HID and standard bulbs abroad - Questions!

[seanantenbring]

Hi all,

 

I am travelling to France this summer and although I don't plan to be driving at night I am aware that if it rains you have to have your dipped beam on. They also insist on having a spare bulb set in the car.

 

I have changed my standard bulbs to HID 5000k which have been working fine for ages. So... two things:

 

1. Will the HIDs be allowed in France? I will adjust the beam before I go and I am only going to be using them if it rains and I'm not driving at night.

2. Will the old standard bulbs go straight back in and work OK if for what ever reason I have an issue with the HIDs?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Sean

[booke23]

To answer your questions - 

 

1. Probably no more than they are allowed in the UK, but you haven't had any trouble in the UK, so I wouldn't worry.

 

2. Yes. 

 

However, I presume you have standard headlights with the adjuster next to the switch in the car. If so then I wouldn't worry. If you do happen to need headlights then just adjust them down to the lowest position with the level adjuster.  

[paddypaws]

I've driven in France a lot with HID bulbs and not had a problem. I think its more important to check the alignment than the bulb type (so they don't dazzle the on coming traffic) as you've already mentioned.

[RainbowFire]

There should be a manual adjustment that removes the "kick up" on the left and leave the beam in a flat pattern instead.

[Guest]

I don'thave HIDs, but I used the flat beam adjustment in France and Spain last year with no issues with the Gendarmes, Guardia Uncivil Traffico or other road users flashing me even when driving at night or in heavy rain.

I've since kept them that way and put it through an MoT with no issues.

Fin

[alberg]

Like above, flat beem and lower them when in city or heavy load at rear.

Edited 20 July, 2014 by alberg

[seanantenbring]

OK Great. Thanks! I have found a guide on hear to flatten the beam, I will do this at some point this week.

 

Cheers!

[Stoofa]

Spare bulb kits are NOT required in France.

[nickguzzi]

^^^ So people keep saying but you try arguing the toss with a Gendarme who would like nothing better than to cart you off to base so he can have his dejourne. The French Police and Gendarmerie are both armed and also empowered to fine you on the spot. I'm sure they can find a reason if necessary. They are used to having their word accepted as gospel.

Why risk the hassle? Unless you are sufficiently fluent and knowledgeable of the French Code Civil to do the arguing in French.

It could be that the French legalese is that you must be able to fix a burnt out bulb, not necessarily in possession of a spare set of bulbs. Subtle difference huh.

Can you direct us to an official French source that states spare bulbs aren't a requirement?

Is it that expensive or difficult to have a spare set, just to be able to have peace of mind and maybe increase safety for yourself and passengers?

My experience with French law enforcement has always been excellent - courteous, polite and understanding. I have however seen others who try to get clever, being dragged out of their cars in front of their family and held down with a gun at their head. I prefer to keep my experiences as they are.

[alberg]

I agree with you, if they want to hassle you they will even though they are wrong. In portugal every car with Portuguese plates must have triangle and one of those green vests. New cars come with both, not 2 triangles like in spain or bulb kit in france. some police abuse it's a fact. Next thing you know any alteration on your car while in you country is legal others it isn't, they police cannot do anything about it. Do they bother you with the rear fog. Over this way is both or left side, yours is on the right side. My car has xenon, do i have to buy a extra bulb?

[RainbowFire]

^^^ So people keep saying but you try arguing the toss with a Gendarme who would like nothing better than to cart you off to base so he can have his dejourne. The French Police and Gendarmerie are both armed and also empowered to fine you on the spot. I'm sure they can find a reason if necessary. They are used to having their word accepted as gospel.

Why risk the hassle? Unless you are sufficiently fluent and knowledgeable of the French Code Civil to do the arguing in French.

It could be that the French legalese is that you must be able to fix a burnt out bulb, not necessarily in possession of a spare set of bulbs. Subtle difference huh.

 

 

....not only that, but a bulb kit doesn't cost much and can be a damned useful thing to have in the UK too. Would probably save the hassle of dealing with a VDRS notice....."I'm a bulb out? Why, thank you for pointing that out officer, I'll rectify that immediately" or, get a VDRS, then get the MOT station to certify the defect has been resolved and then pop down the local cop-shop.

 

 

My experience with French law enforcement has always been excellent - courteous, polite and understanding. I have however seen others who try to get clever, being dragged out of their cars in front of their family and held down with a gun at their head. I prefer to keep my experiences as they are.

 

I'd love to see someone try and pull the "Freemen On The Land" carp over there! ;)

[smileonimpact]

To quote from the owners manual "change of light bulbs on xenon lights should be undertaken by a specialist garage" and "xenon bulbs operate with a high voltage, professional knowledge is required, danger of death"

With that in mind I would suggest it would be sensible to carry a spare bulb kit, but I doubt they could enforce you to change a xenon, where there's a blame there's a claim!

[booke23]

I have however seen others who try to get clever, being dragged out of their cars in front of their family and held down with a gun at their head.

Really? Are you sure you're not thinking about an old episode of The A Team that you watched lately?

[nickguzzi]

Nope, absolutely kosher. Just outside Ste Maxime on the corniche. I was actually on a restaurant terrace, watching the whole deal unfold.

[Stoofa]

^^^ So people keep saying but you try arguing the toss with a Gendarme who would like nothing better than to cart you off to base so he can have his dejourne. The French Police and Gendarmerie are both armed and also empowered to fine you on the spot. I'm sure they can find a reason if necessary. They are used to having their word accepted as gospel.

Why risk the hassle? Unless you are sufficiently fluent and knowledgeable of the French Code Civil to do the arguing in French.

It could be that the French legalese is that you must be able to fix a burnt out bulb, not necessarily in possession of a spare set of bulbs. Subtle difference huh.

Can you direct us to an official French source that states spare bulbs aren't a requirement?

Is it that expensive or difficult to have a spare set, just to be able to have peace of mind and maybe increase safety for yourself and passengers?

My experience with French law enforcement has always been excellent - courteous, polite and understanding. I have however seen others who try to get clever, being dragged out of their cars in front of their family and held down with a gun at their head. I prefer to keep my experiences as they are.

Here we go, three organisations that do know what they are talking about:

 

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/countrybycountry.html

http://www.rac.co.uk/driving-abroad/france

http://www.eurobreakdown.com/driving_in_europe/france.aspx

 

As you'll see none of these sites mention that spare bulb kits are a legal rerquirement, where actually mentioned it's listed as "recommended" - recommended does not mean legal.

If you're going to scare-monger people you should tell them they should also have a fire extinguisher - that is a requirement in some countries as well, not in France, but might as well tell people they should have it anyway.

 

Breatherlisers are also no longer a requirement. Although "in theory" the law requires them, the fine was suspended indefinitely over a year ago - so no need to waste your money there either.

 

But if you're scared or like to be scared then buy bulbs, fire extinguishers, snow chains, life-raft and flare-gun - you know those dirty rotten French police, they will have you for anything, even when you've done absolutely nothing wrong!!

[nickguzzi]

OOOH! scary am I?

Just grow up. And stop telling people to ignore common sense.

[Phil-E]

Law or not It's just good practice to carry a spare bulb kit, warning triangle, first aid kit and high-vis vests.

 

I have a 4300k HID kit fitted and drive to Germany on a regular basis. I just leave the beam flick down all the time. Went through the last MOT like that too.

 

Phil

[brad1.8T]

I have my aftermarket HIDs on permanent "flat beam".  The kick-up had no practical value.  Beam spread is great & I can still see kangaroos & cattle on the verge at night.

[RainbowFire]

OOOH! scary am I?

Just grow up. And stop telling people to ignore common sense.

 

:clap:  +1

 

What I find puzzling is that many people only take notice of common sense once it's actually been mandated. For example: wearing seatbelts. Many people didn't, so it became law so you *have* to follow common sense. People bleat about "the nanny state" but many of those people also can't understand common sense either.

 

 

 

Oh, and Nick, you're not *that* scary :p :p

[philbes]

A few years ago when driving at night in France in a 2002 Honda Accord one of the main beam bulbs failed when I was only 15 minutes from the hotel where we were staying the night.  When turning out of a side road onto a main road I was on main beam and dropped to dip as a car approached.  It was a police car that did a U-turn and then stopped me.  My wife speaks reasonable French and they wanted to fine me on the spot for having a faulty headlamp bulb.  My wife convinced them to let me off if I could change the bulb in under 5 minutes and they agreed.  From getting out of the driving seat to proving the replacement bulb was working took me under 3 minutes.  The police were impressed but also seemed to be disappointed!  It was easy to change a headlamp bulb in that Accord due to plenty of room behind the headlamp and just a rubber cover to pop off to reveal the clip holding in the bulb.

 

I can change a headlamp bulb in my vRS  just as fast.  I adjust the levers to flatten the dip beams when waiting for the ferry in the UK and change them back when waiting for the return ferry 'over there'.  The kick-up does improve visibility when driving in the UK - if it doesn't then there is something wrong with the headlamps or bulbs.

 

I have seen French police parked in laybys watching the traffic passing and only stopping UK registered cars.  It happened to me on my trip to France last October.

[seanantenbring]

Thanks for all your replies! I think I will be "Safe" and take all that is recommended.

 

One more question! -. When you adjust the levers to flatten the dipped beam do you adjust them on both headlights and are there only two positions so its easy to adjust it back when I return to the UK?

[RainbowFire]

 

One more question! -. When you adjust the levers to flatten the dipped beam do you adjust them on both headlights and are there only two positions so its easy to adjust it back when I return to the UK?

 

Yes both, yes only 2 positions.

[seanantenbring]

Yes both, yes only 2 positions.

 

Great, cheers!

[nickguzzi]

I'm not a habitué of the autoroute, and I like wandering and meandering about. A few years ago someone was complaining about why he and all his mates and everyone he knew were being hassled on the way to the 24hr Du Mans. In another forum, others were bragging about their antics of speeding through villages and along the highway. No surprise the police were out in force.

I worked out a year or so ago that I had entered France more than 500 times.

I have been stopped a very few times over almost 40 years, its always been as part of a general road side check. The Police or Gendarmes have always been unerringly polite and cheerful.

I was once caught "bang to rights" for speeding in a radar trap. The two guys operating the trap let me go in the end presumably because the hassle of doing the paperwork was too much. Big Thanks.

On another occasion I game out of our Gite, just exiting the village, there was a road block. It was then I realised I had forgotten my snatch bag with all our paperwork in. This is illegal. The Gendamesse looked at the out of date travel insurance docs I had behind the visor, smiled and waved me on. I did offer to go fetch them, she assured me it wasn't necessary.

The other few times I have been in a road side check, when I got to the front, I have been waved through.

Once outside a restaurant, my partner was approached as she opened the passenger door and asked if she had been drinking. Once we sat down in the car he was so confused by the lack of steering wheel, he even called his oppo over to look. He forgot why he had started talking to us in the first place.

The biggest problem for many of us is the right of way at junctions. The vehicle coming from your right will continue and you should give way. Even, and this is the silly difficult part, where the driver from the right is on a minor road. Just to clarify the issue, traffic engineers are marking up roads where this is NOT the case. But many Frenchmen and women remember the old days... Farm tracks had right of way over the Route Nationale.

When I first went the priority to the right law was in effect on roundabouts too. Just think it through...

Anyway if you are unsure, ask a passenger to keep an extra eye out for you.

Its a great place to tour round, have holidays in, and generally enjoy yourself. I hope your holidays are as good as mine have been

[brad1.8T]

 

 The kick-up does improve visibility when driving in the UK - if it doesn't then there is something wrong with the headlamps or bulbs.

 

Do you have halogens in projectors or retro-fit HIDs in projectors?  The former need the kick-up; the latter not quite as much as it's very pronounced.