Headlight deflectors for continental Europe: still a thing?

[ThisIsChristoph]

Hi everyone. We're getting ready for our first European outing with our California Coast 6.1 with standard (halogen?) headlights - not LEDs sadly.
Are headlight deflectors still necessary or required, and if so, which ones and where do I get them? I've seen some odd-looking ones on eBay, genuine VW ones for £45 (on several months' back order apparently). Or is using the headlight level wheel sufficient, both in use, and if queried by la gendarmerie or la police?
Thanks!

 

[Loz2286]

I think the manual adjustment is fine...at least that's what the RAC suggest.
RAC Europe Checklist

 

[Ozzy Pete]

If you can’t manually adjust them then you will need deflectors. You can get a pair that stick onto your headlights off eBay or any motorist shop for around a fiver. The headlamp level wheel only lowers and raises the light it does deflect it. Some people just use black tape which when put in the right position does the same thing.

 

[Qnapper]

Are you going to be driving at night? If not would not bother - if so buy them but remember they can be a bugger to get off. When we had motorhome years ago, never used them whilst travelling around EU and never got stopped by anyone.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Hi everyone. We're getting ready for our first European outing with our California Coast 6.1 with standard (halogen?) headlights - not LEDs sadly.
Are headlight deflectors still necessary or required, and if so, which ones and where do I get them? I've seen some odd-looking ones on eBay, genuine VW ones for £45 (on several months' back order apparently). Or is using the headlight level wheel sufficient, both in use, and if queried by la gendarmerie or la police?
Thanks!

If you get pulled over at night , you will get a fine if you dont have the stickers.

Headlight wheel just adjusts up & down angle to compensate for loads.

WD40 on a cloth will quickly remove any residue from the stickers.

(But put them on a few days before you go as positioning can take a bit of time even with the instructions...its always good to smugly watch people sticking theirs on in the ferry queue with the rest of the family offering advice.)

 

[AlanC]

VW Commercial used to sell Headlight Protectors for the T5 which clipped over the headlights.
These had deflector positions marked on them with the correct shaped sticky blanking patches supplied. The patches were shaped differently depending on which side they fitted.

Not the cheapest option sure, but the best in my view, as they were dual-purpose and reusable year after year.

Alan

 

[Ch1pbutty]

VW Commercial used to sell Headlight Protectors for the T5 which clipped over the headlights.
These had deflector positions marked on them with the correct shaped sticky blanking patches supplied. The patches were shaped differently depending on which side they fitted.

Not the cheapest option sure, but the best in my view, as they were dual-purpose and reusable year after year.

Alan

I purchased some 2nd hand ones, good but they are quite fragile and very easy to crack during install/removal. Easy to repair with clear gorilla tape.

Stickers are better in my opinion.

 

[WelshGas]

Hi everyone. We're getting ready for our first European outing with our California Coast 6.1 with standard (halogen?) headlights - not LEDs sadly.
Are headlight deflectors still necessary or required, and if so, which ones and where do I get them? I've seen some odd-looking ones on eBay, genuine VW ones for £45 (on several months' back order apparently). Or is using the headlight level wheel sufficient, both in use, and if queried by la gendarmerie or la police?
Thanks!

For Halogen lights, deflectors are needed.
If your not driving at night, realistically you won’t need them, BUT the Gendarmerie like nothing better than being given good cause to stop foreign vehicles and the On the Spot fine will be a lot larger than the £5 spent on some stick on deflectors that may not even be accurately positioned. Your choice.
I’ve been involved in a traffic survey in France, only foreign vehicles stopped and checked for Spare Bulbs, fluorescent jackets, deflectors and 1st Aid kit. No fines given but car reg noted and drivers told that if stopped again without the missing whatever then they would be prosecuted and fined. That was some years ago, pre-2020.

 

[Bluebird]

I bought Eurolites from Amazon for about a fiver. Easy to put on and take off.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Never used them, never will, never worried…

 

[Ozzy Pete]

For not using headlamp deflectors on a RHD UK vehicle in France Mr Plod will give you an on the spot fine regardless if you are using the headlights or not. Day or night. For a few quid why would you want to dazzle oncoming drivers?

 

[soulstyledevon]

You couldn’t dazzle a person standing 3 feet in front of my van. The headlights are utter rubbish. Unlike the plonkers who drive around with the dentistry white headlights…

 

[Skylark2.0]

We had some that we carried around for years. We used them when we had an emergency dash back home from Switzerland. We were very glad we had them then!

 

[ArunAlec]

You couldn’t dazzle a person standing 3 feet in front of my van. The headlights are utter rubbish. Unlike the plonkers who drive around with the dentistry white headlights…

My old split screen had the answer, if you were driving at night you could easily reduce the headlight brightness … turn the wipers on! Lights, wipers and indicator really slowed things down.

 

[Jim2007]

Are you going to be driving at night? If not would not bother - if so buy them but remember they can be a bugger to get off. When we had motorhome years ago, never used them whilst travelling around EU and never got stopped by anyone.

That has just prompted a long dead memory of a trip to France when I was about 19 in my 900cc Fiat Uno with its massive 45hp and some cheap tyres that hummed relentlessly on any surface.

Thought I'd be cool and paint the headlamps yellow (Halfords actually used sell the necessary stuff). What a mistake. Made crap headlights worse and was IMPOSSIBLE to get off. They should have used the stuff to stick the tiles on the Space Shuttle (or burnt scrambled egg, even better)

For the next few years I had to suffer gradually improving urine coloured headlamps. Still the colour of about 5 pints in to a session when I traded it in. Idiot youth.

 

[Qnapper]

That has just prompted a long dead memory of a trip to France when I was about 19 in my 900cc Fiat Uno with its massive 45hp and some cheap tyres that hummed relentlessly on any surface.

Thought I'd be cool and paint the headlamps yellow (Halfords actually used sell the necessary stuff). What a mistake. Made crap headlights worse and was IMPOSSIBLE to get off. They should have used the stuff to stick the tiles on the Space Shuttle (or burnt scrambled egg, even better)

For the next few years I had to suffer gradually improving urine coloured headlamps. Still the colour of about 5 pints in to a session when I traded it in. Idiot youth.

Yep, I remember that stuff as painted it on the lights of a little mini cooper I owned at the time. Think it lasted years.............

 

[Ozzy Pete]

That has just prompted a long dead memory of a trip to France when I was about 19 in my 900cc Fiat Uno with its massive 45hp and some cheap tyres that hummed relentlessly on any surface.

Thought I'd be cool and paint the headlamps yellow (Halfords actually used sell the necessary stuff). What a mistake. Made crap headlights worse and was IMPOSSIBLE to get off. They should have used the stuff to stick the tiles on the Space Shuttle (or burnt scrambled egg, even better)

For the next few years I had to suffer gradually improving urine coloured headlamps. Still the colour of about 5 pints in to a session when I traded it in. Idiot youth.

Had the same stuff on my 105E headlights when we went to the Dutch TT in 1969. Just had a look at an old pic of the day. I think that’s what you had to do then when traveling in France.
Either that or buy yellow bulbs.
Instamatic cameras were never really that good....

 

[B J G]

I found that the curved headlight "glass" made the off the shelf sticker type useless. Left and right lights need different blanked off areas.
Tried tape earlier this year just in case but since reverted to nothing done.
Left headlight is set as far to right and low for UK use. On air suspension so no issue with load altering beams.
Never seen a UK HGV with beam changers fitted or LHD ones in UK.

 

[aileron346]

I’m absolutely not an expert, but I thought that headlights have been neutrally-aligned horizontally for a while now. I’d be much more concerned that I’d adjusted for vertical alignment depending on loading, using the dial and that I was snappy with the dipped beam.

 

[PeteS]

I was told that the xenon headlights on my T5.1 did not need adjustment and VW did not recommend the headlight protectors as the overheated the lens.
Not having the stickers on is a sure fire way to get pulled over. I few years ago the french police were pulling over UK cars just out side the ferry port. It is easy to spot a car without the stickers on.
Years ago my Audi could be adjusted by the dealer for driving abroad after it was done the dealer told me that if stopped I would have to show them the invoice to prove they were adjusted.
Most HGV lights are different and don’t need to be converted / adjusted.

 

[Tomato]

I tested my 6.1 Coast rubbish standard headlights on a wall in a dark garage - almost perfectly flat - I did buy deflectors off fleabay but dont really see the need to fit

 

[Dyddi]

Use cheap electrical tape.
It is a legal requirement to prevent your headlamps dazzling oncoming drivers - at any time of night or day. Many European countries are now requiring dipped headlamps on at all times out of town, including daytime.
Tried deflectors once - waste of money and the wrong shape.
Over 40 years have used cheap electrical tape. Park van about 4-5ft back from white wall (xenon beams can be seen in daylight), turn on headlights and use cardboard to blank out beam 'kick-up' pedestrian spotter. Mark lenses with thin permanent marker - a single line should suffice and cut tape strips for blanking. Cheap tape is easy to remove and the marker line should still be there next time. Keep tape, scissors and marker in the kit.
For 'belt and braces' treatment park van on level road - as available at shuttle and ferry terminals - turn on headlamps and, with sunglasses on, observe from rough position of an oncoming LHD driver. Any beam spillage can then be further blanked off.
Kalo Taxidi.

 

[CaliOceanDrive]

Hi everyone. We're getting ready for our first European outing with our California Coast 6.1 with standard (halogen?) headlights - not LEDs sadly.
Are headlight deflectors still necessary or required, and if so, which ones and where do I get them? I've seen some odd-looking ones on eBay, genuine VW ones for £45 (on several months' back order apparently). Or is using the headlight level wheel sufficient, both in use, and if queried by la gendarmerie or la police?
Thanks!

If not LED, then you do need stick on deflectors fitting.

 

[Littlesoldier]

Just had a response from Vw for my headlights (led I think)
Please see below
"We have thoroughly checked our vehicle information system, and we are pleased to confirm that the headlight of your vehicle is equipped with Automatic Headlight Range Control. This feature automatically adjusts the lighting based on the country you are traveling in, ensuring optimal visibility and safety, whether you're in Europe or any other country. We trust that this information will prove to be helpful for your travels."