Headlights sorted ta

[very_bland]

Afternoon all!

My new headlights arrived today (unexpectedly from Germany) and I'm a tad miffed as they are LHD. The supplier keeps 25% of the refund price for stock replenishment (i.e. putting it back on the shelf) and I will have to pay for postage to Germany.... I've not been to the post office yet but I reckon I will easily stand to lose £15 of the £40 (if not more) , so with the spirit of true English spite i think i will keep the beggers and modify them.... hopefully...

the difference is; the metal reflector bit inside is slightly patterned (unlike my current ones which are smooth bowls) and has a different hole position for the main beam bulb, and the lenses are flat unpatterned (unlike my current ones that are smooth. My current ones only needed changing because of a stone chip in the lense (and these ebay ones were the same price for a pair, as I could find elsewhere for a single lamp, so i though I may as well change them both as the other one is looking a bit ratty).... so all I need really do is swap the lenses from the new pair onto the old pair and I should have a complete RHD pair(?)

However I have an inkling that with smooth reflector bowls AND unribbed lenses, they are still not going to direct the light quite right (let alone looking mighty weird)

Opinions if you don't mind (with an upcoming MOT to bear in mind), will they be fine, or should i stop being such a tight little biggins, and send these back.

Thanks in advance



Billy

[AdrianC]

There's usually two factors that determine whether a headlight is "LHD" (dips to the right) or "RHD" (dips to the left).

First is the focus from the lens. That should be easy to see with a visual comparison.
Second is the rotation of the bulb. If you look at an H4 bulb, there's a metal shield, partially obscuring one of the two filaments. That's what gives you the cut-off on the dip beam. If the bulb's rotated a bit anti-clockwise (as you look at the terminals on the back), it'll kick up towards the right (LHD), if it's rotated a bit clockwise, it'll kick up to the left (RHD). You might be able to modify the bulb location so that it rotates the same amount clockwise from flat that it currently is anti-clock.

But the easiest bet is probably just to slap some black tape or beam-benders on 'em.

[Ralf85]

I use beam deflectors on my LHD. No probs.

Patrick

[very_bland]

Cheers Adrian and Patrick. Are beam deflectors sufficient enough in the eyes of an MOT tester?

...if not...

My bulb is in the correct position at the moment as it is still set up for the old headlights, and the lenses of these new-uns are flat, so there is no bending of light to the right going on there.... so if i just remove the lenses from the new ones and stick them onto the old body, do you reckon that would be sufficient, or would the lack of lense light directing magic to the left still fail them? I presume this is only going to be answered in absolute black and white in the form of black ink on the white paper of my MOT fail sheet

I've sent an email to the seller... hopefully he will give me a full refund, in which case I shall buy one of the cheap pairs I have now spotted in the for sale section on here, which is exactly where i should have looked in the first place :tut:

Thanks again,
Billy

[AdrianC]

Are beam deflectors sufficient enough in the eyes of an MOT tester?

Yep.
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m4s01000801.htm

Masks or converter kits
Right hand dip headlamps can be temporarily altered for use in the UK by fitting masks or converter kits which remove the beam ‘kick-up’ to the right.

A headlamp altered in this way is not a reason for rejection, if
a. the headlamp aim is not rejected for the reasons listed under diagram 1 (except that the top of the beam image will be a straight line)
b. the light output is not unduly reduced - not usually a problem with commercially produced kits
c. the mask or converter is securely attached

[very_bland]

Splendid.


Ta!

[Red Westie]

Hi....after reading your question I was thinking these can't be T25 original lamps! because as far as I was aware all VW originals have plain reflectors and pattern lenses.
Also...the reflector and lens are bonded together so to all intense and purposes cannot be split (you were suggesting swapping one part with another)

As far as pattern goes....why did you think you were getting R/H/D lamps from Germany when they drive on the right side of the road?
The kick is created by the lens on these old pattern lenses not the reflector although the beam pattern change (from full beam to dip) is achieved by altering the position of the illuminated ellement in relation to the reflector.
Twisting the bulb will not give the correct pattern but might be enough to fool the MOT tester although I wouldn't want to gamble on this.
Beam benders just remove the kick on dip beam and produce an almost flat line pattern. Proper clear ones are best as they don't dramatically effect the beam intensity unlike great swathes of black tape.
Martin

[t3trooper]

have you pics of lights, we can see what your problem is then?

steve

[very_bland]

Cheers guys, but the company has agreed to give me a full refund, and I have found a second hand pair now (in the for sale section on here) and have saved myself a few bob.

Red Westie, you are right, they are not T25 headlights, they are Golf (the attraction of a pair of cross hair lamps for the same price of a single standard T25 lamp was too great! ) , which only require mild modification to fit to a T25. And both are bonded together yes, but it is not that difficult to remove the lens and re glue it back down... in fact when i removed my front grill one of the lenses had removed itself and was held there purely by the grille, luckily i'd had my Weetabix which supplied me with the ninja fast reactions required to catch it!

And I thought I was getting RHD, because they were sold by a company in London, on UK ebay, without specifying that they were not RHD... which in my opinion they should have done. But they posted from their "main office" in Germany..... all a bit odd really.

Thanks again for your help but they are heading back to the supplier now, and a pair of good honest T25 eyes are on their way to me from munnyella on here!


Billy