Headlamps replacements for France

Cars / Motoring / Insurance
1

Hi All,

I am hopefully moving to France early 2025 and will need to register my car . I am being informed that i will need to change my headlights? Am also being told i do not have to and deflectors are satisfactory?
Who is correct?
if its headlamps where can i buy them?
if its deflectors which ones and where do i get the correct ones?
I have a Nissan X Trail 2020 1.3 Tekna.
many thanks in advance for your kind assistance.
Steve

2

Who informed you? I ask because many cars either have flat dipped beam or can be changed by program or a device on the headlamp unit. Ask a dealer and buy the replacements there if nevessary. Or you can try a local breaker, ebay or leboncoin.

Many comments on use of stickers. Best to ask the Controle Technique (French MoT) place that you will use, on what s/he will require for a pass.

Make sure that you have an EU certificate of conformity, otherwise more testing and expense.

3

Interesting point. If your car requires an inspection by DREAL, then they are likely to insist that your headlights conform fully with French regs and you’ll need to change them.

Note that many cars which have switchable headlights simply revert to a flat dipped pattern rather than kicking up to illuminate more of the right side of the road. If your new home is to be out in the country, I’d recommend going for proper LHD headlights as they dramatically reduce the risk of meeting something unexpected at the side of the unit country road.

If no DREAL inspection is required, then the next hurdle for headlights is the CT check every 2 years. Some CT stations are happy with beam deflector stickers and will give you a pass, whereas others insist (incorrectly) that deflectors are not legal. I suggest you shop around until you find a helpful CT centre!

4

French main dealers will be expensive. Try searching on other European site as Germany and Poland often supply headlamp units at a much lower price than other countries.

5

Do you already have a certificate of Conformity? If so, does it say anything about approval for left hand traffic? If it does then you will almost certainly need a DREAL inspection and they will only accept headlights with the correct E markings and may also want mirror changes.

6

I replied on your other thread about the changes re headlights.

7

So have I.

8

Thanks to all much appreciated.

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9

For God’s sakes :roll_eyes:

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10

IMHO people do really have to make a bit of an effort themselves :roll_eyes: It’ll be "feed me"next.

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11

I’ll have the filet mignon please John. :smiley:

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12

:joy: I was more thinking of with a spoon Chris.

13

I could use a spoon if it’s a tender enough cut. :smiley:

14

a piece of Onglet de boeuf… merely waved at the hot pan… can be eaten with a spoon… delicious :+1:

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15

That’s my point, you don’t need to be spoon fed :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

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16

I’m more a bavette à l’échalote man myself. Even if it can be a bit stringy.

I note he only has a single oven :thinking:

17

We used to have a super restaurant… menu de jour to die for… and OH and I often enjoyed ourselves eating there, and it avoided me doing the washing-up :wink:

One day, the owner looked at me in dismay…
Oh dear, you won’t like today’s meal…
Why not
Because it is hardly cooked and “you British” only eat meat that is cooked until it is solid…
(well, that was the gist…)

Rubbish I said (very bravely)… we’ll give it a go… !!!

Wonderful, melt in the mouth… yummy… :+1: :+1: :+1:

18

Oh dear… yet another thread drifted towards food… :wink:

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19

You are what you eat - hence the expression “Je suis Onglet” :smiley:

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20

Seems fair enough… everyone knows I’m a softie… :wink: