A lot depends on your car, but if you have a car with HID's these are actually controlled electronically and you change the direction in the car settings. I know this was the case with my 2007 Audi A5.
UPDATE- For those unsuspecting folk here is the update. My car failed initially and I was told because the lights would dazzle on-coming traffic. I sent a message back (Local Garage was managing this for me) that either they are lying or did not test it as the lights are in fact flat...Message back " A mistake was made but they are still illegal and you need new Headlamps" CHF 7,000 including fitting.
I simply asked them to provide the legal documents that prove Flat is illegal........ the next day they re-tested it and it passed.....never got the evidence of why it was illegal allegedly....
My experience tells me that it depends on what mood they are in and whether you stand your ground. I would have been happy to change them if they had simply provided the evidence...Good luck to all
I think you got very lucky - I know I went through a similar process when I brought a UK-spec Volvo over here, with beam deflectors on the lens, and was with the guy doing the test, so he explained that not only did there have to be no beam going up the wrong way, i.e. \\, but that it was actually required for the test that they did go up the correct way //. They put a target directly in front of the light and measured the angle of the upward slop against the markings on the chart.
So while I don't think you've got any problems with your car being 'illegal' per se, it's still possible that it may fail a future MFK if they rigourously test the lights again.
There is a history of importing US cars into Switzerland- All US spec cars are with FLAT headlamps. Given the SWISS are so focused on the "rules" it seems very strange that this is often down to the individual and not a set of clearly defined rules......They did test the lights and apparently referred it to the big Boss, and then it passed. I live in Zug Canton, one of the strictest apparently for the test. If anyone should ever get hold of the specific reference to law around this it would be great to see it.
Don't know where you get this idea from, but I'm pretty sure that the many rental cars I've had in the US and Canada have generally had sloping headlights just like we do here.
Read your handbook and/or try it. If it changes to a flat pattern in theory it should pass the headlamp aim test but they might not like it if they deem it non-standard for Switzerland (or Germany if you're taking it to the TUV) i.e. you should have lights like everyone else.
Otherwise you have to take the lights apart and DIY modify or put LHD cut-off shields in or put LHD HID conversion in or replace the units entirely.
I DIY modified mine and the MFK checked the lamps very very quickly indeed.
The handbook section dealing with Multi Function Display options describes a Light and Vision sub-menu which includes a Travel Mode selectable option to adjust the headlights for overseas driving.
Well, I imported my RHD 5008 almost 5 years ago (with xenon and directional lights). During the test they checked the headlights for a long time but eventually I passed and did not dare to ask what they were checking.
Fast forward to now and the inspector does not agree with this as the beam V-shape is the wrong way around... And keep failing the test... According to Peugeot nothing you can do you need new lights, at a cost of several 1'000CHF!
Any idea where to look in Switzerland for second hand parts?
If they have a setting to make them flat ____ then you *might* get away with it. Otherwise you *might* be able to reverse the cut-off shield (google it), or fit aftermarket LHD HID internal units. Ebay France or Germany is probably your best bet for used lamps. You don't even need an A1 one if you can change the internals around.