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Rx350 Se-l Lights (how To Change For Driving In Europe)


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Hi All,

You guys and girls have been very helpful on things I have asked and questions others have asked in the past, so I thought I'd come to you first on this.

We are thinking of moving to Zurich for at least a year with out RX350SE-L coming with us. We've had it for over the 6 months so importing it won't attract the VAT and as it is an EU spec it should get through the import exam automatically. However I'm not 100% sure if the lights pointing to the left (we drive on the left in the UK) would cause it to need changes to get it approved or if those clip on things you can get would make it pass. Either way I thought I would ask if anyone knows how they can be made to point to the right for driving on the right side of the road without new light units. We have the clever lights that look round corners and also they self adjust everytime we get in it when it is dark so I would have thought there is an inexpensive setting somewhere.

I really like the car and we've lost quite a lot on it with the credit crunch and petrol prices rising so we are going to try and take it with us to help save my retirement fund.

Many thanks as always,

James

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello James,

I've got a 2004 RX300 SEL with the moving headlights and I asked the same question of my dealer (Lexus Guildford) before I went to France recently.

He said there's no simple adjustment or any stick-ons but that because the lights give broad, low level illumination there's no need to do anything anyway. He said they flood the left and right equally and there's no problem.

I don't know if that's true but I drove in France and no-one flashed me so it could be.

Hope this helps.

Simon.

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James,

If your car has Adaptive Front LIghts (AFS), you can switch this feature off (there should be a button marked 'AFS', a warning light will appear on the dashboard), this will mean the lights just point straight ahead

This I discovered by phoning Lexus customer services.

Regards

Keith

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  • 11 months later...

Looking to take my RX300 to France in August. Does this mean I should turn off teh AFS and everything will be fine, no need for silly stickers?

Thanks

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Unless the RX is different from virtually every other vehicle on UK roads I would have thought regardless of AFS there would still have been a "kickup" to the left on the beam pattern for kerb vision, if this is the case then strictly speaking travelling abroad still requires beam adjustment, you could just turn off (if possible) the auto levelling and turn the lights down until there is no kickup beam to dazzle oncoming LHD traffic (I do this and get always get away with it). But if the Gendarmes get stroppy you are still breaking the traffic regulations.

But if your living there on a long term basis quite frankly you might as well invest in a pair of LHD headlamps and bit the bullet on cost, at least you know it is fully compliant.

Best regards David

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  • 2 weeks later...

On VAGs and BMWs the Dealer can set the car to mimic LHD lighting pattern. I would have thought Lexus would be the same as with xenons this is very easy to do. Sure it means a trip to the Dealer, but should be an alternative?

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On VAGs and BMWs the Dealer can set the car to mimic LHD lighting pattern. I would have thought Lexus would be the same as with xenons this is very easy to do. Sure it means a trip to the Dealer, but should be an alternative?

This is true for most "projector" lights......although strictly speaking its not really a dealer thing.....on both my BMWs and Fords I have been able to just release two small screws to enable turning of the lamp holder then retighten this adjusts for RHD/LHD.

You would hope Lexus is the same....hmmm :whistling:

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  • 2 weeks later...

You should turn off the AFS as previously mentioned for driving on the continent as turning a left corner will turn your beam 15 degrees into the path of on coming traffic.

Halfords do beam deflectors,little round stick on translucent plastic discs which come with explicit instructions on where to place them on the headlights of your RX(comes with diagrams).

When I've driven on the continent I have always used these,they work fine,and as they redirect the light rather than blocking it,the headlights still give excellent illumination.

Mind you stick them on well,as storming along the autoroute in driving rain can peel them off!

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  • 2 years later...

....and the definitive answer is...... ? grateful for a clue.

No clue, so using the beambender method and here is a tip which probably no one needs as you all have Lexus.

On the and upto 2011 BMW X3, to change from UK to Europe, remove cover from back of passenger side light. Stick finger in on the left hand side of the assembley and search for a tiny lever. It goes ever so slightly up and ever so slightly down and this is sufficient to be legally OK in which ever country you choose. Do the same for the drivers side but first two bolts have to be removed from the huge water tank that holds window washer. If it is full a crane would be handy.

Some say you only need to do the left hand one as it is that light that blinds French people. But what do I know.

Edited by Pusser
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  • 1 year later...

I asked Lexus about this and was assured that as long as the AFS is turned off nothing else needs to be done.

See below for text from Lexus (and French translation)which may be useful to keep in the car when abroad.

16 September 2013

Thank you for your further email.

I can confirm that the HID (High Intensity Discharge) headlamps on the RX 350 do not need to be converted for travel on the continent. The set up of the headlamp is such that the light shines in a horizontal flat beam which has no kick up and as such is not dazzling to drivers of oncoming cars.

As you have suggested, we would recommend that the Intelligent Adaptive Front-lighting System (I-AFS) is switched off when travelling on the continent.

Yours sincerely

Claire Newman

Customer Relations Executive

Translated by Google Translate

16 Septembre 2013

Merci pour votre plus email.

Je peux confirmer que les HID (High Intensity Discharge) phares sur le RX 350 n'ont pas besoin d'être convertis pour les voyages sur le continent. La mise en place du projecteur est telle que la lumière brille dans un faisceau plat horizontal qui n'a pas de coup de pied et en tant que telle n'est pas éblouissant pour les conducteurs venant en sens inverse des voitures.

Comme vous l'avez suggéré, nous recommandons que le système frontal de l'éclairage adaptatif intelligent (I-AFS) soit éteint lorsque vous voyagez sur le continent.

Cordialement

Claire Newman

Relations exécutif à la clientèle

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