arjay

Quick advice please. in 2002 I moved to Spain from the UK. I bought a LHD 3.6 turbo and took it out to Spain. It passed the import engineering inspection and the annual ITV (equivalent of the MOT in the UK).

The next year it was failed because of something to do with the lights. I thought it was a problem with the lights dipping the wrong way. I bought new lenses from Porsche here in Spain and fitted them myself. The car passed the re-test. For the last 10 years it has always passed the annual inspection until this year when it was failed for the same reason.

I had a garage check the lights and they say that the problem is marginal (hence it being missed for 10 years) but that the inspector was right.

So, my question is - is there something else I should have or could do to get the lights to comply? Someone has suggested that I need to change the reflectors not just the lenses

TIA

Max964t36

I had a similar problem last week during the inspection by Italian MOT-like admin. I had to change the headlamp due to very light oxidation of the reflector. It has nothing to do with RHD or LHD lenses (mine had them swapped several times between the Continent and UK).

arjay

Ah - not my problem I'm afraid. I was with the guy in the garage when he tested the lights. it is clear that the lights are not dipping correctly for Spain. But it is only negligible. My guess is that the changed lenses do half the job but not all of it. I am presuming that I also need to change the reflectors. Unless anyone knows different....

Max964t36

I'm really surprised to read that, the reflectors should be identical, afaik ...

arjay

Interesting observation. The thing is, here in Europe we have RHD cars in the UK that dip the lights one way for driving on the left, and LHD cars in the rest of Eurpoe that dip the other way for driving on the right.

My LHD 3.6 turbo, originally a German spec was imported to the UK when 10 years old. I bought it there and drove it out to Spain. I presumed that the English owner had converted/changed the lights for UK roads (he also changed all the instrumentation from KPH to MPH - silly man as he never kept the original dials which i could do with). Also ruined the milometer record but that's another story

So here I am with a 3.6 that has failed the annual test here (after passing for 12 years straight).. I have seen the lights dipping under test and they don't look as if they are dipping properly.

I changed the lenses a few years ago thinking that would fix it but not so. I have just priced new replacement complete light assemblies at £470/Euro500 EACH!!

Obviously anxious not to change them unnecessarily. Anyone got more tech info. Also, f I have to, does anyone know the part numbers?

Cheers.

Max964t36

1. The requested price from Porsche Center is outrageous, I bought a new one on the internet at 1/3 price. I guess you too have the ones with pneumatic regulation.
2. Here is the PN, and as you can see, they are identical, only the lenses (and the relevant complete assembly) are different, while the reflectors are the same.

arjay

Thanks so much for your help. I'll hunt around the internet today and see what I can find. Cheers

arjay

been hunting about on the internet. Somewhat hamstrung because my car is in the garage at the mement when i want to look at it!

Can someone help re this point: I read on the internet that under the bezel of each light there are supposed to be two brass screws that allow you to adjust the beam. Can anyone confirm for me that this is the caze - it might just solve my problem as the dipped lights are only just out of wack and a slight adjustment may be all that is needed?

Also can you confirm if you have a pnuematic light adjust switch and if so is it right on the dash near a face air vent? I'm ashamed to say i now can't remember if i have such an adjuster. (Been 5 months since i was even in the car - easily time enough for a sad old f*rt like me to forget this.

Cheers

Max964t36

1. The screws are there, you are supposed to register them as you would do in any other (old) car.
2. the "up and down" registry is on the left side of the steering colum near the light switch.

arjay

Sorry - not familiar with the word register in this connection.? Can I change the angle of the lights to left or right with these screws or only up and down?

Thanks

Max964t36

Yes, you can. You can have a rough adjustment in your garage, just put your car against a wall in the dark, switch on the headlamps and try playng with the screws. Mechanics shops ususally have the appropriate tools to do it properly.

arjay

I passed your info on to the garage and they have had a play with the screws as per your suggestion (with the right test equipment in front of the lights). They can adjust the lights somewhat - mainly up and down, but can't get the lights to create the right pattern for dipping to pass the test.

They are taking the car back to the Test Centre with extra documentation I have given them showing that it passed the test for the last 10 years without any problems!!

It is just an extra officious Spanish mechanic at what is a new test centre created to handle the overflow from other centres. Unfortunately, now the car is on the computer, as having failed, I can't take it somewhere else, hoping they will pass it.

I'll let you know what the outcome is.

Thanks for taking the time to help out.