European headlights vs NCT

goz83

Hi,

I bought a jap import 2001 (pre face-lift) BMW 318iSE E46 saloon nearly 2 years ago. I bought new angel eye lights on ebay a couple of weeks later from a reputable seller who said they were road legal and suitable for use in the UK and Ireland.

My problem is i've just serviced the car, had the tracking done and put 4 brand new wheels and tires (also from ebay) on the car the other day. Fast fit in clarehall done the tracking and changed the wipers. I asked them to balance the lights too but they said they cant because they are "euro lights" designed for LH drive cars. I'm pretty sure the box said LH and/or RH drive, but i'm sure they were RH drive anyway. Will this be an NCT fail? I do have the original lights but it would be a pain to change them back again to pass the NCT and then reinstall the angel eyes.

What happens to all the LH drive cars with irish plates? wouldn't their lights be set to LH drive positioning?

Advice?

colm_mcm

On some BMWs (like the 5 series) the position can be changed by an adjuster knob on the top of the unit.

Darragh29

There's a little bit of theory behind this... See the pic attached...

If you look at the "Image Kick-Up" sloping yellow line, this is the part of the light beam that is specifically for RHD vehicles, the theory being that it lights up the part of the road/ditch to the left of the vehicle, as the vehicle is driving on the LHS of the road...

If you were to look at a similar diagram for a LHD vehicle that drives on the RHS of the road, this yellow sloping angle would by the opposite of what you are seeing in the attached image. If would go from the centre of the diagram over to the top right of the diagram, in order to illuminate the road/ditch area to the right of the vehicle, which is driving on the right...

Obviously if you have the beam of light for an import trying to highlight the right hand side of the road on a vehicle that is driving on the left hand side, you will be blinding drivers coming towards you, so this is the logic behind it being an NCT fail...

goz83

colm_mcm wrote: »

On some BMWs (like the 5 series) the position can be changed by an adjuster knob on the top of the unit.

Yes my lights do have adjuster knobs. they look like little steering wheels. They raise/lower the beam. But the issue i think is the beam width. On UK and irish roads, the left beam (passenger side) is supposed to have a wider angle to the kerb side. If this happens the opposite way, you are supposedly binding oncoming traffic as the beam is too wide. I find this to be a bit of a joke because i'd be more concerned with those who drive without dipped lights or worse still, with their high beams on!

Thanks though for your reply

goz83

Darragh29 wrote: »

There's a little bit of theory behind this... See the pic attached...

If you look at the "Image Kick-Up" sloping yellow line, this is the part of the light beam that is specifically for RHD vehicles, the theory being that it lights up the part of the road/ditch to the left of the vehicle, as the vehicle is driving on the LHS of the road...

If you were to look at a similar diagram for a LHD vehicle that drives on the RHS of the road, this yellow sloping angle would by the opposite of what you are seeing in the attached image. If would go from the centre of the diagram over to the top right of the diagram, in order to illuminate the road/ditch area to the right of the vehicle, which is driving on the right...

Obviously if you have the beam of light for an import trying to highlight the right hand side of the road on a vehicle that is driving on the left hand side, you will be blinding drivers coming towards you, so this is the logic behind it being an NCT fail...

You got there 1st

colm_mcm

Thought that bit was obvious lads

Maybe the headlights are adjustable, seeing as they're marked as being LHD/RHD?

Have you got the ebay link for the lights?

Darragh29

colm_mcm wrote: »

Thought that bit was obvious lads

Maybe the headlights are adjustable, seeing as they're marked as being LHD/RHD?

Have you got the ebay link for the lights?

The problem here isn't adjustment, the whole set up of the lens is for a car that drives on the RHS.

Alun

But if they're projector lights, then isn't that slope done with a shutter in front of the lense? If so, it could also be adjustable as others have said. With reflector based lights that isn't the case, it's built in to to the design of the reflector.

colm_mcm

Maybe there's a similar system here? this is from a 5 series.

Darragh29

Alun wrote: »

But if they're projector lights, then isn't that slope done with a shutter in front of the lense? If so, it could also be adjustable as others have said. With reflector based lights that isn't the case, it's built in to to the design of the reflector.

You have a bit of a point here... On some vehicles, you can adjust the sloping beam of light out of the field of light completely so you no longer have the beam of light sticking out at the right hand side of the light pattern.

But you still don't have a beam of light angling up at the left hand side where it should be, so even though you've adjusted out part of the problem, you are still missing the other part of the required pattern, which is a beam of light angling up at the left hand side so you're back to where you started!

You might get an NCT tester who would just accept a flat horizontal beam pattern once there isn't a beam jumping up on the RHS where it shouldn't be, and wouldn't be too concerned with the absent beam of light on the LHS.

I've seen it a few times where I sent cars into the NCT with my fingers crossed on beam alignment and they sailed through. Sometimes I've asked NCT testers how they passed as I'd know some of the employees and they're said to me on more than one occasion that they don't get too hung up on beam alignment, if it's near enough to what it should be, "it'll do" kind of attitude... It's not worth the headache for them...

sickpuppy32

At the AA headquaters in dublin you can get "inserts" to put over your car lights when your driving in europe. I would persume you can get the same from the french equivalent

goz83

Thanks for the answers so far. I'm still wondering how imported LHD cars get away with this. Do they change their lights? I can't imagine they do. My brother just brought his car to Sweden permanently, and they drive on the opposite side as us. Will he have to change his lights if he registers his car there i wonder?

Darragh29

goz83 wrote: »

Thanks for the answers so far. I'm still wondering how imported LHD cars get away with this. Do they change their lights? I can't imagine they do. My brother just brought his car to Sweden permanently, and they drive on the opposite side as us. Will he have to change his lights if he registers his car there i wonder?

Up until now, I'd say many got away by just ignoring the NCT. I'd say how there will be a clearer focus on headlights, no pun intended! :D:D

Guy:Incognito

goz83 wrote: »

Thanks for the answers so far. I'm still wondering how imported LHD cars get away with this. Do they change their lights? I can't imagine they do. My brother just brought his car to Sweden permanently, and they drive on the opposite side as us. Will he have to change his lights if he registers his car there i wonder?

Yes he will. AFAIK other countries are quite strict on the likes of this. Specially with it being a safety issue and all.

sickpuppy32

have u tried ringing tthe NCT people and asking them?

greglo23

If you can adjust the dip beams to make them flat eg: take out the deflection to the right the NCT will accept it as a lot of Japanese imports come with these as standard. This also works with beam deflectors on older lhd cars with the exception of modern lights where the beam deflection is done by the reflector and not the glass.

goz83

I rang the company i bought the lights from and they told me how to adjust them. There is a little tension spring in the light case beside the bulb holder which can be adjusted to LHD and RHD. Its a pain in the arse to do it though as I had to remove the lights to get at the springs. A pro might have done this without removing but i got big fingers. now i just need them balanced.

mgbgt1978

hi goz, let me know if/when you pass the NCT as i have a set of angel eyes on a 1994 mini which is due for the test soon . it would be great to know if i should put back on the original lights beforehand. anything to keep the list of fail points as short as possible.......

colm_mcm

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

hi goz, let me know if/when you pass the NCT as i have a set of angel eyes on a 1994 mini which is due for the test soon . it would be great to know if i should put back on the original lights beforehand. anything to keep the list of fail points as short as possible.......

You should've got the headlights aligned once you fitted them.

mgbgt1978

i hear you colm, but the angel eye lights usually have a "level" dip pattern (they don't dip left or right-just straight across) and i am keen to find out if goz can get his to dip to the left. to be honest i will probably have bigger problems getting this car through the nct anyway.

MacGyver

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

hi goz, let me know if/when you pass the NCT as i have a set of angel eyes on a 1994 mini which is due for the test soon . it would be great to know if i should put back on the original lights beforehand. anything to keep the list of fail points as short as possible.......

Hey, i put in angel eye rings into my 3 series and i had no problem with the nct. i think u have the same thing but im not sure. if you have the rings like you get on ebay for 20 - 30 euro it shouldn't be a problem. (but if u fail im not responsible )

colm_mcm

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

i hear you colm, but the angel eye lights usually have a "level" dip pattern (they don't dip left or right-just straight across)

They have to be biassed wither towards LHD of RHD or they won't get any type of approval.

Anan1

goz83 wrote: »

Thanks for the answers so far. I'm still wondering how imported LHD cars get away with this. Do they change their lights? I can't imagine they do. My brother just brought his car to Sweden permanently, and they drive on the opposite side as us. Will he have to change his lights if he registers his car there i wonder?

For short stays, beam deflectors are fine. If your lights can't be adjusted for driving on the left, though, you'll have to get rid of them - they're dangerous both to you and to others.

goz83

Anan1 wrote: »

For short stays, beam deflectors are fine. If your lights can't be adjusted for driving on the left, though, you'll have to get rid of them - they're dangerous both to you and to others.

I think you missed my latest post Anan1. I mentioned that I had adjusted the lights for RHD but I need them balanced now. I'll let you now how I get on with NCT.

Anan1

goz83 wrote: »

I think you missed my latest post Anan1. I mentioned that I had adjusted the lights for RHD but I need them balanced now. I'll let you now how I get on with NCT.

Sorry, I completely missed that post!:o

Juan Pablo

Mine failed the NCT due to the angel eyes I purchased from Germany being set up for LHD. Brought it over to the lads in AC Cars and they were able to correct the issue in a matter of minutes.