Quote: Originally posted by DaveS1 on 07/8/2023
Legal or not why risk a confrontation with a gendarme for the sake of a fiver or so?
DaveS1
+1 to that thinking.
Also, there is no guarantee that I shall not drive at night, no matter how meticulous with my planning.
Events of the past taught me to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances and delays - a very bad accident could have me stuck in traffic for hours as an example!
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
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About four cars back, when we had glass headlamps, I used pvc tape to mask off the bit of glass that focused on the nearside - oncoming traffic in France. Park opposite a wall with dipped beam on, and anything that’s going I that direction is bad (rude if not illegal!). Because of the way reflectors work, it would be the opposite segment of the headlamp lens (ie on the offside).
It still leaves enough light to pick up the curb, so OK to fit the day before you leave this sceptred isle.
A few years ago crossed channel and then driving through night. Forgot deflectors. Had lots of boxes of envelopes in car as samples. Tore the gummed flaps off some and stuck on headlights, to deflect them and worked fine. When back in UK wetted them and off they came.
If you do put the stickers on, put headlights on full for a good 10 to 15 minutes to warm them up. That softens the adhesive enough to remove without leaving residue.
I've had them on before (2012 Kia Sedona), and from memory, got flashed (From an oncoming car at night) just the once. Obviously, I've no idea whether that was because I was dazzling him (which I shouldn't have been, having the deflectors on), or he just thought he knew me!
Check the specific vehicle manual (often found on line nowadays)!
My current car, and the one before, can have the lights set up to drive on the right or left, through the car settings. Takes me about a minute to go through the settings (once boarded on Eurotunnel, or sat in the car park waiting for boarding) to swap the lights over to right hand traffic, swap the digital units to Km, and add the KPH dial to the speedo.
Just have to remember to set them back again on the return crossing. I use i-phone reminders for that!
there a various designs of headlights, any with a flat beam on dip do not need deflectors, some headlights have a lever on the back to 'cock' the headlight or bulb (lamp)so the kick up moves from left to right, some may have motors that do the same thing, operated from a menu on the dash controls. so check your manual/handbook, check online or with a dealer, park a couple of meters away from a wall at night and see what the headlight beam on dip looks like, if it kicks up to the left as you look at it, then deflectors or tape will be needed to flatten the beam if there is not an inbuilt system fitted
------------- Regards
Johno
VP and Librarian of the Renault Trafic MK1 Owners group
I have bought in the past headlamp beam benders from Peugeot and vw. fitted them on then went to local garage to put on headlamp beam setter, used for mot, both sets were returned to dealer parts as not fit for purpose so don't waste ur money
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Topic: Headlight deflectors
via mobile 06/8/2023 at 11:01pm
