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Driving in France

Yoda

Yoda

PCGB Member
Member
Hi

I have a RHD face lift 996 and am going to France at the end of this week. I understand that there is a "tourist" setting on the headlights to adapt them for driving on the continent. 2 Questions:

1. Can someone point me to some instructions for doing this please?
2. With this done, would I still need to put the masking stickers on the headlights i.e. is it a case of do either or, or both.

I've looked at the FAQs, technical articles and searched the net without any good results.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks
 
From what I've read, if you have Litronics, there's something you can tweak to get them to dip to the other side. If not (like me), you'll need to apply something to blank out the bit of the beam that shines to the left - I use insulating tape - take a look at some of my pics in the running reports to see where to stick them!
 
Hi Yoda,

Dont forget your breathayser kit!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=breathalyzer+for+france&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=11146625100&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6735276641300770932&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&ref=pd_sl_5596h6kgob_e
 
Thanks for the reminder - have breathalyser + triangle + hi vis vest + bulbs + ............ I'll need a bigger car soon to carry all the compulsory kit! [:D]

 
thats for all the dodgy driving - its also the law that you have to stop to provide first aid . halfords sell some kind of tape - gaffe tape is cheaper
 
I have a feeling there are some headlamp masking templates in the workshop manual. There are definitely some for the pre-facelift. I'll check it out tomorrow when I get to my PC.
 
Love driving in France, the A roads are so nice!

The traffic jams and non stop incidents near Paris are not!

As others have said, bit of sticky tape does the trick :)

 
Nothing specific in the manual for facelift headlights, but the pre-facelift ones might work. 'Scouser' put a dimensioned templete on this thread, which is probably more use than the one in the manual: http://www.renntech.org/forums/topic/5020-how-to-mask-rhd-headlamps-for-right-hand-traffic/#entry24930
 
Hi Richard,

Don't suppose by any chance you have a template for Boxster headlights, specifically my 987.2 Spyder?

Off to the Le Mans Classic on Wednesday next week, yippee!

Hope all is well and that you are enjoying your Cayman.
 
Templates, you are joking? For 987 Boxster/ Cayman there is a simple procedure to switch the headlight beam angle to centre for continental driving. Your local OPC can do it, 10 mins a side and may or may not charge you if you have influence, or DIY if you are brave enough to risk breaking expensive lights. There have been several posts on this subject on here.
 
Seeing as we are on the subject, how can the litronics be adapted for driving on the continent ?
 
Careful of the tape -aren't 996/7 lights plastic? B*ggered the lenses on my old Shogun doing this with rather sticky tape....[&:]

TBH, I've never bothered since......[8|]

And Feroz, enjoy roads with 25% vehicles per km that we have and a respect and appreciation of nice cars we don't have here.......[:)]
 
Okay, I am puzzled, confused or just dumb ( I expect the latter)

I have a 2004 model, so face lift and with standard lights. In my Driver's Manual on page 209 it describes how to change lights from left to right-hand traffic. It makes no distinction for the process applying only to Bi-Xenon (Litronic was only used upto 2001).

Procedure is to remove the light unit and turn an allen socket from "O" to "T". I have just taken a light unit out of my car, and sure enough there is a small plastic allen socket which turns and does something. I have to admit I did not check to see whether it acutally dips from left to right - maybe you can check.

This procedure is also described in the 996 Essential Companion, again with no distinction for type of light. Some confusion as it also talks about masking, but for Xenon

Or have I missed an essential point, ie does not apply to standard lights. ??
 
987/997 lights, both halogen and xenon, can be switched to the Touring position, and the procedure is shown in the owner's handbook.

986/996 Litronics and xenons can also be switched, and again it it shown in the manual.

996.1 halogens cannot be switched, and need masking of some sort. Porsche do masking films, but they are about £20 a pair, and single use only. I'm not sure about 996.2 halogens, but I was under the impression that they weren't switchable, but MacOlaf's handbook seems to suggest that it is possible. Porsche don't make a masking film for 996.2 halogens, so maybe that is the case.
 

ORIGINAL: chrisH

Templates, you are joking? For 987 Boxster/ Cayman there is a simple procedure to switch the headlight beam angle to centre for continental driving. Your local OPC can do it, 10 mins a side and may or may not charge you if you have influence, or DIY if you are brave enough to risk breaking expensive lights. There have been several posts on this subject on here.
Click to expand...


Completely serious. I really can't be arsed taking the car's headlights out in the queue at the ferry port or packing
The requisite tools to do so. Bit of black vinyl can do the job, would help to know where to put it!
 
Dont forget you need 2 triangles +fan belts also your original insurance cert licence in all 10 items, each 1 not carried earns the FRENCH 150 EUROS and the need it.
I was pulled 6 times going to and back to SPAIN in MY beutiful 3.2 Targa sport
Paul
 
Not according to the AA or a couple of other google searches. 1 x triangle, 0 x fan belts, 1 x high vis jackets,
2 x breathalyser (not enforced until November), 0 x radar detectors either!

Hoping not to get stopped at all though!
 
There is a thread in the 997 Tech area showing how to change the Litronic headlamps over..

Rob they can be done prior to leaving home as it just removes the left hand kick up of the headlight pattern (you end up not lighting the left hand hedges when in the UK [;)]) so no panic doing it on the ferry or chunnel.
With experience they only take about 5 minute to do.

garyw
 
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