to modify an EU California to Uk specification

[Marlon]

Hi,

We recently moved to Surrey from France. We own a 2012 California 4wd. In order to register the car, I need to make a couple of changes. Uk confirm headlights, speedometer to miles and a rear fog light. This needs to be certified by a garage.

I have contacted 3 VW garages around where I live, but they say they can not do it. Does anybody have any experience with this? Should I just contact a regular garage? Any tips?

Thanks in advance,
Marlon

 

[briwy]

Odd no one is interested.
Headlights a straight swap, fairly easy job.
Rear fog light, I think the wiring could already be there so swap the bulb from the other side.
Re the speedo, I would be tempted to try to find an instrument cluster from a breaker. Guess it would be a costly item from a dealer.
Fog light and mileometer will most likely need coding in by a dealer or VCDS software.

 

[Marlon]

Thanks for your reply. Sounds to me that it is better to have the work done by a VW garage. I will continue to call others in the area.

 

[Hotel California]

I'm sure there are reports somewhere on the forum by people done this...
Have you done re"search"?

 

[2into1]

When the T4 Westy's were imported, many of them got stick-on speedometers (I have one). You can just about tell if you look closely, but it is not at all obvious. It is applied to the speedo dial itself, so well under the clear plastic of the dashboard.
So finding how T4's are converted may lead you to answers. Andy at campervans4u maybe willing to point you in the right direction - as you are importing your own van and are not a competitor to him.

 

[sidepod]

My last van, an import as described above, has past 5 MOT's with stick on headlight deflectors and a Euro speedo.

 

[Borris]

As Briwy has already said, I can't imagine that any of those jobs would be that difficult to achieve.

On a similar note, back in the eighties I bought a three year old, bright orange, left hand drive, Austin Allegro in Belgium for use as a family run about. Yes I know...........I must have been stark raving bonkers.
Anyway having got it home, I converted it to right hand drive UK spec, square steering wheel and all. Just as soon as I had finished the job Mrs B announced the impending arrival of number four so I promptly sold it in favour of something bigger. I never got to enjoy the full delights of owning and driving an Austin Allagro.

Shortly afterwards we found out what was causing this localised population explosion and yours truely was despached to the vets to be fixed.

 

[Gavinskii]

Hi Marion, I also live in Surrey and brought my cali in from Germany and went the same process.
It was really straightforward and a local VW specialist fitted the lights (I sourced from eBay) and a proper replacement inlay speedometer (so it still looks stock), rewired the fog light to the offside.
Whereabouts are you?

 

[T6 CFO]

As Briwy has already said, I can't imagine that any of those jobs would be that difficult to achieve.

On a similar note, back in the eighties I bought a three year old, bright orange, left hand drive, Austin Allegro in Belgium for use as a family run about. Yes I know...........I must have been stark raving bonkers.
Anyway having got it home, I converted it to right hand drive UK spec, square steering wheel and all. Just as soon as I had finished the job Mrs B announced the impending arrival of number four so I promptly sold it in favour of something bigger. I never got to enjoy the full delights of owning and driving an Austin Allagro.

Shortly afterwards we found out what was causing this localised population explosion and yours truely was despached to the vets to be fixed.

It's perhaps fortunate that your enthusiasm in one area saved you from the full delights of owning an Allegro. Just ahead of the mini metro in my list of worst cars I've ever driven.

Mike

 

[2into1]

On a similar note, back in the eighties I bought a three year old, bright orange, left hand drive, Austin Allegro in Belgium for use as a family run about.

"Austin Allegro" were the last words I expected at the end of that sentence!

 

[Skinnee D]

I never got to enjoy the full delights of owning and driving an Austin Allagro.

...including their most famous party trick of the wheels falling off, usually at speed

 

[sidepod]

Famously better Cd traveling in reverse. Outstanding.

 

[Gavinskii]

This is who I got my speedo insert from + they have some good advice.

Not cheap at circa £50, but makes it look OEM

http://www.lockwoodinternational.co.uk/dials-for-imported-vehicles.html

 

[Marlon]

Hi Marion, I also live in Surrey and brought my cali in from Germany and went the same process.
It was really straightforward and a local VW specialist fitted the lights (I sourced from eBay) and a proper replacement inlay speedometer (so it still looks stock), rewired the fog light to the offside.
Whereabouts are you?

Thanks for your reply Gavin. We live in Ashtead. Which garage did you use? Part of the problem seems to be that it is difficult to get to talk to a mechanic over the phone. The person (s) making the appointments do not seem to want to go into details of the repairs. Maybe I should visit the garage in person.

 

[Marlon]

This is who I got my speedo insert from + they have some good advice.

Not cheap at circa £50, but makes it look OEM

http://www.lockwoodinternational.co.uk/dials-for-imported-vehicles.html

Thank you

 

[marksid]

I have a 2013 Beach, LHD. It was imported from Germany and registered in the UK by Gavin at LHD car supermarket.

I had a mobile mechanic run a wire from the 'wrong' fog light to the correct side, it already had a bulb fitted. Both now light up. It cost me 50 quid if I remember correctly.

Headlights are Bi-xenon, for the moment I have the beam correcting sticker on the headlight inorder to pass the MOT. I was hoping to have the lights set to 'travel mode' which I believe other forum members get done for travelling abroad; VW told me that its not possible to set a travel mode on models after 2011. I don't believe them, but don't have VCDS to do it myself, yet.

No issue with speedo dial for me, its still in Km, I have the small digital readout in mph which is fine. It does seem quite easy to remove the dash insert and get the dial swapped to MPH but its at the bottom of the list of job for the moment.

Gavinskii, would you mind posting a photo of your MPH insert?

Mark

 

[Rupertexists]

These guys fitted the lockwood speedo overlay and fitted my headlights (sourced from ebay):
http://4rings.co.uk/

I wired one fog light to the other - the bulb was already there so fairly simple job.

 

[Gavinskii]

Thanks for your reply Gavin. We live in Ashtead. Which garage did you use? Part of the problem seems to be that it is difficult to get to talk to a mechanic over the phone. The person (s) making the appointments do not seem to want to go into details of the repairs. Maybe I should visit the garage in person.

I'm over in Bookham and use CT Cars
http://www.ctcarsltd.co.uk
The mechanic in question that did all my work was Alex, ask for him and mention my name and I am sure you will be delighted.
I also had a remap done by them (Celtic Tuning) which made a real difference!

 

[Gavinskii]

I have a 2013 Beach, LHD. It was imported from Germany and registered in the UK by Gavin at LHD car supermarket.

I had a mobile mechanic run a wire from the 'wrong' fog light to the correct side, it already had a bulb fitted. Both now light up. It cost me 50 quid if I remember correctly.

Headlights are Bi-xenon, for the moment I have the beam correcting sticker on the headlight inorder to pass the MOT. I was hoping to have the lights set to 'travel mode' which I believe other forum members get done for travelling abroad; VW told me that its not possible to set a travel mode on models after 2011. I don't believe them, but don't have VCDS to do it myself, yet.

No issue with speedo dial for me, its still in Km, I have the small digital readout in mph which is fine. It does seem quite easy to remove the dash insert and get the dial swapped to MPH but its at the bottom of the list of job for the moment.

Gavinskii, would you mind posting a photo of your MPH insert?

Mark

This is the correct insert for my year (others are available), and you wouldn't know it wasn't a stock item.

 

[estresao]

Hi,

I've brough mine from Spain in mid 2015 and had to swap rear fog light and replace the headlight for British ones Becase yiu can set your cluster to permanently read miles I had no to replace it. You need and invoice from an approved workshop stating you cali already fulfill those requirement.

BtW, I'm about to return black permanently to Spain, maybe you are interested in my UK headlights (I need to replace them again for the continental ones)