Lights & Wiper Control Stalks

mx3danny · December 2, 2004

i notice on my 1996 GS300 the light/indicator stalk is on right handside of the steering column & wiper stalk is on the left. i took a friends 2001 GS300 for a drive & notice the light switch & wiper controls are other way round.

i notice lot of new japanese cars in UK have this set up now. so why are the wiper stalks on right hand side of the stering column & the lights/indicator stalk on left?

did regulations in UK change in last few yrs in order for manufacturers to do this change?

i owned a 1993 mx3, 1992 honda civic & carina E all got same lights & wiper control same set up as my 1996 GS300(wiper switch on left & lights on right)& with all other uk spec japanese cars in the past.

i beleive its still like that with new japanese cars in japan & japanese cars in australia when i went there.

Monster-Mat · December 2, 2004

basically all european cars had them on the same side, exept, the UK and Japan.

now the cars Destined for the UK get the same stalk set up as all other European cars, with thre japanese domestic cars still getting them the opposite way around (like my import pajero)

ColinBarber · December 3, 2004

Japanese and older english vehicles have the indicators on the right because they are designed as RHD.

However all European car are designed as LHD and they don't switch them around when they make a RHD car. So that all cars are the same the Japanese manufacturers now fit the indicators on the wrong side for UK vehicles.

Monster-Mat · December 3, 2004

thats basically what i said............... :)

Fmrl · December 3, 2004

I prefer to have the indicator on the right hand side, makes a lot more sense - :tsktsk: :tsktsk: :tsktsk: :tsktsk: Europeans!

mx3danny · December 3, 2004

yea i prefer indicators/lights control on the right hand side..........

in australia when i went there, japanese cars even new aus spec ones got light/indicator stalks on the right.....i was very sure even the Holden HSV commodore got indicator stalks on the right hand side....... even tho is not japanese!

ColinBarber · December 3, 2004

Holden is designed as a RHD.

December 3, 2004

isnt Holden Commodore(&other Holdens) same as vauxhall omega?

cars like landrover, rover, mini & jaguars etc got indicators/lights stalk on the left these are designed as right hand drives arent they as these once were british?even tho u can get these in left hand drive......

i seen old MG of the 60/70's & the very early mini's they have indicator/light switch on the right but somehow later on they switched to the other side....

Holden is designed as a RHD.

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ColinBarber · December 3, 2004

As I said in my first post, older english designed cars did have the indicator on the right. They have moved over to the left as well as the Japanese so that all cars are the same in the UK.

This is probably because they sell more cars overseas and only want to design one set of steering column stalks, unlike the Japanese who will design both LHD and RHD interiors correctly.