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Importing a new left hand drive T6 VW Calif Beach - lights & speedometer?

P

Peter Jennings

Messages
22
Location
salisbury England
Vehicle
T6 Beach 150
Please Help. I am on the verge of buying a new left hand drive T6 California beach edition to import to UK after I finish my posting in Germany. I need to decide this weekend and I have a few questions:
1. Do the LED headlights conform to UK regs for when I register it in UK, if I select from the settings menu the 'Travel Mode' on the headlight settings? I.e will it pass the light test at the MOT garage required before registration?
2. Likewise for UK Registration of imported vehicles, will the travel mode to show MPH instead of temperature between the speedo dial and the rev counter dial be sufficient to satisfy UK registration conformity?
3. Any suggested VW van insurers?
 
Peter
The usual suspects are a bit quiet tonight...?
1. Has been covered quite extensively on threads here - but more in the opposite direction - if you find them they may help (I'm useless at posting links, sorry)
2. Not quite sure what you need here as in the UK the dashboard shows both kph and mph
3. Again - a subjective issue and depends what coverage you want and you'll find heaps of info using the search forum facility.
Sorry I'm not much help but hopefully points you in the right direction...
 
Have you considered ordering a right-hand drive Cali. I know you will have the inconvenience of right hand drive while you're in Germany, but then when you return to UK everything's ok and you will have a higher resale value.

I used to buy right-hand drive vehicles in Belgium in the 80s and then import them into the UK. In the early 80s the manufacturers used to make it difficult, but then it became a regular thing because due to EC regulations it is a Common Market and you can buy whatever you want where ever you want with in that market. One thing you have to be careful of was the specification variations between the two different countries so you need to spec the vehicle as if it was a UK one
Anyway that was the situation then and it might be worth asking the question.
 
Hi Peter, I've made samething last year.

1. No idea about leds ligths, mine one have "regular" ones and hasld to replace them

2. Based on DVLA documents, set the MPH meter in the cluster should be enougth, actually mine one got registered in this way. The problem could be someone states in an invoice your cluster do read MPH. I had lots of "philosophical" chats with a VW dealer because for them the on

3. I've got my insurance from Admiral, but next month I have to renew it and I'm exploring other options just to compare.
 
Peter
The usual suspects are a bit quiet tonight...?
1. Has been covered quite extensively on threads here - but more in the opposite direction - if you find them they may help (I'm useless at posting links, sorry)
2. Not quite sure what you need here as in the UK the dashboard shows both kph and mph
3. Again - a subjective issue and depends what coverage you want and you'll find heaps of info using the search forum facility.
Sorry I'm not much help but hopefully points you in the right direction...

Thank you v much for the help.
I am buying a LHD van because i have left it too late to buy a RHD vehicle as my tax free status finishes when my post in Germany finishes early next month. I have to buy one that is in stock but the price is worth the compromise.
The german speedo is in KM only but next to the speedo dial there is a small digital display that can be configured to read MPH, which i HOPE will be sufficient for UK registration with DVLA.
I also hope that the LHD headlights on travel mode will pass UK requirements, otherwise new LED lights for RHD will cost a small fortune.
The two fog lights at the back mean that they conform in UK and in mainland europe.
 
Hi Peter, I've made samething last year.

1. No idea about leds ligths, mine one have "regular" ones and hasld to replace them

2. Based on DVLA documents, set the MPH meter in the cluster should be enougth, actually mine one got registered in this way. The problem could be someone states in an invoice your cluster do read MPH. I had lots of "philosophical" chats with a VW dealer because for them the on

3. I've got my insurance from Admiral, but next month I have to renew it and I'm exploring other options just to compare.
Thanks Estresao, what is the cluster? Do you mean the dashboard? Perhaps yours is the same. Can you change the temperature reading to MPH in the settings menu? If so, did you simply get the supplier of the van to state on the invoice that the van met uk requirements for the speedo, head lights and foglights? If so, i am encouraged :)
 
Thank you v much for the help.
I am buying a LHD van because i have left it too late to buy a RHD vehicle as my tax free status finishes when my post in Germany finishes early next month. I have to buy one that is in stock but the price is worth the compromise.
The german speedo is in KM only but next to the speedo dial there is a small digital display that can be configured to read MPH, which i HOPE will be sufficient for UK registration with DVLA.
I also hope that the LHD headlights on travel mode will pass UK requirements, otherwise new LED lights for RHD will cost a small fortune.
The two fog lights at the back mean that they conform in UK and in mainland europe.
I imported a new LHD Toyota in 2008 and I was required to change main speedo to MPH. Fortunately my importer had dine a few and he had a supplier for an inlay that went in the speedo and he simply changed the driver unit on the gearbox to set it correctly.
 
Thank you v much for the help.
I am buying a LHD van because i have left it too late to buy a RHD vehicle as my tax free status finishes when my post in Germany finishes early next month. I have to buy one that is in stock but the price is worth the compromise.
The german speedo is in KM only but next to the speedo dial there is a small digital display that can be configured to read MPH, which i HOPE will be sufficient for UK registration with DVLA.
I also hope that the LHD headlights on travel mode will pass UK requirements, otherwise new LED lights for RHD will cost a small fortune.
The two fog lights at the back mean that they conform in UK and in mainland europe.
I think you will find only the OFFSIDE rear foglight is wired up and functioning.
 
Thanks Estresao, what is the cluster? Do you mean the dashboard? Perhaps yours is the same. Can you change the temperature reading to MPH in the settings menu? If so, did you simply get the supplier of the van to state on the invoice that the van met uk requirements for the speedo, head lights and foglights? If so, i am encouraged :)
Yes, it's the same digital panel in the center of the speedo (mine one is a 2015 Cali Beach).
Despite there is two rear fog lights, in mine one only one of them work, so the VW Dealer routed a cable to use the other side one.

One of the requiremenrs is an invoice stating your Cali reads MPH, ligths are RHD as so is rear fog ligth.
You can ask online for the import pack documentation where everythig it's explained.
 
Thank you v much for the help.
I am buying a LHD van because i have left it too late to buy a RHD vehicle as my tax free status finishes when my post in Germany finishes early next month. I have to buy one that is in stock but the price is worth the compromise.
The german speedo is in KM only but next to the speedo dial there is a small digital display that can be configured to read MPH, which i HOPE will be sufficient for UK registration with DVLA.
I also hope that the LHD headlights on travel mode will pass UK requirements, otherwise new LED lights for RHD will cost a small fortune.
The two fog lights at the back mean that they conform in UK and in mainland europe.

Peter,
I recently changed my LHD import speedo dial from KPH to MPH. It cost £50 from a website that I can't seem to find again. However, I remember being impressed at the time with this outfit:

http://www.lockwoodinternational.co.uk/dials/mph/volkswagen/s-u/transporter.html

Either fit it yourself or ask the VW dealer to do it for you. Shouldn't be more than an hour's labour.

Good luck,
Ben.
 
Peter,
Suggest that you check out the lights.
I bought a new but imported LH drive T4 Westy from Bilbos. They had changed the lights (we all thought) and for 3 years all was fine. Then the lights failed on the first MoT. I went back to Bilbos (it was well out of guarantee) and they, to their great credit, changed the lights including, this time, the reflectors as well.

Whether this applies to a T6 after 12 years I do not know but it may do....
 
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