US import and NCT

mick.fr

Hi guys,

My car is a US import, a bimmer e46, so it is a little bit different from the EU ones.

I have got extra stuffs such as:
- My headlights are symetric or asymetric cant remember, this is the other around in europe. So the lights are highlighting both sides of the road in a pretty large range, not only the front.
- My front indicators are always on when my headlights are on.
- My radiator has an extra Ozone filter, which makes the car pollute less.

And I think that's pretty it.

Do you think this is an issue for the NCT which is due the next year ?

peasant

Dunno about the ozone filter (reckon not) but the lights certainly are !

Your dipped beam has to be assymetric and the indicators must only be on while you're indicating. You won't pass as is.

Also check that all your rear lights do the same and look the same as on European BMW's ..they may also need to be changed.

hi5

Your indicators are not on all the time,its a two element bulb,one element acting as a parking light,the other as a indicator,which means you dont have a white parking light(have you never got out and actually checked this?),I have an american pickup truck with this set up and it does'nt fail its DOE as is,could be different for the NCT though,I have never changed the headlights either and its not a problem as most modern headlights give an equal set beam on both sides but may be adjusted more to the offside,mine have no side adjusments just up and down.
If your rear indicators are red, although I dont think they are on US beemers,just fit orange bulbs to your reversing lights and run the indicator wire to the reversing bulb,fit a remote reversing lamp and run the now loose wires to this.

mick.fr

hi5 wrote:

Your indicators are not on all the time,its a two element bulb,one element acting as a parking light,the other as a indicator,which means you dont have a white parking light(have you never got out and actually checked this?)

No this is actually the same bulb and part. When my headlights are on, my indicators as well, when I use my indicators the very same bulb is blinking that's all.
And my rear indicators are normal, yellow. Lucky me :-)

I suppose this could be easily be reverted by a bimmer shop here to match the EU one.

Thank you for your feedbacks

NewApproach

Out of interest, is there a large saving on importing a car from the US, as opposed to say the UK?

mick.fr

NewApproach wrote:

Out of interest, is there a large saving on importing a car from the US, as opposed to say the UK?

Bimmers in the US are very cheap, well for somebody based in Ireland.
But that will not be worth of importing a bimmer here as you have to pay 21% of VAT, import duty, and VRT.
In my case I bought it from an Irish man who was living in the US and came back in Ireland, so this was just a transfer of residence, so no tax on it.
So yes I paid even cheaper that an import from UK with VRT.

To give you an idea, a brand new 335i coupe in the US is 41.000 USD, 29.000 euro. That makes me cry lol...

Esel

mick.fr wrote:

No this is actually the same bulb and part. When my headlights are on, my indicators as well, when I use my indicators the very same bulb is blinking that's all.

What hi5 means is that it is single bulb with two elements in it. You could probably just fit 4 standard indicator bulbs yourself, depending on the connections? Try with one bulb - should only cost €1 or €2 from a motor factors.