UPDATE - It works - been to local garage and the beam pattern is perfect for LH drive. I think it lacks brightness on the kerbside compared with the original, probably a function of the Vee in the beam former but I'll do the other side, get the Conrtôle and do some night driving.

This is a swine of a job. Nothing on the Forum had prepared me for how bad it was. I'll detail the process later but the main problem is the dipped headlamp unit itself.
Don't attempt any of this if you're faint hearted. It was all designed by the same guy who developed anti-personnel mines that could detect mine detectors.

You have to remove the headlamp cluster complete (I'll deal with this when I can see in colour again)
Then undo the clips that hold the front onto the back (I've got pics but only seem able to upload three files)
Remove the bulb and prise off the connector. It is a tight fit but not locked.
Tuck the connector out of the way by the ballast box.
The lamp is held in by a clip removed from the front and two screws removed from behind. One is conveniently masked by the ballast box.
With a bit of prising the lamp unit can now be extracted rearwards.
The beam former plate is NOT flat as previously advertised and is sandwiched to the GLASS reflector by four bent over lugs.
Clearly the wavy bit is designed to do something clever with the focal plane of the lens. How important this is remains to be seen.
Make a witness mark (I love Tippex!) so you can get it back together, take a deep breath and bend the top or bottom lugs over 90°.
The ONLY way to do this is to grasp the sides of the lugs with a sharp pair of pincers. Any attempt at levering will, of course, break the reflector.
Remove the beam shaper and rotate 180°.
Bend the lugs gently back in place and re-assemble the lamp in the cluster.
I've done the LH lamp and will take it to the local garage tomorrow to see if it will pass.

 

Start on the RH side because you can see what you're doing and it limbers you up for the LH.
Take off the wheel + the liner -either consult Rev Sam's video or just remove the motley assortment of fasteners (two Torx, one M10, three plastic M10 nuts and two black mushrooms - how DO they do it?)
The mushrooms have a Posidriv which is just there to fool you. It does nuttin.
With a knife or tiny screwdirver lever out the 'screw' and that frees the fixing.
Pull the liner off the three studs with plastic nuts first, it can then be removed.
There are two screws retaining the light under the bonnet, one Torx at the extreme L of the unit which must be removed, then slacken the M13 nut sticking out of a bit of white nylon to the R of the unit.
Now try to undo the Torx 30 which screws into a bush on the bottom of the headlight (position shown as 'Bush' on the pic with headlight removed)
If it spins round the bush has broken out of the headlight. Don't panic!
Remove the electrical connector (there's a red locking tab which needs to be prised a long way out then the connector releases)
Try to persuade the headlamp forwards 2 or 3 cm. If it won't go and you couldn't unscrew the bush it is jamming the light. Refer to the pic, the bush mounts onto a bracket. Feel forwards of the bracket for an M8 bolt which can be removed with patience. You can then pivot the bracket down on its second bolt, freeing the bush from the light body.
When you can slide the light forwards lift it as far as possible and look underneath by the washer (the mirrored triangular bit)
You'll see two tabs as in the pic. Hook both index fingers round these and press with your thumbs on the lens.
The washer unit will slide forwards free. With a bit of fiddling you can tuck it behind the bumper as in the pic.
Pull the light forwards then rotate it 90° as in the secong pic, it will come free.
Don't lose the tee ventilator if fitted.
Don't remove both lamps at once because there's a bit of black plastic flashing on top of the light which falls off and you'll never work out how to replace it unless you can see the other side.
After freeing up the broken off bush I re-attached it with Loctite 3450 after a good clean with acetone. One side had enough old plastic to reconstruct, the other side I used a short length of PVC tubing around the brass bus as a 'reservoir' so I could cast a new bush with the epoxy.
Be careful not to fill up the bottom of the thread or you'll push the bush off when you screw the Torx home.

Replacement is the reverse. Get the light fully home then pull it forwards and lift.
Wiggle the washer unit out from behind the bumper and slide it in place. You can see from the pic there's a 'Vee' section which fits into two runners on the light.
Be very careful that both runners have engaged then use a screwdriver to push alternately on each side of the plate until you hear both catches click home.
Give it a good old waggle to be sure it's solid then push the light home, guiding the M13 stud into the slot in the light.
Run the top Torx in lightly then do up the Torx in the bush underneath. That's the worst bit.

A few things
Make sure the rubber cap is on the levelling motor before you put the light back
The LH side is much harder, you've got the power steering resevoir and the washer bottle to contend with.
Be aware that if your washer bottle is full and you elect to pull the pipe out of it to give you more room you'll get a shower.
Good luck!

 

Steve,

What a procedure.

Does the vee 'beam shaper' in the first photo do anything more than block part of the beam and then direct it right instead of left?

The label in the third photo looks like 'Valeo' - all this pain to convert a light unit originally manufactured in France.

Pleased to hear it passes inspection after all that work.

Graham

 

That's all it does - but the fold in it (I reckion) boosts the light shining left in UK mode.
When I had one UK light and the one I'd modded the UK version was noticeably brighter on the 'kerb' side than the modded one.
I've emailed Valeo to see if there's a LH dip version - the reflector unit itself is a cheapo bit of tatt and it would be easier to swap it out than rotate the beam shaper but no reply.
It was a right bug**r but now I've worked out the tricks it will be a lot easier for the next guy!
The first side took all day, I did the second in less than 2 hours including the beam shaper mods.

 

Steve;

There's a case of champagne in it for you if you will do my lights.....

I am cross eyed just reading about this.

Good Job!

Both sides done now?

How long did the second one take you to do?

Did you ever figure out if the Hex bolt on the high beam barrel for adjusting the leveling height worked on both the high and the low beams?

cheers,

jj

 

Wow, it seems like a much bigger job than I had anticipated. As the RHD lights just scraped through the contrôle technique last time, I might just leave them and see what happens when I have to get the car retested next January.

The annoying thing is that I never go out in the Jag at night anyway

 

You're on! Bring both car + booze over!
Got through the contrôle today with no problems so it does work.
The second one took two hours. I reckon the LH side would take three.
The levelling motor moves both beam assemblies so the adjusting screw does too.

 

Road Trip!!!!

Hope your wife likes Pink Champagne.

Thanks for the tip on the leveler.

cheers,

jj

 

Only when there's a vowel in the month!

 

Just out of interest, how did you manage to have your car for so long without getting the CT? The problem I have always found is that the insurance companies will only give you 30 days provisional insurance while you get the CT-dependent carte grise définitive.

 

Well then she will just have to wait for those special occasions. Like Tuesdays.

cheers,

jj

 

I've only had the car two months, one month cover note from the dealer I bought it from and 30 days as you say from the French lot.
Now the Prefecture has lost the FIche Technique sent to them by the DREAL so I've got a problem with insurance.

 

Steve,

You have to have a valid CT before you can get insurance?

That's an even more lunatic system than we have. If I'm going to be in an accident, I'd be a lot more concerned the other driver has insurance cover than a test certificate.

Graham

 

The UK allows you to insure a car with no MOT? Sounds odd to me but maybe I've been living over here too long (26 years).

 

Yes - you couldn't take the car for an MoT without being insured unless it goes on a trailer. You can drive to and from the test station for a pre-booked appointment without a valid MoT. This means you can drive back home if it fails.

We now have SORN. Statutory Off Road Notification. Vehicles must be continuously insured or SORN declared to DVLA on the appropriate form. This applies even if they are safely tucked up in the garage off the public road.

Graham

 

Hi, re the "former plates" would swapping them over ,e.g left to right /right to left have the same effect ? Just starting out on the immatriculation trail
Regards Mike