Headligh Deflectors For France

[TinTentTourist]

OK OK I give up....

I want to be legal in 3 weeks time when I emerge from the Eurotunnel, but I cannot find the answer to this problem. How do I fit headlight deflectors to my fancy new Ford Galaxy headlights. There is no glass lense with nice little lines to follow, just pretty, smooth glass. My Ford dealer gave me a printout that was almost completely useless. It talked about photocopying a template and then blowing it up on a photocopier with some fancy piece of maths to make it the right size... then there are still no lines on the headlight to match it to!!

I could always guess,,,.. there is no way a Frence policeman would ever be able to say I was wrong (I hope),

Anyone got any ideas please?

Regards

Martin

[suzuki91]

i bought some on the ferry, did'nt get round to fitting them, and did not have any problems. guess the police have better things to worry about?

[Velcrohead]

Just come back from France on business and had no problems.

We did take first aid kit, warning triangle, fire extinguisher and a bulb kit which are legal requirements.

[Steven.Langdale]

I've just bought a pair of Halfords Beam deflectors. they were about a fiver, and included loads of instructions of how to fit them on modern cars without the lines. You could try them.

 

Steven

[Ivor_E_Tower]

Do what Steven suggests - I bought a set last year including magnetic GB plate; full instructions tell you exactly where to stick the deflectors. Black tape is now considered to be "old fashioned" <_>

[Steven.Langdale]

Do you still need a GB sticker if your number plate has the country code on it?

 

Steven

[Guest T120]

I say NO as:-

my number plates have a Cross of Saint George at the top and at the bottom ENG of the left hand blue strip, :D not a ring of stars and GB. <_<

Because my country is England born and bred and proud of it. :)

GB represents the whole of England, Scotland, Wales and Northen Ireland.

[Masked Marauder]

Am I the only person who holds no desire to go any nearer France than this side of the channel?

 

We should never have given them it back after either of the World Wars.

[Lyle Waters]

What's France?

[seatkid]

What's France?

A large useless drain on the CAP..... <_<

[Ivor]

I've just bought a pair of headlamp protectors for my Mk2 Alhambra.

 

They come with stickers for deflecting the beam.

 

If you place stickers on your original headlamps which are plastic, you may not get them off again without scratching them. Solvents could make things worse?

[gazza007]

Where did you get the protectors Ivor & how much

[Ivor]

Hobin, Preston ~

[Guest mick]

Didn't use lamp deflectors at all on my Gal for 18 month or so on continent. Still removing glue residue from my Rover's headlights having had the deflectors on that for 3 yrs continuous. (Not that I'm trying that hard!) Non deflected Gal lights considerably better than Rovers with deflectors on them.

 

Whilst on continent, both cars had 'Euro plates' with the country ident on them. Didn't use any other sticker to show country of residence, and had no problems crossing manned borders such as Switzerland or UK.

[Guest gritrash]

The print out from the TIS - which I guess is what the dealer supplied you with - is fiddly but works. You've basically got to re-scale it on a photocopier to get it to the correct size. The TIS includes a diagram which shows quite clearly where the various bits need blacking out. Without that you would just be guessing - did they supply it?

 

My understanding is that 'euro' style plates will get you anywhere in the EU without the legal requirement for a GB plate.

[Guest marcusheawood]

Oferchrissakes just drive the bluddy thing!

 

The French only notice you if you overtake them, then they spend the next ten kilometres trying to nudge their Clio 1.1 over the ton so that they can pull out behind you and flash you, obliging you to pull over whilst they leave their indicator on and creep past at 8000 rpm only to fall back again as soon as the gradient changes; forcing you to then overtake them again and thus the endless cycle begins anew. :o

 

I got so fed up with it that I ended up driving from Disneyland Paris to Calais in just under two hours, do the math yourselves! (ya bunch of squares!) :o

 

Just drive around quaking in terror on dipped beam, main beam might attract too much attention, and they have sub-machine guns, and will lock you up in the Bastille before guillotining you at dawn because you're from a country which has an aristocracy (...pathetic isn't it) and they're giving all your money to lazy unproductive farmers while the real peasants and smallholders starve...and they won't buy anything we've made (not that we make anything anymore) 'cos the trade restrictions are draconian, and they insult our food and way of life because they only wanted the Olympic games to STOP US HAVING THEM! :lol:

[Guest gritrash]

It's about time someone stuck up for the French -

1. They have motorways that work

2. They have proper lunch breaks

3. Everything is cheaper

4. Wine

5. The highest rate of liver cirhosis (sp?)

6. Its a republic

7. A healthy disregard for customer care

8. Le Mans

9. Gitanes

10. whoever heard of Last Tango in Slough?

11.that funny citroen with the headlights that swivel

(lets forget the 2CV)

 

There, look, it is possible to be nice about france.

:o :o :lol: :o

[Guest FlyingDutchMan]

Anyway, the reason why the French don't put deflectors on their headlights when they are in the UK is simply because UK law doesn't require it! On the continent they all require it by law.

 

My wife has a Bora with similar headlights (transparent plastic cover like the Gal) and when we went to the continent bought the deflectors from VW (and that was the very first time they ever sold that part!). It consistet of 2 stickers that with a template in the middle. Stick the things on the headlight, peel it off, leaving the template in place and the part that was left on the lens was the deflector. Probably something similar with the Gals. Mine has Xenons which is a total nightmare as you have to take the entire headlight unit out of the car, unscrew the back, flip the switch to put a mirror to cover part of the beam, put it back together and put the light unit back into the car.... Probably the most silly construction i have ever seen for a car.

FDM

[Guest vr6galaxy]

It's about time someone stuck up for the French -

ok then here goes :D

[Guest gritrash]

It's about time someone stuck up for the French -

ok then here goes :D

je ne regret rien

 

lol :D

[TinTentTourist]

Thanks all,

I think I've hit a nerve with one or two though! From all my research it looks like there is no real answer from anyone, official or not.

 

I think what I will do will be a mix of everything.

 

I will try and blow up the template provided by my local dealer. I will then guess where it should go on the glass part of the lense having removed the plastic shields first. I will use black insulating tape to avoid the issue with glue residue and mask the places indicated on the template.

 

I will then never drive at night and ensure that when the beautiful French sun sets, I will see it through the bottom of a glass containing a nice French red wine.

 

I will also follow the advice of another well respected English authority and in the immortal words of Basil Faulty, "Don't mention the 2012 Olympics"

 

Who won again, I just can't remember :D

 

Regards

 

Martin

[Ivor_E_Tower]

Black tape, especially electrical insulation tape, is going to leave one hell-uv-a-mess on your plastic headlamp lenses, and if you use a strong solvent to remove it, you risk disolving them (or worse :D ).

 

Better to spend a few quid on the proper deflectors, which came off a dream on mine last year.

[cochapman]

Any hint where on the TIS I'd find the pattern for the beam deflector?

 

Thanks :)

[italiastar]

It's about time someone stuck up for the French -

1. They have motorways that work

2. They have proper lunch breaks

3. Everything is cheaper

4. Wine

5. The highest rate of liver cirhosis (sp?)

6. Its a republic

7. A healthy disregard for customer care

8. Le Mans

9. Gitanes

10. whoever heard of Last Tango in Slough?

11.that funny citroen with the headlights that swivel

(lets forget the 2CV)

 

There, look, it is possible to be nice about france.

wink.gif wink.gif wink.gif wink.gif

 

HERE HERE - Enjoy your Holiday and have a safe journey - Bon Voyage

[johdt]

Contact any Ford dealer and ask for a copy of TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) No.870/2000 dated 27/07/2000. This contents full size templates for masking your headlights. I use black sticky tape to mask mine which is easily removed with white spirit and it dosen't damage plastic lens. Just done a 3 week trip to Spain plus towing a caravan, black tape well cooked on all removed ok no problem.

 

John