# Ford Transit, Mk7, 2007, headlamp deflectors, beam benders



## wilse

Hi all

Just a quickie... does anyone know or have a fitting instruction for headlamp deflectors for a new shape ford transit (mk 7). Last time I didn't bother fitting, but I'm going for longer now and would like to get it sorted.

I got some beam benders, but the instruction only covered up to Mk6 transit, and when I followed those instructions it didn't do anything...

cheers ears

wilse


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## RichardnGill

I would be interested in this too as we are away later this year with ours.

But I am sure I have heard that they don't need them as the lights don't dip to any side. Can anyone confirm this?

Richard...


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## wilse

surely not a question that can't be answered....


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## Dogwalker

*Transit beam deflectors*

I bought a set of headlamp protectors and took a guess with yellow defelectors last year. Putting deflectors on the actual headlamps is probably not a good idea. Remember to ask for the MHF discount if you order deflectors - I didn't

There has been a question about this on the ford transit forum and this answer was posted.

"I have just received from Ford Technical Information Centre a 7 page document detailing how to make and fit masks for driving on the right. The material to be used is the normal black outside - silver inside type of sticky plastic that Halfords (and the AA and the RAC) sell in their headlight beam adaptor kits.

The document shows how and where to measure and mark the headlight covers, so as to ensure that the masks are fitted in the right place.

The man at Ford technical said that he did not understand why this information was not in the driver's handbook, or why their dealer's (I asked Polar Ford) did not know it."

So far the instructions have not appeared on the forum


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## wilse

haven't put mine on yet, but the eurolites I mentioned earlier have got back to me, and it's diagram 44. I will do mine over the next few days and post the a picture once I've fitted them.

wilse


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## huss

*Headlights*

Try Halfords they do packet that will do most cars/vans worked for me.

Huss


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## trevd01

Copied from my post on www.bongofury.co.uk.



trevd01 said:


> Like many modern vehicles- the new shape Bongo has perfectly clear headlamps, so you need to work out where to put your beam benders.
> 
> I bought 'Metro' brand clear ones which I have used on other cars - £6.99 from Charlie Browns.
> 
> If you go on the website of the makers
> http://www.saxonind.co.uk
> there is a pdf file to download that shows exactly where to stick the beam benders.
> The trick is a little circle moulded into the plastic lens (fortunately the Bongo has this!), which shows the centre of the bulb, using that you can position them correctly.
> It's not where you would think!
> 
> Now I wish I had found this before - spent hours trying to get it right on a clear-headlamp Freelander a couple of years ago, shining on the garage door.
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> Hope this helps


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## Zebedee

I've never seen a lorry with beam benders, nor have I ever been flashed while abroad.

Being of a congenitally stingy disposition, that's excuse enough for me not to bother. :roll: :roll: 

Cheers


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## RichardnGill

> I've never seen a lorry with beam benders, nor have I ever been flashed while abroad.


 That is a good point that I had never thought about. I am of the smae thinking as your self too.

On another point I am sure some of the latest headlights arnt set up of left or right hand drive, they are kindaoff universaly set up in the middle. My 2005 Golf seem like that anyway and I havnt checked them on our MK7 Transit yet.

Richard


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## Zebedee

RichardnGill said:


> On another point I am sure some of the latest headlights arnt set up of left or right hand drive, they are kindaoff universaly set up in the middle. My 2005 Golf seem like that anyway and I havnt checked them on our MK7 Transit yet.
> Richard


Hi Richard

I'm not quite sure about that, but they certainly seem to have a much more definite cut-off at the top edge of the beam, and they don't seem to shine as high up at the top left as they did in the past. _(Whether the beam is actually "centred" is debatable I think, but I don't think it matters because . . . . ..)_

Both of these factors mean that if you lower the beam a bit it can easily be dropped well below the eyeline of a motorist approaching on the "wrong" side of the road, and still illuminate your path perfectly adequately for moderate driving speeds.

It's dead easy to do this on the dreaded X250 - just a couple of clicks of the "down" button. I expect most other fairly modern vans are similar.

Cheers


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## 112090

I have placed the complete set of instructions on how to mask the headlamps of a Ford Transit MK7 on a small website at:

http://uk.geocities.com/[email protected]/

I hope that this will be of some use to you all. I have followed the instructions and they work OK and I am off to Norway for two months on 13 May (headlamps must be on all the time over there).

Michael

PS I should have mentioned that these instructions are from Ford themselves, but for some reason or other are not included in the driver's handbook.


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## gaspode

The link above appears to be the official Ford instructions. Ford always give full instructions in their technical literature on headlight alignment. If you need exact instructions just ask your local Ford agent, they should be able to give you a printout from their system.


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## pippin

I know this is an old thread but......

It doesn't matter what *you* think about not bothering fitting beam deflectors or of simply lowering the beam - that French Gendarme has the final say as he pulls out his on-the-spot-fine pad!


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## ovalball

So where exactly do you put the tape on a new transit please?Not paying halfords another £8!!!


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## peaky

ive got the opposite problem, I have a left hand drive ford transit base motorhome and coming to the uk in as little as two weeks, would I have to find beam benders for the uk ?? I had thought about this but trying to explain to the Spanish........


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## pippin

The seven page Ford document details how to convert LHD to RHD and also RHD to LHD.


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## peaky

I will try the ford manual tomorrow as I can get the link to work as it has expired


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## cabby

No Peaky you do not need anything for your LHD van .
Non UK,lhd vehicles headlamps dip straight down as apposed to UK which dip to the left, so that when driving on the continent will blind the driver coming towards you. that is why we need the beam benders.
Pippin has the correct outlook. cheaper to have them fitted on the UK vehicle before you go.

cabby


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## MatHart

wilse said:


> Hi all
> 
> Just a quickie... does anyone know or have a fitting instruction for headlamp deflectors for a new shape ford transit (mk 7). Last time I didn't bother fitting, but I'm going for longer now and would like to get it sorted.
> 
> I got some beam benders, but the instruction only covered up to Mk6 transit, and when I followed those instructions it didn't do anything...
> 
> cheers ears
> 
> wilse


I've finally found the Mk 7 Headlight Mask direct from Ford. It seems that the instructions on a lot of headlamp 'Defelectors' are not much use - see this article: 
http://www.motoring-into-europe.co.uk/download/motorcaravanning-matters-article.pdf

What this guy explains is that in practice there is no such thing as 'bending' - all we are trying to do is block out the offending beams which appear on the top LHS (from either headlamp) as you look at the headlight beam shape when you point teh vehicle directly at a wall. This is the part which lights up road signs and pavements in the UK and which is the offending part on the continent. See this page for a diagram of that: 
http://www.motoring-into-europe.co.uk/fitting.html

But actually doing that is not easy particularly when there are no locating marks on the light as with the Mk 7. What I've found from the Ford instructions is surprising in that the masked area needs to be on the lower LHS as you look at the headlight - this is counter intuitive and completely the opposite to what the instructions tell me to do with my 'Benders' that I already bought (from ProfileAuto).

Ford btw say to use black masking tape. I know masking tape has had some bad press but I think I'd rather follow Fords instructions and use tape than try to fit a small triangular shaped bender where the Ford mask requires a large parrallellogram shape.

I can't post an attachment here so I will put the PDF on my website. Go to https://hartsmotorhomehire.co.uk/travel-guides/france/

Best of luck.


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## Mrplodd

A set of Eurolites (Which, according to one of the Motoring magazines I was reading a while back tested all of the available options) are the ONLY headlamp masks that actually do the job intended. (Or maybe it was the article that Mathart has provided the link to) They are available for less than a fiver on eBay and come with detailed instructions for just about every vehicle on the road.

For the sake of a fiver a trip I am not prepared to risk "Flic" finding a reason to stop/fine me.

Cabby

Sorry but I think you will find the "continental headlamps dip straight down" theory is yet another urban myth. Just try importing a continental vehicle with its original headlamps into the UK and you will quickly find out that you must replace them with UK spec ones in order to get the necessary certificate before you can get it registered!! 

Andy


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## raynipper

Has anyone ever seen a French reg vehicle with headlamp adjusters in UK? Ever.?

Ray.


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## Mrplodd

Er, can't say I have. It's probably another "rule" that the French simply choose to ignore.

But I HAVE been dazzled by foreign vehicles coming the other way!!

Andy


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