# Headlights over Ferry



## baldlygo (Sep 19, 2006)

Now safety returned from my car trip to France I am mystified as to why I was the only person on the 3am Dover - Calais ferry to show any interest in headlights.

I thought I would have time on the ferry itself to put on my £7 beam stick on benders. However I had to rush the job and jump in and drive off. It seemed quit a long way before I could stop in a lay-by to check them. When I did eventually stop I found that both had washed/blown away in the rain :!: - no benders at all :!: Luckily I did have a spare set of stick-on mask types (£6) which I had to fit in the dark and in the rain.

So how come I saw no one else doing anything at all with headlights going out and coming back when there was a boat load of other vehicles :?: 

It must be 20 years since I last went on the ferry so please forgive me if I am missing something silly :roll: 

Paul


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## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

I think that very many people aren't interested or conciensious enough :wink:


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

They probably think that all those nice French drivers who flash them on the road are being friendly !

Either that or they reckon that they don't drive after dark so they don't need headlamps anyway.

You're right though. We're always very conscientious about putting them on and removing them but I've never seen anyone else actually doing it.

G


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

I fiited some Halfords stick on adaptors to our Fiat based van when we did our first foreign trip.. Just left them on ever since (2 years).. 
Dont drive much in the dark or poor weather over here and they dont seem to cause any issues to UK drivers..
Even left them on for the MOT and the tester said that was okay and it passed !!!
I used to travel to Holland every month and you see 100's of UK drivers with no GB sticker or beam benders.. My opinion is that for £7 I prefer to have them fitted and it's one less item that the French police can try and fine me for.....


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

tonka said:


> I
> . My opinion is that for £7 I prefer to have them fitted and it's one less item that the French police can try and fine me for.....


Absolutely ! It does make a difference and, if it dazzles one less lorry driver and annoys him, then it can only be a good thing on busy roads !

I understand that the rules are that, if you have a number plate with GB incorporated in it - as most are these days- then you do not need any other sticker within the EU. This should mean that you must have one in Switzerland but, I understand the Swiss have given up on this and do not demand one. We've never been stopped and have passed the border many times. We did not have one for Croatia either and no-one complained. It only occurred to us that we should have had one after the event.

G


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## ChesterfieldHooligan (Oct 26, 2008)

:lol: Hi to you all just a note to say I have been on lot's of ferry's and have never seen a French or any other left hand drive fit beam deflector's coming into the UK am I missing something !!! :lol:


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

> So how come I saw no one else doing anything at all with headlights going out and coming back when there was a boat load of other vehicles


We have always found plenty of time before boarding a ferry or tunnel train to fit our stick on beam correctors. I wouldn't try to do it as everyone is trying to get off the ferry since there isn't that much time between getting access to the car deck and driving off -you don't make any friends holding up unloading!


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## wobby (May 1, 2005)

I don't bother because you get much better lighting when going round left bends :lol: :roll: :wink: 

Wobby :wink:


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

I just use black lectricians tape, however, someone will be upset, since when we went to Dunkerque, there were the local and national police stopping British cars checking for florries and headlight changes. 

( It wasnt just Brits they stopped, but the Brits would be the ones we're interested in).


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## rayhook (May 15, 2005)

*Headlights*

This headlight business really is a nuisance - not least since sticky deflectors don't stay on for very long and can also cause the surface of the headlight to craze over. Black tape prevents the beam dipping to the left so you get less light than using proper deflectors and can also cause crazing.

I have a set of LHD headlight units which I fit before we drive to Dover - in daylight, before anyone asks. The MoT requires that the beams don't dip to the right so some black tape applied just for MoT solves that problem if I choose not to refit the RHD units when I return to the UK.

I'd like a nice simple solution to this one - but I've not seen one yet! And it needs to be legal.........

Ray


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

*Re: Headlights*



rayhook said:


> This headlight business really is a nuisance - not least since sticky deflectors don't stay on for very long and can also cause the surface of the headlight to craze over. Black tape prevents the beam dipping to the left so you get less light than using proper deflectors and can also cause crazing.
> 
> I have a set of LHD headlight units which I fit before we drive to Dover - in daylight, before anyone asks. The MoT requires that the beams don't dip to the right so some black tape applied just for MoT solves that problem if I choose not to refit the RHD units when I return to the UK.
> 
> ...


I cant see why they cant go back to the old system found in Renault 16's a simple lever switched the lights from left to right, or the other way round


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## sersol (Aug 1, 2005)

*"I cant see why they cant go back to the old system found in Renault 16's a simple lever switched the lights from left to right, or the other way round "*

As far as I know the "Eura Mobil" _Integra_ has that as standard,I must say very useful indeed.


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Slightly, just slightly, simpler than The Transit MK7 six pages of instructions on how to make a diverting mask!


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

Even simpler, why not just make it a flat, straight dip. Just one set of headlights would then suit both left and right hand drive.


JohnW


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## SpeedyDux (Jul 13, 2007)

I agree with bandaid. 

I once had a Mk1 Renault 5 with a simple lever system. 30 second job on the ferry. My current car (Vectra with Xenon lights) also has a lever system, but it is almost inaccessible - involves grazed knuckles and plenty of bad words even in ideal conditions, so not a job to be done on the ferry deck.

So, for the Westy it's sticky black leccy tape DIY mask time.


SD


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