Importing Uk Rx Into France

[JBPRX400h]

Has anyone had experience of taking their RX400h from the UK to live permanently in France?

What needs to be done? I can only think of headlights. Are they adjustable for driving on the right or will they need replacing. If needing replacing where can I get a pair from?

Help, or should I say Au Secours!

JBP

[DanD]

To my knowledge, you only need to worry about the headlights. Cheapest option is to disable the AFS using the switch near the electric tailgate switch, and get some stickers to adjust the beam.

As a matter of interest, where are you going?

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Yes you need to sort the headlights.

Don't forget all the other stuff you have to have by law in the car. Such as a high visibility jacket, warning triangle etc...

[JBPRX400h]

Thanks DanD & Chris

This is not just for a holiday. It will be for a permanent move to the Haute Vienne area.

Regards

JBP

[Steve]

You could just use stickers forever, but best to have them converted later on

[DanD]

Haute Vienne? - Nice rural area. I have family in Sauviat Sur Vige

[steve2006]

Haute Vienne? - Nice rural area. I have family in Sauviat Sur Vige

Sauviat Sur Vige does that mean Wine on Toast? :D

[Radoslav Asparuhov]

Haute Vienne? - Nice rural area. I have family in Sauviat Sur Vige

Sauviat Sur Vige does that mean Wine on Toast? :D

Who cares when the name of the region is Limousine!

[ACLex]

You may also need a Certificate of Conformity but as these were not a requirement for UK cars you would need to get one from Lexus GB if they are available.

But I could be wrong ;)

Andy

[DanD]

There is a number of companies that deal with buying and selling left hand drive vehicles. Although yours is not LHD, they may be able to give you some advice on what you need to do.

Try the Left Hand Drive Place in Basingstoke (they bought a LHD drive car from me when I moved back from Germany some years ago), but there are plenty others.

[katabrontes]

I am also in France with a RX350. I contacted Lexus about the lights and was advised that all that needs to be done is to switch off the AFS as the low beam lights do not have any asymmetric cast so no deflectors or blanking spots are required. See below for the text of the answer :

"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"

[DanD]

That's an interesting response that I shall print and take with me when I travel to the continent. I always buy stickers to adjust the beam and did not realise that they are not actually required for this car. Just as well... they're a bugger to remove afterwards.

On another note, it always amuses me to see that a lot of british drivers are always very keen to put these stickers before they travel across the channel... but then are quite happy to leave the stickers in place and blind other drivers for months afater coming back to the UK!

[smitham]

I have done around 4000 miles in France each year for the last 6 years in my 400h and have never done anything to the lights not even switched off the AFS and never had any flashes back from angry French drivers! Such a convenience - prior to that I had a BMW 5 series with a lever under the hood which I used to have to flip each time I crossed the border and if I didnt, the french would let me know!

[KentIS300]

I had checked the lights on my RX400h and I have to agree they are flat with no peaks at the ends... so I do not see any reason to get in the way of others.

I would think even if you swap the units with an EU set non UK one you would get exactly the same light pattern.

And yes indeed when I drove to Europe with my Ford Cougar (Halogen H7 Projectors) ... and my Mercedes CL500 (BiXenon's Projectors). Both had a switch within the housing of the light the would flatten the beam.

I need to check on my Saab's BiXenon's ... to see where the switch is lol...

[katabrontes]

I find the dipped lights are a bit too low and don't really light the road far enough ahead for me. Does anyone know how to lift them up a bit (I have the self levelling feature on my RX 350)

[KentIS300]

There are the adjustors on the lights them selves. Usually a screw driver will do.

But best is if you take it to a garage and ask them to increase the height a bit ... at least by using a machine to check the height and be sure you are not bliding ... the oncoming.

[katabrontes]

I have found the small toothed gear wheel above the HID lights but this is connected to the levelling motor so I assume that moving it would not change the orientation of the lights once the self levelling system kicked in. There is a small screw in the centre of the toothed wheel but if I remove this and take the wheel off I am not sure how easy it would be to get it back. Has anyone actually done this on an RX SE with self levelling motors on the HID lights. I am going to Lexus in Bordeaux next week so I will ask them about it.

[KentIS300]

No you are not taking any screws off.. you just twist them for about half turn .... and that should be enough. one screw should amend the default position of the light right / left and the other screw should amend the default up and down position of the light.

Let me have a look later today or tomorrow and tell you. But I am not 100% sure the lights are the same on the 400h with the 350?

[rynd2it]

On 1/11/2013 at 12:48 PM, JBPRX400h said:

Has anyone had experience of taking their RX400h from the UK to live permanently in France?

What needs to be done? I can only think of headlights. Are they adjustable for driving on the right or will they need replacing. If needing replacing where can I get a pair from?

Help, or should I say Au Secours!

JBP

Hi,

I know this is an old thread but what was the final result - did you have to make any changes? I'm about to make the same move to Charente