Headlights

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njr
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Headlights

Post by njr »

Sorry to keep going on about headlights but Ive heard a rumour that you can switch the beam in headlights from RHD to LHD for driving on the right.
Is this true as it will save me some money. And does it apply to Xantia 1 and 2 if so ;
03 Renault Master Dci 70k miles
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deian
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Post by deian »

What do you mean? You can't like switch the 'beam', you could maybe put foreign difuser glass (french would have reverse diffused patterns to us) on your car to make it comply with foreign standards without the need for blocking stickers on the glass.

There is no electronic switch that changes the direction of the lights, or the intensity from one side to the other. Unless someone here knows what you are on about, but if it's possible it's news to me!

Good luck in your quest. :lol:
njr
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Post by njr »

Maybe switch the beam sounds a bit simple, but a friend of a friend with a RHD Xantia put it through a french MOT and the mechanic somehow altered the beam without changing the units. Does that make it any clearer :wink:
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

If such electronic beam shifters exists - they must be madly expensive - alone by the fact its a new type of component.

The way to go is to use the standard stickers for short term trips - or stock 2 sets of headlamp lenses (front glass only) for longer term driving each side of the channel.
New front glasses are not that expensive (though not exactly cheap :roll: ). Some £45/ea (ex vat). May be found at 1/10th this price at breakers/ Ebay.

Because of their asymmetrical light beams - it is not possible to use a "drivers side" headlamp type from each side of the border - on each side of the car. That would dazzle oncoming drivers in both countries.

Another way solving the problem : having a second car "born" into the country its mostly driven in.
Mid-90 Citroens seems to be cheap worlwide :lol:
Anders (DK) - '90 BX16Image
deian
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Post by deian »

:idea: Maybe we can retrofit the other side's version of the headlight in the fog lamps holes, and then we just 'flick' that switch! :wink:

Make sure the lower versions are properly aligned (height wise), and reverse in beam throw to the top ones. :roll:
citronut
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Post by citronut »

on older citroens you could move a slide on the bulb holder which rotated the bulb slightly to alter the kick up,this was for driving on the continent,the stickers we put on the head light glass just cut out the kick up in the beam pattern
regards malcolm
PowerLee
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Post by PowerLee »

Ive seen those switches on the back of headlights before, I cant for the life of me remember what car they where fitted to though.

It had LHD one side & RHD the other & a knob that you clicked between the 2 settings.
Kursaal Flyer
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Headlights

Post by Kursaal Flyer »

On the 2CV & Dyane it was possible to alter the dipped beam from RHD to LHD simply by rotating the bulb to a different seating position on many Valeo lamp units, the pattern on the front glass being symetrical. It was just to change the side that the dipped beam kick up pointed.
Ahead of thir time those motors :wink:
regards
John J.
citronut
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Post by citronut »

AXs have a knob on the top adjusters but i thought this was for alltering the hight of the beam when you have a load in the car,where as on most of the earlyer citroens you could either just rotate the bulb to another slot or remove the bulb slide the plastic block along then replace the bulb
regards malcolm
awg2
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Post by awg2 »

Some time ago I found SOMEWHERE on the internet a template for for masking Xantia headlights for driving on the continent. Unfortunately I lost my bookmarks and can't find it again. Does anyone have the URL or a graphic of the template?
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user_3150
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Post by user_3150 »

The adjusters talked about on the actual headlights with two settings are for winter/summer driving I believe as I had these on my 205 GTi which I had to sell :cry: :( . I'm sure it actually said summer / winter on the adjusters but I never changed them. I would assume that they would be higher on the winter setting though.
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