Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: craig on 04 July 2008, 22:19:58
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well i've bought some new lights off fleabay from germany last night and paid today for them!but after reading the topic about the beast in the gallery section i am now very concerned ::)
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g185/cossieboi/omegaheadlights.jpg
these are the lights but after reading that topic!!are they legal?what do they mean when they say made for left hand drive?whats the difference please?!!can i have some advice please as i'm fuming at the moment >:(
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Left hand drive cars have a different beam pattern to right hand drive cars
If you imagine a "h" pattern on the road, it shows the left side of the pattern to highlight the kerbside more.
On left hand drive the pattern is reversed, which in effect puts more light towards traffic on the opposite side of the road.
Email the guy and if he hasnt sent them, then ask for RHD versions or a refund.
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Germany drive on the other side of the road...does the auction specify that they are LHD???
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no it doesn't say nothing about being lhd >:(
can i alter them at all by using my originals?
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well i've bought some new lights off fleabay from germany last night and paid today for them!but after reading the topic about the beast in the gallery section i am now very concerned ::)
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g185/cossieboi/omegaheadlights.jpg
these are the lights but after reading that topic!!are they legal?what do they mean when they say made for left hand drive?whats the difference please?!!can i have some advice please as i'm fuming at the moment >:(
Sounds like it did.
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no no someone responded to the lad saying that they were lhd lights!!if i knew how to quote this i would do it mate!!
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To be fair to the buyer...as said Germany drive on the right which means they are LHD so it would be fair as a seller on German ebay not to state they are LHD as it could be taken as a fair assumption, bit like if you bought some headlights in the UK you would expect them to be RHD and for use in the UK?
Seems the question wasnt asked by the buyer and the knowledge wasnt there hence the buyer bought the wrong item for his needs...and fuming or not it seems to me that this is not really the sellers fault...but then I havent seen the ebay auction and wording...
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Seems like u bought left hand drive (lhd) lights - no good for UK. Don't see that u have any comeback on seller - u can only rely on his goodwill and ask if he will offer a refund. A lot of sellers will not refund if buyer has purchased goods in error or in "ignorance". :(
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are they legal?what do they mean when they say made for left hand drive?whats the difference please?!!can i have some advice please as i'm fuming at the moment >:(
We in the UK drive on the left side of the road so the drivers seat is on the right hand side of the car (right hand drive) so you are sat towards the centre of the road...
Most of the rest of the world including Germany drive on the right side of the road so the drivers seat is on the left handside of the car (left hand drive) again so the driver is sat towards the centre of the road...
The headlights are aimed towards the curb slightly and beam pattern is also heavier towards the curb side...therefore in the UK the beam is towards the left and abroad the beam is towards the right...
The lights will most likely be legal...when you are driving in a country that is LHD, like Germany...not in the UK as the LHD lights with the car driven on the left side of the road will mean the beam pattern directing directly into the eyes of oncoming traffic...
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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200234677087&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=010
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On my facelift omega i have xenons which have a sort of switch inside the light so that when you want to drive on the other side of the road you can swap the beam over.
I only found this because the guy at the garage put a side light bulb in and must of moved it so when i used the car at night it looked like i had a bulb gone.
Is this only on xenon lights or is it on all.
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On my facelift omega i have xenons which have a sort of switch inside the light so that when you want to drive on the other side of the road you can swap the beam over.
I only found this because the guy at the garage put a side light bulb in and must of moved it so when i used the car at night it looked like i had a bulb gone.
Is this only on xenon lights or is it on all.
Yep, fairly sure, when fixing my battered old cdx lights to get through mot, that there was a lever to swap for left hand drive, on the continent, i presumed, dont hold me to it tho.
Try a search, or was it on the other site?
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On my facelift omega i have xenons which have a sort of switch inside the light so that when you want to drive on the other side of the road you can swap the beam over.
I only found this because the guy at the garage put a side light bulb in and must of moved it so when i used the car at night it looked like i had a bulb gone.
Is this only on xenon lights or is it on all.
Yep, fairly sure, when fixing my battered old cdx lights to get through mot, that there was a lever to swap for left hand drive, on the continent, i presumed, dont hold me to it tho.
Try a search, or was it on the other site?
Yep, you lads are half right!....or left depending which country you are in! ;D
There is a switch fitted on the lense of vehicles fitted with projector style lenses (including xenons). The switch only serves as a TEMPORARY measure however as it simply FLATTENS the beam pattern from \___ to _____ for travelling abroad.
This will not pass an MOT in the uk. Craig, if you can imagine, the beam pattern on your new lights will be ___/ to account for the left hand drive. In no circumstances should you use this in the UK like this, you will blind oncoming traffic!
Would be interesting if you could modify the new units though?
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i've just emailed my polish colleage from work who has brought a car over from poland and has not altered the lights in anyway but yet it passed an mot on tues!!!yet they drive on same side as germans so surely his lights would have been illegal too???
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Look here :-
http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_160.htm and you'll find :-
Right hand dip headlamps can be temporarily altered for use in the UK by fitting masks or converter kits which remove the beam 'kick-up' to the right.
A headlamp altered in this way is not a reason for rejection, ifa. the headlamp aim is not rejected for the reasons listed under diagram 1 (except that the top of the beam image will be a straight line)
b. the light output is not unduly
reduced - not usually a problem with commercially produced kits
c. the mask or converter is securely attached
HTH :y
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cheers :y i just won't drive my car at night then and put old ones back on for mot lol ;D
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b. the light output is not unduly
reduced
I stand corrected? I suppose that's the key phrase above ::)
HN03 already said that driving with the beam flattened was like "he had a bulb gone". As with alot of things MOT related, it's down to interpretation. I just seem to remember Mr DTM stating that he wouldn't pass a car with the beam flattened...or words to that effect.
cheers :y i just won't drive my car at night then and put old ones back on for mot lol ;D
Craig, you'll just have to make sure the beam pattern is flat, as we have been discussing above, perhaps the units may have the switches required?
If not, I wonder if it is worth trying to modify. There are literally LOADS of people that have looked at buying these units, only to bring up the topic for discussion and back out. You may be able to take it further??? There's even folks that have looked at painting the reflector backing of the original lights black to achieve the same effect! :o
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I have a pair of these in the garage which I assume are LHD...havent checked yet though...I would imagine I could combine these with a pair of the broken bracket ones I have and end up with a legal RHD version of the lights easy enough...