TWIGGY

Just had my RX-8 a couple of weeks now and love it........but I am now serving in Germany and want to shift the beam to continental. The mazda dealership says I have to pay £1000 to change my headlights as RX-8 xenons are not adjustable......Apart from picking my **** up from the floor from fainting, I am sure xenons can be adjusted as they have no lense on the light itself just the bulb.............can anyone help?

RobDickinson

AFIK according to the UK owners club the xenon headlights need no adjustment fo europe.

Gord96BRG

I'd tend to agree with Rob - the output from the RX-8 HID lights has a very flat cutoff, with NO rise on one side as were typical of halogen lights. Being simply flat, there's no LHD or RHD variations!

Regards,
Gordon

Mr M

The Mazda6 was adjustable so you could switch from RHD to LHD, the 8 is not unfortunately. Sorry!

eccles

I'd better mark this day in my diary, for today I read the first piece of incorrect information from Gordon! The HID beams most certainly do have a step (or "Z-beam") pattern, which throws more light on the kerb side of the vehicle without dazzling oncoming drivers on the other side. In a RHD car, as in the UK market, this step makes the left-hand side of the beam higher than the right-hand side, exactly the opposite of what is required in a LHD environment such as the rest of Europe.

That being said, I'm afraid I have no insight to add on whether the LHD and RHD lights are the same and include an adjustment for LHD/RHD, or if the two different markets use different headlight assemblies. Perhaps someone with a parts catalog could compare numbers.

Gomez

Dunno eccles, he and I have a difference in opinion regarding oil......but even if Jesus were the umpire, he would have trouble with that LBW decision!

Gomez.

TWIGGY

I have found the answer....Yes all of you's were correct, in a way. I took the car to have it beam tested. Yes it does have a slight step to the left for driving in the UK. The step is only marginal and sits within the 2 degrees of acceptance you are allowed for lee way. So it does not effect continental drivers.
Many thnks anyways

Gord96BRG

Not so fast there!

OK, OK, so it's not quite flat - but according to Twiggy, it's flat enough! (Want me to tell a few engineering "close enough!" jokes? :p ).

Anyway, despite my best efforts, I've been wrong on here before, and I'm sure this time won't be the last! Thanks for keeping me honest! :D

Regards,
Gordon