomes-do-not-need-beam-benders-in-the-UK-true-or-false-/35852/

[Bulletguy]

Derek Uzzell - 2018-07-06 4:03 PM

 

That’s a commonly held (but incorrect) belief, particularly among the motrcaravanning community.

 

The fact that most LHD motorhomes imported to the UK have potentially dazzling right-dipping headlamps is why it is insisted that such headlamps be replaced by left-dipping versions as part of the UK registration procedure. My LHD Rapido’s headlamps dip left, but only because the UK vending dealership had to replace the original right-dipping units before the motorhome could be UK-registered.

True. When my son was stationed at Fallingbostel in Germany he took his car over but after 3 months even though they are BFPO their cars must comply with the TUV....and that meant no beam benders but shelling out £600 for a set of LHD lights.