LHD and MOT and the Headlamps

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chrispenrallt

Joined
Nov 5, 2022
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West Wales
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92,280
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Carthago Compactline
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I’m a newbie
I have looked at previous posts about this, but I’m still not sure about how the law views it. I took my LHD motorhome to the MOT station today. When I called to collect it they said that I would have to change the headlamps as the beam was not correct. My motorhome is a LHD Carthago Compactline 2015. I have all the previous MOTs and according to my brother who was the previous owner from new there has never been any mention of this when it has been been in for test previously. The chap said he would check with DVLA to see if I could just put stickers or lenses on it.
Does anyone know what the law actually is as I would like to be able to show the guys in the garage tomorrow that I’m not just a dim woman who knows nothing!
 
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Lenny HB said:
Did you brother import the van or did he buy in the UK as if it was bought in the UK it would have come with the headlamps set to flat dipping.

Once you have checked they are set ti flat dipping if it still doesn't pass I would take it to another MOT station.

If you get someone to change the lamps although you can buy them quite cheap they are awkward to get at and if you are paying someone it might get expensive. but they really do not need changing.

There are hundreds of us on Fun with left hand drive vans and we don't get these problems.
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Hi Lenny he bought it in Germany and imported it into UK.At that time 2015 it was advantageous for him to this. He has mostly used on the continent but he certainly driven it all over UK and Ireland too. The van is still at the MOT station as I’m writing this but I think I have given them food for thought regarding the lamps.
 
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chrispenrallt said:
Hi Lenny he bought it in Germany and imported it into UK.At that time 2015 it was advantageous for him to this. He has mostly used on the continent but he certainly driven it all over UK and Ireland too. The van is still at the MOT station as I’m writing this but I think I have given them food for thought regarding the lamps.
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Hopefully they will stop being idiots. We have imported all 3 vans we have had so far.

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Here’s hoping. Well the latest news is that my m home still is not back from MOT station . But they have said that they will be doing something with the lights. They don’t work on the weekend so I guess it will be Monday now. Good job we had not planned anything this weekend!
 
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JockandRita said:
I've been lazy with the Flair Martin, ie, I just turned the beam down using the dash control, whereas in the Hymer, it wasn't working due to the bellows having perished, and I couldn't access those little screws at the rear of the lamps..............but I knew of a man that can. ;)

Cheers

Jock. ;)
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I used to just take the whole light out ;)
 
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gus-lopez said:
There is nothing in writing ,that is the point. Therefore any distance is acceptable if a test is booked.
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Thanks i only asked because i have several yrs ago pushed the limits some what on that basis .I was told recently it had to be your nearest MOT station able of doing your class but not seen it in writing.
 
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Lenny HB said:
They don't do they are only adjustable between kick up to one side and flat dipping.
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Sorry Lenny HB most of your posts are spot on but I'm not convinced on this one, I've just been out and looked and my headlamps both turned inwards have an inverted v in the middle, so I cannot see how they could ever be set for flat, unless Hymer or Cathargo use different headlights.

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jongood said:
Sorry Lenny HB most of your posts are spot on but I'm not convinced on this one, I've just been out and looked and my headlamps both turned inwards have an inverted v in the middle, so I cannot see how they could ever be set for flat, unless Hymer or Cathargo use different headlights.
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Older Hymers and Carthago's use the Hella Classic Projector lamps which are only switchable from kick up to flat.

Some Hymers from 2012 use an updated version which has a leaver to switch to flat dipping.

Hymer's from 2016 with the plastic headlamps and Carthago's from 2022/2023 use another updated version which does both dip and main beam using a single H7 bulb with an electricly operated shield in the reflector to give the dip beam. Also can only be set to kick up or flat. The light output from the latest ones is even worse than the eairler ones.

What units are in yours Jon?
 
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Lenny HB said:
Older Hymers and Carthago's use the Hella Classic Projector lamps which are only switchable from kick up to flat.

Some Hymers from 2012 use an updated version which has a leaver to switch to flat dipping.

Hymer's from 2016 with the plastic headlamps and Carthago's from 2022/2023 use another updated version which does both dip and main beam using a single H7 bulb with an electricly operated shield in the reflector to give the dip beam. Also can only be set to kick up or flat. The light output from the latest ones is even worse than the eairler ones.

What units are in yours Jon?
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90mm hellas with 3 slots
 
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Lenny HB said:
But which model?
You need to get out there in the cold and take a lamp out to see the part number. :rofl:
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Its quite a pleasant 16c here atm, but I'm not about to take a lamp out to settle a discussion about whether they can be set to flat dipping when I can cleary see that they cant. And we dont for sure know what the op has other than we've almost certainly totally confused them by now, sorry Op ( if you're still reading) hopefully the garage have worked it out by now.

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jongood said:
And we dont for sure know what the op has other than we've almost certainly totally confused them by now, sorry Op.
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I do, they are the standard Hella Classic projector lamps. That's what Carthago fit to the Compactline & C Tourer. .

I was interested in what model lamps you have as I've not seen them but I knew some of the upmarket cars have lamps that can be set either way.
Looks like Martin has answered the question.
 
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Wouldn't it be nice if in a similar way to the beam height switch in the cab there was also a switch that rotated the headlamp(s) to switch between the correct kick up positions. It would make life very easy.
 
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chrispenrallt said:
I have looked at previous posts about this, but I’m still not sure about how the law views it. I took my LHD motorhome to the MOT station today. When I called to collect it they said that I would have to change the headlamps as the beam was not correct. My motorhome is a LHD Carthago Compactline 2015. I have all the previous MOTs and according to my brother who was the previous owner from new there has never been any mention of this when it has been been in for test previously. The chap said he would check with DVLA to see if I could just put stickers or lenses on it.
Does anyone know what the law actually is as I would like to be able to show the guys in the garage tomorrow that I’m not just a dim woman who knows nothing!
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Post a question on the MOT part of the DVLA site, it's pointless asking here because no matter what answer you get (bang on correct or man in a pub type answer) you won't be sure. If the DVLA respond you can point any MOT test in the direction of the web page.

Incidently us Brits ALWAYS put stickers on our headlights......I challenge any of you to find an EU car/van with them on.

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Not a camper van but on my Vauxhall Signum i just take a fuse out as advertised in the user hand book. This action somehow converts the car from RHD to LHD. Maybe some of the later campers have a similar instruction regarding converting from RHD to LHD either electronic as my car is or mechanical as suggested in other posts. I would presume that most camper manufacturers would have taken this issue into account.
 
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Just saying ---- we have a LHD. For MOT hubby removed the light cluster & adjusted the beam by 30 degrees then refitted. This passed the MOT spec. He leaves it on this unless we travel abroad in which case he does the whole thing in reverse.
 
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CleverTrevorUK said:
Not a camper van but on my Vauxhall Signum i just take a fuse out as advertised in the user hand book. This action somehow converts the car from RHD to LHD. Maybe some of the later campers have a similar instruction regarding converting from RHD to LHD either electronic as my car is or mechanical as suggested in other posts. I would presume that most camper manufacturers would have taken this issue into account.
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Fiat Ducato headlights don't have that facility. It's an actual physical difference between LHD and RHD lights. It's not easy to see but when you compare LHD and RHD together you can see that the structure of the reflector walls are slightly different.

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I agree with Lenny. When I imported my Hymer from Germany I booked it into Becks at that time, for its MoT and they told me that they had adjusted my headlights to flat to comply with both U.K. and EU regs. No problems with subsequent MoT's after that.
 
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chrispenrallt said:
I have looked at previous posts about this, but I’m still not sure about how the law views it. I took my LHD motorhome to the MOT station today. When I called to collect it they said that I would have to change the headlamps as the beam was not correct. My motorhome is a LHD Carthago Compactline 2015. I have all the previous MOTs and according to my brother who was the previous owner from new there has never been any mention of this when it has been been in for test previously. The chap said he would check with DVLA to see if I could just put stickers or lenses on it.
Does anyone know what the law actually is as I would like to be able to show the guys in the garage tomorrow that I’m not just a dim woman who knows nothing!
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Hello,
I have a Renault Kadjar with EU,or right dip headlights. I went to the MOT station to ask if I can legally fit "beam benders" to them for the test, and he said provided they are the opposite to the UK ones we fit to go to the EU then it is perfectly alright.
He went on to say it is no different to a car coming to the uk. Hope it helps.
Regards Trevor.
 
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Rodneyplonker said:
I agree with Lenny. When I imported my Hymer from Germany I booked it into Becks at that time, for its MoT and they told me that they had adjusted my headlights to flat to comply with both U.K. and EU regs. No problems with subsequent MoT's after that.
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Was that Hymer specific lights or standard 90mm Hella?
 
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Tasng4 said:
I challenge any of you to find an EU car/van with them on.
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Yes you are quite right . Why would I when my lights dip down ahead & up ahead .There is no dipping to the right to light the edge up & why everyone around here uses fog lights so they don't fall in the ditch. Unless some of the newer vehicles dip to the right ?

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