Headlight adjustment for european roads

[big phil]

is there a way of switching the beam over to the other side for driving on the continent ????

[Ian T]

According to the owners manual in mine, page 147 shows how to adjust passenger headlamp for driving abroad. Give me a shout if you don't have it.

[Gsi3.2]

you should have said last night dude..

it's a little flappy lever on the back of the light units..it'll show you where in the handbook..just find the lever in advance and do it on the Quayside.. :rockon:


I could have done it while i was fishing for that screw :rolleyes: :D

[big phil]

bless ya matey !!! will have a look


thread hijack ..... she wont let me put the spoiler on today !! bummer !!!



back to topic ;)

[Gsi3.2]

tell her it's a must.... with the new plugs and the VXR spoiler she'll save a fortune in fuel while you're away.. :D :D :D :flail: ..

:focus:

[big phil]

ha ... might just give that a go !!! but she wont go for that !! unless i INSIST .... because at the end of the day ''I WEAR THE TROUSERS '' :flail: :flail:

[AJA]

''I WEAR THE TROUSERS '' :flail: :flail:

Yeah right! Me too! :flail: :flail:

[big phil]

:flail: :flail: :flail:

[Drinky]

''I WEAR THE TROUSERS '' :flail: :flail:


Yeah me too! .............................................NOT :clap: :flail: :D

[Spikey©]

I wear the trousers in my house.....just that she tells me which ones....

[Caterman]

We all wear the trousers coz our wives say we can :rolleyes: :flail:

[philzi]

Where is the lever to alter the headlamps....

I'm taking the car away soon (its a facelift one btw) and it'll save me buying the stickys for the lamps...

[SignumPhil]

Have a look at this.......... (with all copyrights aknowledged.....) I can mail the full size image, as I had to reduce it a lot to get it down to a size that will upload.


Phil

[In a states]

Just for reference...the facelift lights need to be manualy adjusted i.e. using an Allen Key on the level adjusters...inner most adjusters 2 full turns each to lower the beam...easily done.

Took my dealer about a day to figure out how to do it!

[Duncan]

I have a feeling the facelift is a different system (if it even lets you do it). Seem to remember somebody asking about this before (for a facelift) and not being able to find the levers - think it was In a states.

Edit: lol - look who just posted as I was typing my reply!! :D

D

[In a states]

I have a feeling the facelift is a different system (if it even lets you do it). Seem to remember somebody asking about this before (for a facelift) and not being able to find the levers - think it was In a states.

Edit: lol - look who just posted as I was typing my reply!! :D

D

:clap: Classic!

[SignumPhil]

I forgot to mention that you'll probably need a mirror on a stick and a pair of 9" thumbs to do it on the pre-facelift, too!

Phil

[Big Davie]

I wear the trousers in my house.....just that she tells me which ones....

I know the feeling........lol

[Chocki]

There is no adjustment lever on the facelift models with Halogen lights :mad: .

The best that can be done is to use beam benders which direct the light more to the right, I have used this method a few times now without any problems and no one has ever flashed me to indicate they are being blinded.

It's not perfect, but it is better than Vauxhalls answer which is to point the lights at the floor and remove over approx 60% of your forward illumination.

I hope someone does not have an accident because of Vauxhalls answer due to them not being able to see a thing in the dark!.

[rmcevoy]

I asked my dealer today how to adjust face lift headlamps for euro driving. They had to look up tech details on their PC but could not find how to do it! I showed them the owner manual and then they said the best thing to do was use the interia headlamp level switch to the lowest setting!

I was told the two yellow hex screw adjusters are for headlamp alignment and should not be moved.....................

I wonder what the real Vx procedure is?

[Maddog1974]

Found it interesting yesterday was reading my manual and found i put a fuse in under the bonnet to adjust mine for abroad as they are the xenon's didnt know that!

[Damian]

Just to resurrect this post a second.

I have looked in my manual for adjusting the headlights for driving abroad and all it says is to have the headlights adjusted at Vauxhall.

Last time I checked there wasn't a VX workshop on the ferry to France. There is no picture of the lever in my book.

I have an 05 SRi Vectra, can it be done in this way

Cheers

[Chocki]

There is no lever on the facelift model lights, and the fuse method only applies if you have the clever adaptive front lights (The ones that turn as you steer left and right), these are not standard on the SRi.

As far as I am aware, the SRi like mine only has the Halogen projector type (Unless AFL ordered as an upgrade when purchasing the car from new).

These have no lever etc to adjust the lights for european driving.

What I did was use a pair of beam benders to direct some of the light to the right and had no problems whilst abroad (Over 3 months in total).

What I would suggest though, is that you buy a set of headlight protectors (Approx £30 from VX) and stick anything onto these as the glue damages the headlight when left on for some time.

There are two types of beam benders, I will give details and a drawing later when I have more time.

[Damian]

There is no lever on the facelift model lights, and the fuse method only applies if you have the clever adaptive front lights (The ones that turn as you steer left and right), these are not standard on the SRi.
I have a pre-facelift though



There are two types of beam benders, I will give details and a drawing later when I have more time.
Nice one

Cheers

[Andy]

im off to norway in the morning so am just going to stick some of the light blocker things on rather than fannie arround skinning my knuckles trying to work out where my levers are.

[Damian]

im off to norway in the morning so am just going to stick some of the light blocker things on rather than fannie arround skinning my knuckles trying to work out where my levers are.
Can I just pick these up in Halfords or something then, and are they fairly self explanatory where to stick them on the headlight

Cheers

[Chocki]

http://www.infamous.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/LightMask.jpg

OK, if you use the Metro Super Beam Benders (http://www.stoplock.co.uk/beambenders.htm) then fit as shown. Make sure you use the correct segment (RHD for UK).

The blue 'Rabbit ears' is the light output as seen at the cover.

They are not perfect, but then again with these projector lamps nothing ever will be, you see, the light beam does some strange crossover stuff somewhere in front of the lens and there is just no way to be able to effectively mask it off without masking much of the rest of the light output!.

If you want to see what I mean, drive to within about 5m of a light wall at night, get a piece of card and try to mask off the sloping part of the light!, it can't be done.

I have fitted these super beam benders and had no problems when driving abroad.

By the way, steer well clear of the Eurolites masks as the glue they use attacks the polycarbonate of your lights, after the damage they caused to my last Vectra, I took no chances withe the Metro Beam Benders and fitted headlight protectors, as it turns out the Metro product caused no damage to these.

http://www.infamous.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/LightMask2.jpg

This also can be used on the pre-facelift models, just apply in front of the lens as in the above pictures.

If anyone else has any suggestions / experience, then please add to this thread.

[sgilkes]

Hi Chocki

I'm driving to east Hungary in March and have purchased the identical items as yourself, any updates since your last post.

Regards
Simon

[sgilkes]

Tried fitting the headlight protectors but they don't fit between the headlight and the front bumber/spoiler. Did you have this problem?

Purchased pucker Vauxhall parts and only succeeded in damaging my paint work

Simon

[RichieClyde]

Is there a more simple way of adjusting the lamps rather than buying Beam Re-Direction Thingys?

I have the Facelift Model and after a brief look at it there is 2 Allen Head Adjusters above each light unit. Is it as simple as turning those? I've driving to the continent at the end of this month. and my idea was simply to adjust them whilst on the ferry.

[MrT]

Tried fitting the headlight protectors but they don't fit between the headlight and the front bumber/spoiler. Did you have this problem?

Purchased pucker Vauxhall parts and only succeeded in damaging my paint work

Simon

Bumper needs dropping to fit them correctly - mine were done as part of the Protection Pack; deal sweetener "worth blah blah blah £retail" - actually the protectors probably cost the most to do because of the demounting needed (rest of PPck is just dealer-applied sprays and a set of mats).

[KieronGSI]

Does any one have a picture of these levers or the headlight converters fitted to a pre-facelift?

[Duncan]

Yep, I've posted up a pic (of the levers) in the past. Have a search for relevant keywords and posts by me and you'll find it.

[Tony W]

Last year our first time driving in La Belle France, after trying beam benders on my 'Face lift' without success.. I took advice from a continental regular....just lowered the headlamps to the lowest position while on the shuttle and used main beam ...seemed to work fine... the chap who told me said he'd never bothered with beam benders...

[kenp]

Does any one have a picture of these levers or the headlight converters fitted to a pre-facelift?
theres one now in the how2 section :)

[padawun]

I have been reading his thread as we are of to france etc shortly.

I have a pre face lift SRI, but in my headlights there are no levers. My hand book shows the levers (as per the iamges on this thread) in the section relating to bulb replacement, but for headlight adjustment, it simply says
"headlights to be adjusted by a dealer".

Any thoughts peeps?