left hand drive headlights

[steve2307]

Hi

I live in the UK & am buying a 2006 Cherokee CRD (diesel Patriot KJ in the USA) which I wish to register & use in France. I shall need to replace the headlights from left hand dip to right. I have searched on US parts websites & headlights for a Patriot seem to be about $40 each. However, when I search european websites, the price goes up to 450 Euros each (about $600)!

Can anyone advise me please whether there is a difference between these 2 options?

Thanks Steve

 

[Ry' N Jen]

The UK and European KJ's headlamps use H4 bulbs
and have a "City light" in them as well.
( a small bulb fitted in the bottom portion of the lamps
reflector.)
They also have a headlamp height adjustment system.

The North American KJ's headlamps use 9007 headlamp
bulbs and do not have the headlamp height adjustment
system nor the "City light".

The European headlamps are better. They have a better
and more efficient beam pattern.

Personally I would buy the EU left hand drive headlamp
units.

 

[dianic]

Are you sure you cannot regulate the lights?
I am not clear in what you are doing, you will take a RHD UK car to France correct?

The European Cherokee of 2006 is not a Partiot but a Liberty in the US.

How about checking out lights from a breaker yard in France or Germany?
I will be searching for a sued pair to modify as well, so will keep you posted on what I find...

 

[surfRenegade]

Are you sure you cannot regulate the lights?
I am not clear in what you are doing, you will take a RHD UK car to France correct?

The European Cherokee of 2006 is not a Partiot but a Liberty in the US.

How about checking out lights from a breaker yard in France or Germany?
I will be searching for a sued pair to modify as well, so will keep you posted on what I find...

I was thinking the same thing. If the only thing you need to make them meet regulations is something like adding city lights, this is a really simple thing to do.

 

[Ry' N Jen]

The European KJ headlamps will already have city lights fitted as standard.

 

[Billwill]

There is a difference between European H4 headlights for LHD and for RHD....the units are marked as LHD Right, LHD Left for France and RHD Right, RHD left for the UK, Australia and here in South Africa.
You should be able to modify the UK ones to work in France with a bit of work. Basicaly on the RHD drive UK version you will notice that the light beam is not parrallel to the ground but aims higher up on the left side so as to show up pedestians on the sidewalk on the left while not blinding oncoming cars.
With a bit of work and with your beams aimed at a wall you could rotate the H4 bulbs in their sockets so as to aim off to the right for France.
I was not happy at all with my light settings...the angle of the beams off to the left was excessive in my opinion. So with the help of a small soldering iron I melted the plastic of the lens...where the bulb socket slots in....to rotate the bulbs slightly anti-clockwise as viewed from behind. The beams now aim a lot more parrelel to the road.
To be perfectly legal though you should try to find some LHD beams at a Breaker in France and fit those...save the originals in case you return to the UK or sell them on E-bay in the UK.