UK to EU headlight alignment

tank531 · 10-08-2011, 10:19 AM

I looked in the manual and in the engine bay near the light cluster but I can't see if the headlamp unit has any adjustment mechanism for RHD vehicles when used in LHD countries.

Have any (probably) UK members found how to allow for EU driving yet?

BahnRaider · 10-10-2011, 04:09 PM

Tank, I'm assuming you have standard lights, not the adaptive etc etc.

I bought my X3 from Park Lane and exported it to Germany, it is RHD and came with UK lights, because I was living in Germany I had to buy continental lights (£650).
If you have xenon (HID)lights technically you can just 'flick the lights across' its actually a mechanical shutter, UK BMW dealer will charge you about £40 for 20mins labour to do it. There is a but. You'll notice that in the UK your beam pattern has a little angle/kink up at the left had side of the beam pattern, this is to illuminate road signs and the road edge etc etc. When you flick the lights across the beam has a flat pattern. So you will have no corresponding kink on the left hand edge of the beam.
Some parts of Europe have no problem with this, others do.

If you are just visiting then you can probably just use beam masking stickers etc.

If anyone does need a set of continental lights for an F25 X3 then drop me a line. Oh and it costs about £170 to get the light units swapped over.

10-08-2011, 10:19 AM	#1
tank531 Deckhand 5 Rep 389 Posts Drives: F25 2.0D SE xDrive (Sep 11) Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Coventry - UK iTrader: (0)	UK to EU headlight alignment I looked in the manual and in the engine bay near the light cluster but I can't see if the headlamp unit has any adjustment mechanism for RHD vehicles when used in LHD countries. Have any (probably) UK members found how to allow for EU driving yet?
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10-10-2011, 04:09 PM	#2
BahnRaider New Member 2 Rep 20 Posts Drives: BMW X3 (F25) 2.0D SE Auto Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Germany iTrader: (0)	Tank, I'm assuming you have standard lights, not the adaptive etc etc. I bought my X3 from Park Lane and exported it to Germany, it is RHD and came with UK lights, because I was living in Germany I had to buy continental lights (£650). If you have xenon (HID)lights technically you can just 'flick the lights across' its actually a mechanical shutter, UK BMW dealer will charge you about £40 for 20mins labour to do it. There is a but. You'll notice that in the UK your beam pattern has a little angle/kink up at the left had side of the beam pattern, this is to illuminate road signs and the road edge etc etc. When you flick the lights across the beam has a flat pattern. So you will have no corresponding kink on the left hand edge of the beam. Some parts of Europe have no problem with this, others do. If you are just visiting then you can probably just use beam masking stickers etc. If anyone does need a set of continental lights for an F25 X3 then drop me a line. Oh and it costs about £170 to get the light units swapped over. __________________ Current: 2011 X3 (F25) 2.0d SE, Auto. Vermillion Red. Dynamic control, Sports suspension, sports seats, M sport steering wheel, Y spoke 308 18" alloys), xLine.
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