General travelling to Europe.

[Graham moore]

Ok chaps I'm driving from the UK to Germany in my x. Is there a headlight adjustment procedure or do i have to stick deflectors to the lenses??

 

[Alanw47]

Ok chaps I'm driving from the UK to Germany in my x. Is there a headlight adjustment procedure or do i have to stick deflectors to the lenses??

All I can say that when I went to South of France in my Cross Plus with Xenons, I did nothing and they offended no-one. I think they're straight and flat. I'm not sure if the same is true for Halogen headlamps

 

[s130]

For my 500X Cross Plus with Xenons then I've used beam deflectors.

Suggest you drive up to your garage door and put the headlamps on dipped beam. If you have a "kick-up" to UK Nearside then you really/legally/ideally need to block/alter.... that kick-up part of the beam.

This can be done with a dedicated kit or you can "self modify".

I go abroad every year and have only ONCE encountered a French police officer pulling UK cars when disembarking the ferry for not having beam adjusters.

To my knowledge the 500X vehicles do not have flat beams.

If you are not sure and not sure how to test then you can go to any UK local county council MOT testing station and they will willingly and freely check your headlamp alignment and be able to tell you if you have a "kick-up" or flat beam.

 

[Alanw47]

For my 500X Cross Plus with Xenons then I've used beam deflectors.



Suggest you drive up to your garage door and put the headlamps on dipped beam. If you have a "kick-up" to UK Nearside then you really/legally/ideally need to block/alter.... that kick-up part of the beam.



This can be done with a dedicated kit or you can "self modify".



I go abroad every year and have only ONCE encountered a French police officer pulling UK cars when disembarking the ferry for not having beam adjusters.



To my knowledge the 500X vehicles do not have flat beams.



If you are not sure and not sure how to test then you can go to any UK local county council MOT testing station and they will willingly and freely check your headlamp alignment and be able to tell you if you have a "kick-up" or flat beam.

I stand corrected, but not once did an angry Frenchman flash me.

 

[Garree001]

I suspect that the French authorities will, as they always have done whenever national relations with the UK get strained, be on vehicles leaving the tunnel/boats like a rash. Easy way to get some fine income and they love a bit of Anglophobia occasionally!

The kits cost like 2 quid. Don't forget to also buy things like spare bulbs, warning triangle, fluorescent jacket, etc which MUST be kept within arm's reach of the driver in the car and worn before exiting. And you must also have enough jackets for all passengers.

 

[Alanw47]

I suspect that the French authorities will, as they always have done whenever national relations with the UK get strained, be on vehicles leaving the tunnel/boats like a rash. Easy way to get some fine income and they love a bit of Anglophobia occasionally!



The kits cost like 2 quid. Don't forget to also buy things like spare bulbs, warning triangle, fluorescent jacket, etc which MUST be kept within arm's reach of the driver in the car and worn before exiting. And you must also have enough jackets for all passengers.

And a breathalyser kit!!

 

[s130]

And a breathalyser kit!!

Which I found amusing and maybe someone can check theirs for me.

When I got mine well over two years ago I opened the wrong end on the box when checking/read up etc. The end I opened had the expiry date and got damaged. Inside none of the contents were dated for either production or expiry. So I now have the "required" / labelled / approved kit which seems to last forever

Have the manufacturers corrected this little omission or is it only the box that is still dated?

 

[Garree001]

And a breathalyser kit!!

Although technically the law, I think the gendarmes are not enforcing this one as it wasn't fully enacted or there was an order of someone powerful or something or other.

 

[Alboreto]

I just came back from France, the diagram for the 500x states put the round circle deflectors slap bang in the middle, but this didn't seem right to me, as others have suggested put the car up not too close to a garage door at night and see what looks right, I had the the right light if you're looking at the car head on positioned somewhere near the top right corner a little above center, which made sense to not shine into the oncoming traffic and the left one a little right of center, it seemed ok,

 

[s130]

Worth adding that the beam correction can be done by two methods:

1) blank off the offending kick-up. (DIY job with black electrical tape - or custom cut patch) - NO TRANSLUCENT

2) Fresnel prism - TRANSLUCTENT

Sadly 1) is easy to buy at the likes of Halfords and a bugger to get off due to 100% adhesive coverage

2) is my preferred option