GT w/Xenon - Driving Abroad?
Discussion
So,
Going to be driving down to Italy via a number of countries in the summer, so I need to adapt the headlights for right/wrong/other side of the road.
AA website seem to recommend that most HID lights have a switch or setting on the reflector to determine the country/side they are set for (I am used to just stick on masks from the past for halogen lights). AA also mention some times its a dealer only change?
Has anyone ever done this? Need to get the manual out tonight and have a look... but thought if someone has done this with a GT or other Alfa they might know how its done?
Can anyone enlighten me?
Going to be driving down to Italy via a number of countries in the summer, so I need to adapt the headlights for right/wrong/other side of the road.
AA website seem to recommend that most HID lights have a switch or setting on the reflector to determine the country/side they are set for (I am used to just stick on masks from the past for halogen lights). AA also mention some times its a dealer only change?
Has anyone ever done this? Need to get the manual out tonight and have a look... but thought if someone has done this with a GT or other Alfa they might know how its done?
Can anyone enlighten me?
Hmm, thats not very constructive advice.
Lights that are not adjusted are pretty bright to oncoming traffic, also, have you ever stared into a set of Xenon lights? I get flashed as it is on hilly road sas drivers coming the other way on a hill who get an eyeful assume I am on main beam...
You seem to have been lucky so far, do you drive in the day?! I am pretty sure that I would at some stage find a copper who was unhappy and willing to write me a fine, now that a lot of EU countries require lights all day as well I am pretty sure it would be more than one fine if I did'nt get it sorted.
Can anyone offer any constructive advice on if there is a setting on these lights?
Lights that are not adjusted are pretty bright to oncoming traffic, also, have you ever stared into a set of Xenon lights? I get flashed as it is on hilly road sas drivers coming the other way on a hill who get an eyeful assume I am on main beam...
You seem to have been lucky so far, do you drive in the day?! I am pretty sure that I would at some stage find a copper who was unhappy and willing to write me a fine, now that a lot of EU countries require lights all day as well I am pretty sure it would be more than one fine if I did'nt get it sorted.
Can anyone offer any constructive advice on if there is a setting on these lights?
GT02 said:
Hmm, thats not very constructive advice.
Lights that are not adjusted are pretty bright to oncoming traffic, also, have you ever stared into a set of Xenon lights? I get flashed as it is on hilly road sas drivers coming the other way on a hill who get an eyeful assume I am on main beam...
You seem to have been lucky so far, do you drive in the day?! I am pretty sure that I would at some stage find a copper who was unhappy and willing to write me a fine, now that a lot of EU countries require lights all day as well I am pretty sure it would be more than one fine if I did'nt get it sorted.
Can anyone offer any constructive advice on if there is a setting on these lights?
Lights that are not adjusted are pretty bright to oncoming traffic, also, have you ever stared into a set of Xenon lights? I get flashed as it is on hilly road sas drivers coming the other way on a hill who get an eyeful assume I am on main beam...
You seem to have been lucky so far, do you drive in the day?! I am pretty sure that I would at some stage find a copper who was unhappy and willing to write me a fine, now that a lot of EU countries require lights all day as well I am pretty sure it would be more than one fine if I did'nt get it sorted.
Can anyone offer any constructive advice on if there is a setting on these lights?
Er... Well I've ridden / driven round the world once and have been all over Europe certainly as far as Istanbul, on holidays - so fair distances. It wasnt meant to be sarky its simply that I have never altered lights and it has never been questioned. In fact the last few ferries I have been on you could count the numbers of cars that have made alterations on one hand. I think that most European Police have better things to worry about, make changes if you want but I really don't think its that much of an issue! Yes, you probably should do it but many don't.
As for Zenons, yes I stare at them every day, and my car has them.
But being constructive...
With zenons, unless there is a switch, I can't see that its a DIY job to be honest. Go to the dealer and see what they suggest. My guess is that expense is what leads people to not bother! Edited by twit on Tuesday 20th March 15:47
Edited by twit on Tuesday 20th March 16:07
Ah ok, fair point if you have experience - sorry I interpreted your original reply as a bit sarky.
I know that its often not done properly, but in this case I will be driving UK, Belguim, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, France... far enough to make it worth the effort.. and increase my chances of getting pulled
I was more worried about the chances of getting spotted with Xenon's as they are brighter (man I could never go back to Halogen now!), in the end I called Alfa who say there is a plastic mask you can get to cover the lenses and convert to right hand beam pattern, cheap at £43!!! (to their credit they did go find out and call me back quite quickly).
I am sure you can do it with a mask, but as you said it might be more complicated than a modern halogen, which is pretty complicated already looking at the kits in Halfords at lunchtime.
Have to check into it further me thinks... maybe a cheap plastic stick on kit will do the job after all.
I know that its often not done properly, but in this case I will be driving UK, Belguim, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, France... far enough to make it worth the effort.. and increase my chances of getting pulled
I was more worried about the chances of getting spotted with Xenon's as they are brighter (man I could never go back to Halogen now!), in the end I called Alfa who say there is a plastic mask you can get to cover the lenses and convert to right hand beam pattern, cheap at £43!!! (to their credit they did go find out and call me back quite quickly).
I am sure you can do it with a mask, but as you said it might be more complicated than a modern halogen, which is pretty complicated already looking at the kits in Halfords at lunchtime.
Have to check into it further me thinks... maybe a cheap plastic stick on kit will do the job after all.
To continue on the constructive route...
In the summer its much much less of an issue, I guess most driving is done during the day so its nearly always bright so lights are not that much of an issue. If you leave them on during the day then it doesnt matter either way because dazzling won't be an issue. So if you are going to do most, if not all, your driving in the day then I really wouldnt worry. If there is going to be a lot of night driving then make the changes if its cheap!
And... In Italy, if you find yourself in Lucca (beautiful city) then take the cross country 'mountain route' to Maranello, awesome road! it'll take a few hours to get there that route but its amazing, it'll be 30+ degrees at in Lucca and probably about 5-10 degrees at the highest point before heating up as you blitz into Maranello. Quick whiz round the museum and then autostrada it into Florence for food and sites etc. Great day!
In the summer its much much less of an issue, I guess most driving is done during the day so its nearly always bright so lights are not that much of an issue. If you leave them on during the day then it doesnt matter either way because dazzling won't be an issue. So if you are going to do most, if not all, your driving in the day then I really wouldnt worry. If there is going to be a lot of night driving then make the changes if its cheap!
And... In Italy, if you find yourself in Lucca (beautiful city) then take the cross country 'mountain route' to Maranello, awesome road! it'll take a few hours to get there that route but its amazing, it'll be 30+ degrees at in Lucca and probably about 5-10 degrees at the highest point before heating up as you blitz into Maranello. Quick whiz round the museum and then autostrada it into Florence for food and sites etc. Great day!
I took my GTA which has Xenons to Hannover the other year, I did put beam deflectors on but it was just cosmetic really as I was told this type of deflection does not work on these lights but at least if I was stopped they could see I had tried something. I have the same problem on my Maserati, this does not have Xenons but the lights cannot be deflected effectivley, the dealer said that they could flatten the beam pattern slightly but in reality it would make little difference and was probably not worth the effort.
twit said:
To continue on the constructive route...
And... In Italy, if you find yourself in Lucca (beautiful city) then take the cross country 'mountain route' to Maranello, awesome road! it'll take a few hours to get there that route but its amazing, it'll be 30+ degrees at in Lucca and probably about 5-10 degrees at the highest point before heating up as you blitz into Maranello. Quick whiz round the museum and then autostrada it into Florence for food and sites etc. Great day!
And... In Italy, if you find yourself in Lucca (beautiful city) then take the cross country 'mountain route' to Maranello, awesome road! it'll take a few hours to get there that route but its amazing, it'll be 30+ degrees at in Lucca and probably about 5-10 degrees at the highest point before heating up as you blitz into Maranello. Quick whiz round the museum and then autostrada it into Florence for food and sites etc. Great day!
That sounds great, would love to go to Maranello.. but we will be driving Prague - Saltzburg then over alps somehow to Genoa to get Ferry to Sardinia. Coming back we will be going Ferry to Marseille to cut the corner off so that rules out Modena...
Maybe another year ;-)
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