V70 Body/Trim: bi-xenon headlamp converter for France

[tonyv70]

I am am travelling to France next weekend in our V70 SE (2003 model). This has bi-xenon headlamps with wash-wipe arms. (not jets)

The volvo headlamp protector will surely foul the wiper arms?

I can see no marks on the headlamp glass to align any tape that could be stuck onto them. Do the bi-xenon lamps run cooler, or could they overheat with the tape?

I have searched this site but could not find any suitable solution, other than take a risk and ignore the problem.

I have studied the effect of dipping lights on the garage wall, but they do not appear to shift to the left when dipped, just go down. The suspension is self levelling, so I cant adjust it manually.

Does anyone know the definitive Volvo answer?

Thanks

[Wirralguy]

Hi

Sorry, I haven't got my manual to hand but my old car (an Alfa 166) had xenons and to change the direction for Europe it was a case of moving the self-levelling motors to a different position in the mountings (they sit behind the lights where you would expect to change a bulb). It was literally a 5 min job.

It was recorded in the owners manual so may be the same for Volvos if you have a look.

Dave

[RaVolvoR]

A good question, I'm also off to France in 3 weeks time and my V70 with wipers will have the same problem. I have ordered the headlamp covers but never thought about them fouling the wipers, I sort of thought that the wipers would sit on top of them.

I'm going this route for two reasons, I don't want to mess up the headlamps with glue marks and also (from another post) I'll be touring around so the mileage will be high 2000 miles plus from previous experience. But what if I break the headlamp? I'd never get a RH drive one in France, they'd be UK dealer ("stealer" some say) plus a fat French premium... argh!

I await a better answer, but until then I'm going for the covers (fingers crossed!). I will ask when I pick them up if they work with the wipers. As they took the car reg when ordered they should have known about the wipers, shouldn't they? By the way quoted cost was around £37 inc vat for the covers. They did a version with the converter built in them but I'll leave these ones on the car when I return to protect the lights and just remove the stick on converters. If they leave marks I'll take them off. Expensive but cheaper than headlight units.

[Symes]

When I had my MY05 XC70 SE Lux with Bi-Xenons, the handbook had a template to show where the masks needed to be applied.

[RaVolvoR]

Picked up the bits ordered but not the headlamp covers... having seen the question I thought I'd ask and Volvo say not to use them with headlamp wipers, they cause extra wear on the wipers and will mark very quickly.

Hmm, not happy but not sure what to do other that stick on headlamp converters. Yuk!

[GMcL]

If you've got a car with wipers then then stickies shouldn't be an issue as the light units should be glass not plastic. Xenon burns cooler than normal filament bulbs so glue should not be so much of an issue, especially if you're only away for a couple of weeks.

What I am wondering though is what stickies are you going to use as the light beam and spread for Xenon is different to normal filament bulbs so what pattern are you going to use on the glass ?
For Xenon lamps the adjustment is usually made inside the light lens, not with a stick on cover.

[Hashluck]

I am off on a Grand Tour as well and normally I don't bother with the headlamps but my 2007 C70 does have an adjustment for the xenons so yesterday I thought I would have a dry run at changing them over....

On page 142 of my 2007 C70 manual it gives instructions on adjusting the pattern and gives positions for a lever a headlamp control for left-hand traffic and right-hand traffic.

Trouble is the manual only shows a drawing of the near-side headlamp unit on which the lever should be in the down position for left-hand traffic. Driving in the UK my unit was adjusted as such.

On removing my off-side headlamp unit however I found the lever was in the up position.

Now I am confused and have a dilemma. Was my off-side unit adjusted incorrectly at the factory (seems unlikely or is it a PDI function?) or are the adjustments opposite for each side? I could try and check the beam pattern but don't want to fiddle around in the dark and I am nort sure what the effect of one adjusted one way and one the other will be!
Off to a dealer but I expect they will never have played with this either.

[Colin37]

If its any help, I used perspex headlight covers with converters abroad on my 2002 V70 with the wipers sitting on top. It didn't have Xenons though. The only problem was fitting the wretched things as the clips are fiddly to attach and if one slips inside the bodywork, you've lost it. I didn't notice any extra wear on the wipers, which fit comfortably over the covers. Remember that the wipers are only used when you wash/wipe and are not working continuously even in heavy rain. Hope this helps.

By the way, I have a set of V70 covers with converters and also a set of covers without converters, both in good condition with clips and instructions for sale to the highest bidder!

[crispotts]

Sorry to be ignorant, but I see offers for sale of new headlamp lenses (e-code) from USA websites.
If as per Hashluck's much earlier post,the newer model C70's have levers to adjust for LHdrive or UK RH drive does that mean that the only part needed to be changed to satisfy LHDrive(Spanish) roads is the lens OR is the conversion in the reflectors so that the whole light needs to be replaced.
I dont think my 1999 convertable model has these levers.
Any one out there who knows the solution to convert UK model to satisfy the ITV(MOT) check in Spain without spending a fortune.