Japanese Headlights

[gep]

Hi, just a quicky

Are japanese headlights in any way different from ours, alignment etc?

Cheers

[gep]

anyone?

[black S2K]

Avoiding the epicanthic fold joke; WRT what exactly?

They're not EU kite-marked if it's a JDM.

Compared to Euro cars they tend to be crap on dipped beam, traditionally - Projector HIDs excepted.

[gep]

black S2K said:

Compared to Euro cars they tend to be crap on dipped beam, traditionally

I imported a car from japan and the dipped beams are trully feeble. Its an english made car though (Rangie), thought the lights might be changed for a japanese law or something.

If not i'll try adjusting them

cheers

Edited by gep on Thursday 21st September 17:57

[sadako]

[Philbes]

Some Japanese designed cars (e.g., latest Civic?) seem to have headlights designed more for style rather than efficiency.

Many cars also seem to be omitting the under bonnet manual adjusters for the headlamp aim.

Older cars - 1970's! - often had 4 completely separate headlights with (outer) dip and (inner) main beam units that could be independantly manually adjusted for aim.

[pesty]

My headlights were fine on my impreza both dipped and beem.

The only thing different appart from more power was Jap import cars have pathetic horns due to stricked noise laws in Japan.

[wedgepilot]

Some Jap cars also have plastic headlight covers which IIRC isn't allowed in the UK. The plastic gets all 'cloudy' which messes up the beam.

I had to rub mine with some metal polish to get it nice and shiny again.
[/schoolboy double-entendre]

[Mr E]

Mine appear to be just fine.

[turbo5]

Jap imports should pass the ESVA test before they are accepted to be used on UK roads unless they are over 10 years old. I presume this covers headlight alignment. I know on my Honda Integra Type R it has HID lights and the bulbs needed changing to ordinary bulbs for the test, because the HIDS are not self aligning (vertically). It doesn't matter for the MOT so I don't need to swap them over every year. The HIDS are back.