Working on headlights. How to leave them up?

I need to change my headlights from RHD to LHD. How does one pop the headlights up and leave them there without disconnecting the battery?

 

Look for the 7.5 amp fuses in the fuse block under the hood that power the motors. Turn on lights and then pop out those fuses.

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You turn on the headlights.

Alternatively, you unplug the headlights while they're up or unplug them while they're down and then turn the gear/motor know about one billion turns to make them come back up manually.

Can't imagine why you would not disconnect the battery. That's the safest way to work on them. Could be quite ugly if one of the goes down, for some reason, while you're working on them if they still have power.

 

Turn them on, then turn the battery switch off.
Those motors are strong, break and finger or damage your car if you have a screwdriver in there.

 

This.

 

+1

 

I'm confused. How are you changing RHD to LHD headlights? Am I missing the joke?

 

Beam patterns are different for LHD and RHD vehicles. Different parts #'s.

(different lamp assemblies NOT different bulbs)

 

Thanks. I thought this was like blinker fluid

 

Blinker fluid is legit!

Actually on the Ricambi parts diagram they show a part number for the BULBS that lists USA & Canada but no other countries. Probably just the difference in naming. HB4 and 9006 are the same thing.

In "the old days" you could buy a sticker kit so you could block off a part of the beam pattern when driving in RHD UK with LHD headlamps. That way you could pass inspection. Don't believe this has been allowed anymore for some years. It was somewhat dangerous anyway as the purpose of angled peak is to light up the side of the road where the road signs are, be able see if there are animals on the side of the road etc. without blinding on-coming traffic.
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You can convert from LHD to RHD beam pattern without buying any new parts. You slacken off the three screws on the rear of the lamp assembly and rotate the bulb holder by the ten or so degrees allowed by the slots cut in the mount.

 

Not sure that applies to headlamps on older vehicles like 348/355.

Left and Right Hand Drive Headlamp Issues | JAS Oceania | Auto Electrical Products

 

Thread: F355 - How to adjust headlights for European driving

My mate's new Porsche Macan switches them over automatically based on its GPS signal!

 

Dear Lord... I hope there will be people around one day to fix this kind of stuff when it fails

 

Are you sure that's not just for horizontal adjustment? Surely that procedure would be in the workshop manual if it's legit. Not saying it isn't - I've never looked. It seems very odd there would be a different part number for RHD if it were just a matter of a small rotation. It costs money to produce different parts for different markets and then stock them etc.

 

I should be specific. My car is LHD but spent the last 17 years or so in the UK....and its lights are set up for, again to be specific, LHT...for RHD vehicles.

Since my car is LHD and is now in the US, it needs to be set up for RHT....for LHD vehicles.



And you don't change the headlights--you just open them up and twist the plastic ring and they can switch between RHT and LHT. (LHD and RHD setups).

ANNNNdddd.....I forgot about the battery cut off switch. I just didn't want to dig down into the left front to remove battery cables from the battery..ugh.

Thanks everyone. Total newbie question.....

 

So that would mean Ferrari have different part numbers for the same headlamp assembly depending on rotation of that circular part when the screws are tightened. I guess that's possible and maybe even "Ferrari-like."

 

Wow, now what's the trick to removing the headlights through the super small opening? My god....

Headlamp is free....off the three posts....but I can't quite figure out how to actually remove the thing from the car through that opening. Any tricks?

 

Here is what I'm doing by the way.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/348-355-sponsored-bradan/236666-headlight-conversion-rhd-lhd.html

 

Very interesting. Don't see any mention of it in the workshop manual but that would be more for the owner's manual.

I'm wondering if the rotation just removes "the peak" so as not not to blind on-coming drivers (just changes to a flat beam pattern). In that case it would likely just be meant as a temporary measure (like putting stickers on the lamp in the old days).

Some rotation before and after photos, at night against a wall, would be nice to see!

 

I'd be happy to if I could get these buggers out!

 

If I'm understanding your question correctly...
1st; tape off EVERYTHING, especially the front valence. 2 Phillips screws per side of light are removed, front retainer can be lifted/angled out. Some light casings will then pop out the upper side of light box, some won't. My left side was a bugger... I ended up loosening the 4 retaining mounting bolts that are accessed behind(very small space... need proper ratchet spanners/tools for this... 13mm I believe)). That allowed more 'flexibility' and the lamp removal was easy. The engineer involved with headlight design should have been sentenced to replacing every/any 348 light bulb... just stupid!
DO NOT PRY....LOL

 

Is the beam pattern really that different? I just drove home in the dark and I was leaning my body toward the passenger seat to attempt to see a difference. I could not. All I know is the 355 lights suck

 

These aren't your crappy US-spec headlights.

 

I can't see how to get the headlight out from between the front nose band and the top of the headlight door. Unless one removes the headlight door from the bar connected to the motor to "overextend" the doors up so the light comes out easily.

Is that the procedure?