Adjusting Headlamps for Driving in Europe

Nick UK Spain

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2011 ML350 SPT CDI BLUEFF (164) - ADJUSTMENT FOR EUROPE

Hello everyone,

Do you know if I can adjust my headlamps for Europe without having to change them as this is quite pricey.

Thanks for your help.

Nick
 

LostKiwi

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Hello everyone,

Do you know if I can adjust my headlamps for Europe without having to change them as this is quite pricey.

Thanks for your help.

Nick

Is this for permanent use in Spain or just holiday use? Pretty sure that legally for permanent use you would have to swap the units for right hand traffic versions.
 

Craiglxviii

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Is this for permanent use in Spain or just holiday use? Pretty sure that legally for permanent use you would have to swap the units for right hand traffic versions.

By 2011 it MIGHT be possible to change beam pattern to symmetrical in the DIS menu. I know it went to this in the MY12 onwards E class.
 

Gkinghorn

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My 2011 has it in the dash display .no need to fiddle with the lights manually ..


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bkilshaw

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I've just bought a C-Class C220 Cdi Blue Efficiency Estate 2013.
My wife and I live in France, we're trying to sell our property - which is why we bought an RHD car - but things are moving very slowly so I'm going to have to "import" it and register it here in France.
We took it to the dealer to get a "Certificate of Conformity" to start the registration process and he tells me that I need to replace the headlights - at a cost or around €950.
Reading the manual suggests my current lights can be adjusted for France and when I look at them there's a screw type fitting on the top of each one with an "R/L" label which suggests even further that I can have them adjusted.

Does anyone know if that is an option?
TIA
 

LostKiwi

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I always thought one advantage of HIDs is that they are anti-glare and hence no need to adjust for the Continent.

I go into France quite often. I've never been stopped for the lights either on the motorways or in a city.

I carry the spare bulb set, emergency jacket, etc because I think not having these could get you into trouble if there was a breakdown or if you were stopped for something else such as speeding.

Has anyone actually been caught for lack of stickers on their HIDs?

HiDs are actually worse for glare.
The science behind this....

HiDs operate typically at between 4300K and 5000K (unless they are silly aftermarket sh*t that will usually operate at 6000K to 8000K 'cos the look cool when blue innit bruv'.
This puts the light output put closer to the blue end of the spectrum compared to halogens (typically 2900K to 4300K). Colours towards blue are more prone to scatter as a result of dirt on the lens, dust, rain, snow or fog.
The scatter is undesirable as the light is then uncontrolled by the lens and can (and does) cause glare. Added to this HiDs operate at far higher light output than halogens thus not only is there more light scatter but its also brighter which aggravates the issue.

Old gits amongst us will recall french cars having yellow headlights (referred to as selective yellow). This was for exactly this reason. Yellow being a long way in the colour spectrum from blue scatters less and hence creates less glare.

LEDs are a mid ground between halogen and HiD. Whilst they tend to operate at 5000K to 6000K (even closer to the blue end of the spectrum) they don't have the light output of HiDs.
 

Craiglxviii

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Except they do now Alastair ;) and in fact the new stuff is only prevented from far exceeding HiD flux density by there not being a need for it. 25k lm lamps could go into service tomorrow with no problems if there was a call.

Oh, and pick your colour temperature, colour bins from 2700K to 12000K, roll up roll up!
 

Mr Filipov

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Sod em they should drive on the proper side of the road like us.

Sod them? You are the ones that are backwards to most of Europe mate. Why don't you lot switch to the correct side to make things for import/export of cars?
 

Craiglxviii

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Sod them? You are the ones that are backwards to most of Europe mate. Why don't you lot switch to the correct side to make things for import/export of cars?

Because we are the bit of Europe that Napoleon DIDN'T successfully invade, and thus didn't force to ride horses and drive carriages on the wrong side of the road to remind them who was the boss.

Before 1787 everyone rode on the left. Kept the sword hand (right hand) free and on the correct side to engage an oncoming threat.

No, that's not made up and yes, that's the real reason. Left hand drive has a number of disadvantages when compared to eye- dominance distribution and a few other things.
 

LostKiwi

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Because we are the bit of Europe that Napoleon DIDN'T successfully invade, and thus didn't force to ride horses and drive carriages on the wrong side of the road to remind them who was the boss.

Before 1787 everyone rode on the left. Kept the sword hand (right hand) free and on the correct side to engage an oncoming threat.

No, that's not made up and yes, that's the real reason. Left hand drive has a number of disadvantages when compared to eye- dominance distribution and a few other things.
He didn't invade China either as far as I'm aware.... nor the USA...nor South America (where all bar one country drive on the right), nor Africa (where all the northern countries drive on the right whereas the southern ones drive on the left)...

Funnily enough it pretty much only countries that were part of the British Empire (Japan excepted) that still drive on the left (USA excepted).

Drive-on-Left.jpg
 

towat

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He didn't invade China either as far as I'm aware.... nor the USA...nor South America (where all bar one country drive on the right), nor Africa (where all the northern countries drive on the right whereas the southern ones drive on the left)...

Funnily enough it pretty much only countries that were part of the British Empire (Japan excepted) that still drive on the left (USA excepted).

Drive-on-Left.jpg
It's amazing that so much of the world can be so wrong, didn't ltaly and Sweden drive on the left until relatively recent times?
 

LostKiwi

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It's amazing that so much of the world can be so wrong, didn't ltaly and Sweden drive on the left until relatively recent times?
Not sure about Italy but Sweden yes....
Malcolm will try and tell you they did the buses and trucks one weekend and the cars the next weekend....;)

Funnily enough Britain was the undisputed master of the seas but guess what the rules are for shipping lanes/rivers/canals..... Yep - Keep right!
 

Mr Filipov

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Oh and how can one forget the miles, yards, inches, MPG. The f*****g MPG! Why can't people be normal and do it in l/100 like most of europe yet again???
 

Craiglxviii

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He didn't invade China either as far as I'm aware.... nor the USA...nor South America (where all bar one country drive on the right), nor Africa (where all the northern countries drive on the right whereas the southern ones drive on the left)...

Funnily enough it pretty much only countries that were part of the British Empire (Japan excepted) that still drive on the left (USA excepted).

Drive-on-Left.jpg

That is because countries other than those of the Empire were either French allies (America, Spain, Italy), colonies of French allies (North Africa, South America) or just decided to go along with the flow, like Sweden in the late 60s or early 80s when they changed sides one weekend.
 

Craiglxviii

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Oh and how can one forget the miles, yards, inches, MPG. The f*****g MPG! Why can't people be normal and do it in l/100 like most of europe yet again???

Litres and metres didn't get man to the moon :p

Seriously, everyone in the world used the same system until the Revolutionary French dicided to add science to everything.

I notice that the Revolutionary calendar didn't stay in favour though, why can't we decimalize the year? I wouldn't mind a spot of Thermidor right now I can tell you.
 

Craiglxviii

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Litres and metres didn't get man to the moon :p
Not sure about Italy but Sweden yes....
Malcolm will try and tell you they did the buses and trucks one weekend and the cars the next weekend....;)

Funnily enough Britain was the undisputed master of the seas but guess what the rules are for shipping lanes/rivers/canals..... Yep - Keep right!

Do you know why that is?

Predominantly right-handedness means that the natural instinct for helmsmen to avoid an oncoming anything, or obstacle, is to put the right hand down. It's a weird thing, we see the same in pilots. This is why aircraft carriers have the island on the right side, if a pilot is pulling a bolter the instinct is to bank right. If the island is to the left (only one carrier was built this way, Japanese) this resulted in many aircraft smashing their tail booms off and crashing... so keep right/ turn demonstrably to starboard in emergency is the rule at sea.
 

rf065

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Before 1787 everyone rode on the left. Kept the sword hand (right hand) free and on the correct side to engage an oncoming threat.
No, that's not made up and yes, that's the real reason. Left hand drive has a number of disadvantages when compared to eye- dominance distribution and a few other things.

Correct, and is also the reason all m/cycle side stands are on the left even when sold in countries that drive on the right!

Russ
 

LostKiwi

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Do you know why that is?

Predominantly right-handedness means that the natural instinct for helmsmen to avoid an oncoming anything, or obstacle, is to put the right hand down. It's a weird thing, we see the same in pilots. This is why aircraft carriers have the island on the right side, if a pilot is pulling a bolter the instinct is to bank right. If the island is to the left (only one carrier was built this way, Japanese) this resulted in many aircraft smashing their tail booms off and crashing... so keep right/ turn demonstrably to starboard in emergency is the rule at sea.
So why not apply that to driving?
 

Craiglxviii

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So why not apply that to driving?

Because Napoleon didn't invade us; and there are a few physiological advantages to driving on the left that don't apply to flight operations :p
 


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