GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Mike J on 01 May 2018, 17:14
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April 25th 2017
I sent an email requesting guidance to Volkswagen UK Customer Services Centre.
Beforehand I used the VW UK chat line only to be informed that my question would be forwarded to the Technical team.
April 26th
I again emailed VW UK.
May 1st
I received the following email;
'Thank you for your recent enquiry with regards to adjusting your vehicles headlights whilst driving in France. I apologise for the delay in our response.
I have forwarded your enquiry to our Technical Support Team. They have confirmed that no adjustment of the headlamps would be required. The beam pattern of the halogen headlamps fitted to your Golf complies with use in both right hand and left hand drive countries.'
NB: Before contacting VW UK I telephoned the VW dealership who supplied my car and was told by their technician that my headlights could not be adjusted to suit European driving and I would need to fit headlight beam stickers to the lenses. :angry:
(Mk 7 Blue Motion 2L TDI)
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There is no adjustment for halogen lights and you WILL need beam deflectors.
When I had my Passat, I bought a set of VW headlight protectors to stick beam deflector stickers on to, however they came with 2 shaped black stickers and guide marks on them to show where they should be stuck on. Each time I went over the channel, I clipped the headlight protectors on. It takes seconds in the queue for the ferry or train.
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Yes, unless you have active (bendy) lights you can't adjust them and have to use beam deflectors.
Same on every car...
With active forward lighting you can do it (on pretty much any car) with either a switch, a fuse link or a menu setting.
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With halogens you’ll need the beam converters.
I used to stick them on while waiting at the Eurotunnel terminal or in queue to get on the train.
These days I just use the settings menu as my car luckily has bendy lights.
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So gentlemen you are all telling me that VW UK Technical Support are wrong?
Before I received the answer I posted I researched the light pattern from the Halogen beam on my Golf and found that it is flat (the same pattern as the halogen headlights on US Golfs).
So from VW UK's advice I can only assume that because the headlight beam is not redirected upwards there is no requirement beam deflectors.
Further, the latest H7 halogen bulb is unlike the older style H4 headlight bulbs as it does not have a deflector shield inside the bulb eg; a standard UK car could be fitted with EU H4 bulbs and pass the computerised Euro MOT light test (I know because I have done it).
I have also purchased a pair of EU Phillips H7 headlight bulbs and can confirm that the beam these bulbs project from my headlights is the same as that from the bulbs fitted when the car was delivered to me (new) in the UK.
NB: I will drive as advised by VW UK but take the precaution of carrying a translation of their email should it be required.
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RHD headlights and LHD headlights may have the same light height but the beam pattern is different to my knowledge.
With RHD you want to illuminate the left hand side of the road more and not put too much light on right side of the road as that's where oncoming traffic is - and vice versa.
Perhaps they've found a way where this isn't the case any longer and the beam pattern now is symmetric?
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I'm not going to venture into the technical aspects of this discussion, but I've been following from the beginning and I'm curious.
Some months ago, I was on here asking about how to improve the lighting on my old Mk4....lots of helpful and interesting replies were forthcoming, so I did a lot of research...I even considered buying two complete headlight units (new) from various suppliers and I was very surprised to be offered units (complete with the correct and legal bulbs) which would be legal in the LHD and RHD configurations. I chose not to believe that this was possible and took the age old route and just purchased new bulbs. That may have been a mistake.
Earlier this evening I read the post written by Mike J and was again curious...I have just got off the phone from my friendly MOT man and he confirmed what was written...there is no requirement for headlight adjustment, or the silly plastic deflector things which were required in the past. We laughed about the time that my Pug 406 failed the test...and the time that my Jeep Cherokee cost me 600 quid for new headlights...he is on the ball!
Carry the translation of the email, Mike J, but you shouldn't need it.
PS. For those who might argue the toss...have a look at where I live now.
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I'm not sure I understand how this could pass a UK MOT test...
https://mattersoftesting.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2016/02/dazzle-zone-diagram.jpg
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Nobody seems to bother the other way, loads of European registered cars where I live with unadapted headlights, one an absolute wreck last registered in its own country in 2005, but as it obviously has not got a UK MOT, I guess it is never checked.
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Which is great until the car has an accident and then the insurers refuse to pay out because of a violation... great for the third part they involve!
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Most EU countries' insurance must pay out to third parties by law, even if the driver was negligent (even gross negligence) but then will recoup some of the money from them (In Germany they can repatriate 5000 Euros of the policy holder / driver).
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Firstly my thanks for all who offered their advice to my original question.
Behind my problem was that I had just disembarked the Caen ferry (in France) at the start of a 6-8week touring holiday through France, Spain and Portugal.
Following the email advice from VW UK (posted above) I did nothing to my headlights and drove the whole 4582km without a single problem from the Gendarmerie Nationale, Guardia Civil de Tráfico or the Brigada de Trânsito.
I would like to add that the car performed faultlessly throughout the whole journey from sea level to over 1,390metres on road surfaces from cyclo smooth to 'recently bombed'.
Must add that I only filled up 3 times while away!
Anyone requiring advice for such a trip just ask.
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1390 meters? Where was that
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We crossed the Pyranees and went near the Sierra Navada so it was certainly somewhere around those regions.
Unfortunately I cannot post a pic of the GPS screen as my co-drivers (wife) iPhone pic has turned out blurred.
She took pics along the route and linked them to her iPad so now the pics overlay the map, very neat.
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Sounds like a great trip you had there Mike :smiley:
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This may not be true for Mk7 halogens, but we had halogens on our Mk5, and there was an adjuster inside the headlamp housing which (though really fiddly to find) blocked off the bit of the beam that illuminates with "full beam" the verge.
Once adjusted, the beam was "dipped" fully across the road, so was suitable for use abroad too. We never bothered to adjust it back as the halogens are so good.
Maybe the Mk7 halogens have this automatically adjusting according to where the satnav thinks you are?
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The B5.5 Passat had this, but it had projector headlights. That moved a shutter in front of the bulb to give a level dipped beam for driving abroad. I can't see how that would work in reflector headlights like the Golf as the bulb is in front of the reflector with nothing that can move to shield the light.