headlight adjustment for driving in europe
- Thread starter paulb
- Start date
Hello and welcome to the forum.
Inside the headlamp there is a metal lever that operates in an horizontal plane.
Once you've removed the headlamp from the car you need to remove the cover from the back of the headlamp to get at it.
Slide it across to change from UK to Europe.
It is not recommended as a permanent solution.
Inside the headlamp there is a metal lever that operates in an horizontal plane.
Once you've removed the headlamp from the car you need to remove the cover from the back of the headlamp to get at it.
Slide it across to change from UK to Europe.
It is not recommended as a permanent solution.
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I read the detail on this forum somewhere. I think normally the lever should be central and then moved to left or right depending which side of the road you are driving on. Don't forget to move it back to the middle when you get back to the UK and especially before your MOT guys tries to adjust it with the screws to get you through the test !
All the lever does is to draw a small shutter over part of the beam, rendering the pattern a 'flat beam', that is to say the projected beam loses it's upward 'kick' which normally illuminates road signs etc but would dazzle oncoming drivers if driving on the right. What it doesn't do is physically move or redirect the beam, so you wouldn't fail an MOT in the UK, you'd just find the lights less effective.
Yes Rich that's correct, hence my comment about it not being a permanent fix. They made units specifically for RHD or LHD vehicles.
Tell me about it. I still have flashbacks to parting with €850 for a brand new set of LHD C1 lights in 2008 after failing to find any used ones on eBay across the whole of Europe!
.....and why the numerous sets of US C2 lamps available on EBay.com are no use over here; although the orange side reflectors don't help either.
I actually tried to get a set of US lamps as a last resort (although yes, I hate that orange reflector), but couldn't find anyone willing to ship from the US to Germany.
I won't pretend that I know how they work, I have no doubt you are correct. I do know for sure but for the MOT last year I left the car with my trusted tester and collected it later. I failed on headlight aim, I then remembered I'd forgotten to reset the beam pattern after my trip to Europe. I instructed the testing garage to carry out the repairs, something I would not normally do. They passed the car, presumably after resetting the adjustments but I would not expect them to know about the lever on the back of the unit.
As part of this winters preservation works I removed the headlights to treat the surface corrosion that I knew was underneath. Whilst the headlights were out I reset the lever. On the recent MOT again the aim was out on one of the headlights, I watched the tester adjust the aim using the screws on the back.
So back to where I started I'd suggest the dipping lever be put to the correct position to aid passing the MOT test. It may not have affected my aim as seen by my tester two years on the run, maybe the aim was out as I'd refitted the light in a slightly different position but I'm sure having the lever set correctly for the country I was driving in is going to prevent confusion during the test. Hopefully my experience will benefit another Cougar keeper. Cheers Mabo.
As part of this winters preservation works I removed the headlights to treat the surface corrosion that I knew was underneath. Whilst the headlights were out I reset the lever. On the recent MOT again the aim was out on one of the headlights, I watched the tester adjust the aim using the screws on the back.
So back to where I started I'd suggest the dipping lever be put to the correct position to aid passing the MOT test. It may not have affected my aim as seen by my tester two years on the run, maybe the aim was out as I'd refitted the light in a slightly different position but I'm sure having the lever set correctly for the country I was driving in is going to prevent confusion during the test. Hopefully my experience will benefit another Cougar keeper. Cheers Mabo.