Where to put beam benders on the headlamps?

[Westy36]

We have a weeks trip planned to Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Interestingly, or not  , it'll be the cars first ever trip to the continent!

Anyhoo, does anyone know precisely where to put the Eurolites beam benders on the mk2 headlights?

[HertsHonda]

On my MK3 I decided to cut strips of black electrical tape over-lapping to make the handbook suggested mask.
Looking at the lens there appeared to be a pip in the clear plastic marking the bulb centre and I aligned a corner of the tape with that pip at an angle (20 deg?)
Fortunately, never needed to use them (even the rain was light in '03!) and kept them handy on silicone release paper - just in case French police got interested.

[Lord Voltermore]

I've had a quick look on line and it appears eurolites come with a fairly comprehensive fitting guide with a few variations depending on headlight style, and a list of cars  showing which method applies to them.  Someone had posted part of the list that included the Civic, but not the part that would include the Jazz.

They also include a generalised theory of where to mask on a car that is not listed.

I have masked with black tape in the past  but its not ideal  , and you should be masked 24 hours. They have  a lot more tunnels than we have in the UK.    

Incidentally if you have problems removing them  ordinary WD40 is a very effective solvent for removing labels and glue residue. I  have used it a few times on plastic headlights  without damage  but you might want to test it first  in an inconspicuous place. 

[Westy36]

Cheers for the replies. Years ago, I never used to bother, but being responsible(ish!) I like to do things by the book. So, not electrical tape then  Good tip for WD40 for residue removal to bear in mind, thanks.

I'll have a good study of the instructions and see what's what. Just wondered if anyone had fitted them already.

I've a lovely magnetic GB euro badge from previous travels. Sadly I now need to buy a UK plate? Another brilliant Brexit bonus?  What ever was wrong with GB anyway?

Really looking forward to the trip. Over the years I've driven many thousands of miles abroad, but not been for the last few years. Be intersting to see how things have changed over there. Longest trip ever in our Jazz. It's not the best car for long journeys from a noise perspective, but I know the breakdown cover I buy will be for peace of mind only given our wee motors excellent reliability. (fingers crossed)

I've recently replaced the spark plugs, air filter and brake fluid. Oil & filter this weeked as it's 8k since the last change, and we're good to go. 

[Lord Voltermore]

It says a lot about certain politicians that they found the time and money to change GB to UK, Passports to Black  (not quite competent enough to get it blue as they intended) and EHIC cards to  GHIC cards to avoid using the hated  word "European." 

I dont use a full UK  oval sticker   (although I think one is required in Spain.)   I have an EU style blue sticker on my rear number plate, which is legal as long as it says  Uk and displays the union flag, ( not England  Scotland Wales, EU etc)     But just in case of a dispute with an idiot I  keep a magnetic UK oval in the car which i would display  until I am out of sight . (I scrubbed off the GB from an old one and  wrote UK  with a marker pen    -waste not want not. )

[embee]

Yes, as LV says, the change from GB to UK for vehicles was entirely the UK's decision,  supposedly to appease the Northern Ireland population who of course aren't included in GB. Don’t know how true that is.
The system is maintained by the UNECE.

As for the h/light beam, I saw a video on the Halfords site just today showing where to apply the masking and the comment was that it's not absolutely critical.

[Lord Voltermore]

Even with beam adjusters you could still dazzle other drivers  if your headlights are pointing higher than normal due to  a heavy load in the boot etc.  If your car has an adjuster switch dont forget to check it.    

[Westy36]

I've found the mark on the headlight in the centre showing the bulb location. The Eurolites guide says fit only the round part of the benders so that the top of the cirlce lines up with the bulb mark. Diagram 1 as per photo attached. Simple enough then.

I've bought a couple of UK number plate stickers with the Union Jack for £1.40! Bargain, thanks ebay. I'll report back if they last!  I might be rebelious and put my old GB magnetic Euro badge on just for nostalgic purposes. It's covered 1000's of miles already, seems a shame not to take it again. 

Total waste this GB to UK malarky though. All those prefectly good items, 100,000's of plates & stickers etc sent off to landfill to acheive what? It's not a political forum so I'll not rant, but honestly what ever was the point?  The IOM have retained their GBM stickers, and presumably the channel islands have too. Stupid govt waste.

Many thanks LV for the GHIC pointer. We had EHIC cards, but I thought those benefits had ceased with all the control we've taken back. I'll get the ghic sorted today.

[Lord Voltermore]

Sorry westy  I forgot to  mention the Umwelt Zone sticker in Germany  and the Crit aire in France  if you are not already aware. 

The german one  is required for many  cities and quite small towns and regions  in Germany.  (some cities may require more)      I got mine on the following site  which only costs about 7 euro   - some sites and agencies  charge  double this.   Dont worry that its issued by the Berlin municipality  .   Its valid everywhere that requires a class 4 green sticker. 

https://www.berlin.de/labo/mobilitaet/kfz-zulassung/feinstaubplakette/shop.86595.en.php

If you only intend driving straight from  Calais into Belgium you probably wont need  the  Crit aire  but it can be obtained by following official links on this site   .

https://www.france.fr/en/holiday-prep/crit-air-anti-pollution-vehicle-sticker

Once issued both these stickers are valid for the remaining life of the car. 

I think some cities in Belgium also have zones  .Cars from Belgium and the Netherlands are checked by an ANPR,  but  cars registered elsewhere  (eg the UK) have to be registered on line in advance.  (passing through on motorways is normally exempt)   But I have no details.   

[Westy36]

Safely back from our wee Euro trip. 1316 miles covered, little Jazz didn't miss a beat. Such a brilliant little car.

Attached photos show where the beam benders go for future reference if it helps.

I also fitted a blind spot mirror as per photo. £2.99 well spent, very usefull.

Umwelt sticker arrived the day before we set off! Fantastic. Delivered to the UK for Euro 5.95!! 

[Lord Voltermore]

I have a little self satisfied snigger to myself every time I drive into an Umwelt zone      

A few years ago umwelt zones were all the rage for towns wishing to demonstrate their green credentials.   But as virtually all cars built  in the last 25 years qualify anyway,with a sticker from new, , some towns no longer collect enough fines to pay for administration and have ended their scheme.    Aachen ,being so close to Netherlands and Belgium probably catches a fair few stickerless foreigners. 

[Westy36]

Aachen ,being so close to Netherlands and Belgium probably catches a fair few stickerless foreigners.

I'm certain they would have caught me too if it wasn't for your heads up! Very probably saved me a good few Euros there. Cheers LordV.

Little Jazz is off on another Euro trip in 3 weeks time for a 10 day break, not that we've decided where to go yet. I've left the beam benders in place, too tight to buy some more 

If anyone does go close to Aachen, I really would recommend stopping by the Dom. Have a google of the place, absolutely stunning is an understatement to be honest, and a big bonus is that it's free to enter.