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Headlights for right hand drive car to pass CT

Question

Hi, my car didn't pass the inspection since it's a UK right hand drive with the headlight beam going off in the wrong direction. I'd never given this any thought tbh!

I can set it to "tourist mode" which means it will stay flat and not dazzle oncoming traffic but I'm not sure this will make it pass either or whether I actually need to physically swap the light units out? Anyone been in this situation? Many thanks

J

You need to physically swap the lights out for LHD versions.

Jun 26, 2019 13:01
becasse

You will have to pay a dealer to do it as setting up the new lights requires specialist equipment, so with the cost of the new lights plus the actual fitting it will be quite expensive. Keep the old lights though, just in case you do decide to move back to the UK.
Make sure that you have made the other obligatory changes, fitment of a fire extinguisher, for example.

Jun 26, 2019 13:17
kasseistamper

I assume that you are having a CT in order to register the car in Belgium.
I did this some years ago. The rules might have changed in the meantime but I definitely did not have to change the lights and what work was done was done by a local garage without specialist equipment.
Before spending a load of money, I would contact the Belgian importer of your car and check whether using "tourist mode" is sufficient to get it through the CT. If you do need to change the whole light fittings, check out your local scrap yard and buy second-hand units.
And one obscure thing that I remember. Not all CT centres were allowed to do the checks on cars being imported prior to first registration. Check whether that is still the case. I discovered it when I had the car checked only to be told that they couldn't issue the necessary paperwork. Of course, I still had to pay for the check!

Jun 27, 2019 09:53
gronman

I've registered the car here already, I owned it in the UK so it's a self import. I do think something has changed with the registration process – tried to go the test centre first but they sent me away saying I need to sort out insurance and get reg plates before the technical inspection.

Re the lights I called the test centre to make sure and they confirmed I need to swap them out... an expensive affair as mentioned above! My car is unfortunately not the type where you can just lift them out with the flick of a lever, the whole bumper needs to come off.

Jun 27, 2019 17:03
Hurdy

I had to do this with my car fairly recently.

Peugeot wanted an eye watering amount to put RHD lights in so I purchased the lights from a UK dealer on the internet and then had a local garage install them. Cost me half the price.

UK headlights are currently in the garage for if/when we return.

Sep 8, 2019 19:50