CT, headlights and fog lights

That was a failure for me with my UK car on it’s first CT. The bulb needed to be brighter. The only other failure was the headlights. I had them changed at a garage and asked specifically for EU headlights and was at the garage when the guy ordered them on the phone. Peugeot sent UK headlights instead, which he didn’t realise. When I took it back, he was incandescent and shouted down the phone at Peugeot :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:. It all went OK in the end.

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My S60 T5R from 2001 just needed the hole in the left-hand light unit breaking out, insert bulb and bobs yer uncle. The easy way is to drive up to a white wall and switch on the lights. Lift the bonnet and standing by each light unit move the switch across and watch the beam move. The same applies to the fog lights. you can adjust them to shine slightly to the right.

That would have saved me the €1,000 I spent for new LHD SL R129 headlamps back in the day. Nice to see some rules becoming a little more lenient rather then the usual tightening of the screw (no pun intended).

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Good news!

The RHD SLK has adjustable lamps… hurrah.

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So does my Aston Martin

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I’m thinking of acquiring an Aston myself.

It would go well with my lunar lander.

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On some “down” time from the RN, my son bought this

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Just to the complete the story, my local garagiste wired up the rear fog light for me, changed a front headlight bulb (but otherwise made no changes to the dipped beam) and look the car in for its contre visite. It passed without problem.

He remarked the headlight beam was flat so should not have been a problem. I think I can assume the original CT guy was having a bad day, for whatever reason.

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Slightly off thread? we had a local garage do a pre CT revision and everything was OK save for the headlights. He told us they were oxidized and needed cleaning before the CT as he knew of cars being failed for this problem. The Internet is awash with tips for cleaning them, from toothpaste, vinegar and bicarbonate of soda to sandpaper, WD40 and store purchased kits. Has anybody out there had this problem and what was the method that worked for you?

Yep, as it happens I have. On our other car, the last CT noted it as advisory. This time, our garagiste (same guy as I mentioned above) said he thought it could fail this time.

I set to with toothpaste and nail brush and, much to my surprise, the headlights came up much cleaner. Not even a mention on the CT.

Apparently it does depend on where the discoloration is, as it can be on the of inside of the lens. In our case, it wasn’t and I can vouch for the toothpaste trick. I did then rinse them and repeat the clean with a (homemade) bicarb paste but that made no extra difference.

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Toothpaste is a good compound for fine scratches but youll be there along time polishing out the UV damaged plastic. The sandpaper is very fine begining with a 1000 grade and working up to 3000 grade and works with the use of water to reduce clogging and a foam pad on a drill with the toothpaste or T cut to finish. The others you mention do not work. Depends of course on the amount of haze/yellowing you have as to how long it takes and then thoroughly clean before applying a UV resistant clear coat.

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