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Driving in France


ORIGINAL: garyw

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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Yes, but definitely a job for your local dealer, don't kid yourself you can DiY in 10 mins, that's how long the dealer takes per side. Why not give them a call, since you have bought a new car from them, they may well do it for nothing.
 
And if escaping the gendarmes takes you into Germany, delete the camera positions for Germany from your sat navs!

Most countries also insist on winter tyres between certain dates and if venturing into Austria there is €120 annual charge for using their motorways payable at the border so use the country roads.[8|]

 
And everyone comes to the UK and does sweet FA.
But we couldn't possibly do anything because that would not be good for tourism or our relations with other countries.

Now long since in Spain they had the laws about Hi-vis jackets etc I have hired cars but not had these things in the car ?
So would the customer be excepted to take them with them?.
 

ORIGINAL: chrisH

Yes, but definitely a job for your local dealer, don't kid yourself you can DiY in 10 mins, that's how long the dealer takes per side. Why not give them a call, since you have bought a new car from them, they may well do it for nothing.
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Thanks Gary and Chris.

I remember watching my trusty local mechanic taking the headlight out of my 996 to replace the sidelight bulb - I'm sure there's a knack to it once you've done it before but it was a fairly awkward process!

My car is booked in on to OPC on Monday for the third attempt at fixing the fuel gauge problem so I would hope that the beam could be re-directed by them then. I just sometimes get the feeling that some things are best left alone! I only intend to drive at night on the Sunday night for the short distance from Caen centre to the port hence why I was happy with a quick fix by way of sticky tape.

Does anyone know definitively if there is a fixed penalty in France for failing to divert the beam during daylight hours when the headlights are not being used or can you only get done for this at night?
 
I'm sure they will do the swtich over as long as you ask them in advance. My advice is to get them done as it only cuts off the left beam and they will pass the UK MOT with them left in the continental position. Having had mine swapped and driven at night since, I am quite happy to leave mine set that way and they will be OK for next year's MOT too.
The point about getting them changed is if your UK set headlights were to cause dazzle and an accident resulted they would throw the book at you. Also the French use their headlights during the day as soon as the sun goes in, unlike many Brits who drive in halflight and even darkness with no lights on at all.
 
Fully understand the 'not using the car at night' but the law states if its raining then dipped headlights (we should have that in this country![:mad:]) - but it won't rain obviously [;)]
One of our guys did use a sticker to solve the issue recently and as far as I'm aware they did come off OK but can indeed leave a sticky residue and mark the plastic headlamp surface.
You could get the OPC to do it and drive around in the UK for a while without too much trouble.

garyw
 
Good point, hadn't factored in risk of rain!!

Obvious solution is to do the job properly. Thanks again.
 
Don't forget a beret worn at a jaunty angle and a string of onions too. It's de rigeur as they say in France and the gendarme frown at you if not worn at all times.

See you at CLM. If you spot a white 964RS come and say "Mange tout".
 

ORIGINAL: garyw

You could get the OPC to do it and drive around in the UK for a while without too much trouble.

garyw
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Rob has a 987 Boxster so his lights should be reset for continental straight ahead.
What kind of trouble do you mean, I just explained that my OPC MOT man says it will pass the MOT like that?
 

ORIGINAL: chrisH

I'm sure they will do the swtich over as long as you ask them in advance. My advice is to get them done as it only cuts off the left beam and they will pass the UK MOT with them left in the continental position. Having had mine swapped and driven at night since, I am quite happy to leave mine set that way and they will be OK for next year's MOT too.
The point about getting them changed is if your UK set headlights were to cause dazzle and an accident resulted they would throw the book at you. Also the French use their headlights during the day as soon as the sun goes in, unlike many Brits who drive in halflight and even darkness with no lights on at all.
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So considerate when the French and Spanish all drive round with the high beams on too.

Maybe its just me, I love there roads but there driving Sucks.

There fatality rates are awful yet there population is less (Spain*) the maths speaks for itself.
 

ORIGINAL: RSGulp

Don't forget a beret worn at a jaunty angle and a string of onions too. It's de rigeur as they say in France and the gendarme frown at you if not worn at all times.

See you at CLM. If you spot a white 964RS come and say "Mange tout".
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[:D]

Will do, toute de suite, bonjour, bonjour.

Will watch out carefully for Les Flics, and make sure my passenger is eating garlic and wearing the high-vis jacket at all times so that it is inside the cabin - there is no storage space inside the Spyder, not even door bins.

Have a good journey down.
 
Come on guys, does not need OPC to do this

If all else fails follow the instruction in the handbook. I took out the LHS , played with the toggle and put it back in less than 10 minutes first time. There is a tool in the roll, and being a Porsche the whole job is well designed. No wires to disconnect as it self plugs in on re-insertion.

Why anyone would want to stick on black tape is beyond me, when you can do a proper job

 
My point is that Rob has a new 987 Spyder not a 996. Whether he can do it himself is not my point, as he has just bought a brand new car and it is booked in at the OPC for other work to be done under warranty they can and will do it for him. I was going to do mine but a local OPC who I did not buy the car from offered to do it free of charge to get my service business. Agreed putting stickers on a 987 is ridiculous.
 
ChrisH, apologies

I was thinking about the 996, and as it is in the Owner's manual then an owner ought to be able to do it. It really is a simple job
 
Its in the 987 owners manual too, Donald.

Some people just don't do DIY. When we bought our last house, when it came to moving in, the previous owner said that 3 or 4 light builbs had blown. He apologised that he hadn't had the opportunity to get the electrician in............
 

ORIGINAL: Richard Hamilton

Its in the 987 owners manual too, Donald.

Some people just don't do DIY. When we bought our last house, when it came to moving in, the previous owner said that 3 or 4 light builbs had blown. He apologised that he hadn't had the opportunity to get the electrician in............
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LOL.

Who did he call when he needed the toilet?.
 

ORIGINAL: Richard Hamilton

Its in the 987 owners manual too, Donald.

Some people just don't do DIY. When we bought our last house, when it came to moving in, the previous owner said that 3 or 4 light builbs had blown. He apologised that he hadn't had the opportunity to get the electrician in............
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Richard, I disgaree. I watched the technician do mine with the handbook open and he said the photos did not resemble the lights as each side is different. He had difficulty finding the switch and used a special long thin screwdriver to click it over. Also if you dont put the light back on the mounting tray correctly bits break and fly everywhere according to a 991 owner on here.Im sure the cost of a new zenon headlight is close to 1k and I would rather not risk breaking it.
PS Yes I can change light bulbs
 
Chris, we don't disagree. On the first page of my book I say ".....never attempt any operations unless you feel both able and comfortable about completing the task without danger to yourself or the vehicle". I think that sums it up, as there are degrees of DIY tasks, ability, and what you feel comfortable about tackling. I'm a mechanical engineer, and brought up on a diet of things like rebuilding cars out of interest as much as necessity. But I fully appreciate that others don't have the same interest or capability. Probably why I was always pit crew, and never the driver.......
 
Richard, agree we dont disagree, I am also trained as a mech, engineer but experience has taught me not to attempt things where there is risk of damage / cost or getting stuck. I remember as a teenager changing my first set of points on a Triumph Herald and not putting the insulating washer back first and we had to get the dealer out to get it started!
 
I once tried to jump start a double decker coach from a double decker bus.

The coach ran a 24 volt system. The double decker ran a 12v system - until I attached the final jump lead - BOOM! [:(]
 
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