jdr

LOL,

chrisw

Thanks DXF, that's answered that question. Something else has just occurred to me, I seem to remember reading in an old thread that you could have the beam altered on your car. I have noticed some modern cars have clear glass lens which do not appear to have deflection on the lens covers. If that is so, would it not be possible just to have the beam adjusted? I am probably totally wrong, but maybe someone could advise? Our car is just under 2 years old. many thanks!

Dxf

There are some cars like that. The best way to tell is when it is dark, drive up to a wall and mark where the main beam and dipped beam land. We have done some cars that ajustment was possible. All these cars had four separate lights, two mai beam two for dipped, and could be adjusted. But when you have a phsical barrier cut off it very often slopes and our ITV will not pass it if the slope is the wrong way

Dave

chrisw

Thanks again Dave! I suppose if I took it to a main dealers, they would be able to advise whether it is possible to have ours adjusted or whether replacements will be required.
Chris XXX

Mitzyboy

Strangely, I discovered that grooved brake disks are not allowed on Spanish roads either.

chrisw

What? What are grooved brake discs?

Mitzyboy

Upgraded brake disks ... more grip on the pads = shorter stopping distance, but obviously the Spanish are not to keen on that.

I also have smooth non deflectional headlights ... my IVA was a real interesting one!

scampicat

It has taken eight months so far (with a Gestor) to register our car and it still isn't done.

We've been trying to do it ever since we got here 2 1/2 years ago, kept getting conflicting advice, then we gave it to the Gestor to do for us, assuming he would know the law.

He's now telling us that the latest hold-up is at Trafico as the car has been in Spain longer than six months.

It's going to cost around 1000 euros (extra taxes to pay). Lights are already done and cost us 350 euros (for a Seat).

A nightmare.

jdr

Could be worse, they could of impounded the car till the paperwork is produced.

scampicat

Thanks, that has cheered me up no end.

It has been a nightmare - we have worried about it for 2 1/2 years. We see peoplew driving round on GB plates all the time, people who have been here much longer than us. We are at least TRYING to get it legal. How I wish we COULD have got it done in days or weks as others have.

First of all we kept getting conflicting advice so that we hadn't got a clue what to do, where to go, what papers we needed - then we gave it to a Gestor, she did nothing. Then we asked the guy from the garage to do it, he gave us a quote; then a German expat said 'you don't ned to do that, just get it ITV'd'. He has been here 30 years so we assumed he knew what he was talking about, turned out he didn't.

Last August we gave it to this Gestor and this is how long he's taken. The Ficha Tecnica was wrong originally and now he says Trafico are holding him up. I don't personally believe him, but it's nearly at the end now and the nightmare will be over.

Talk of having the car impounded is the last thing I need at this time.

jdr

Didn`t want to frighten you, they would of done it by now if they were going to.
They are fully entitled to do it though, you are supposed to carry all paperwork in the vehicle, also if you are not the owner you are supposed to have a letter of authority to drive from the owner in Spanish.
If it is on foreign plates you should also have evidence of when it arrived in Spain, mot tax and insurance in the country of origin.
There are some motoring links in the top thread.

Mitzyboy

Wow ... what kind of car is it, something unusual??? Mine was a car produced only for the Japanese home market and I anticipated problems but in fact it took no time at all

scampicat

It is a Seat Alhambra - made in Spain!!

scampicat

We are the owners.

We did have it on British MOT and tax until a year ago, when we gave it to the first Gestor.

You would not believe the different information we have been given, even from different Gestors.

Also it doesn't help when we got a quote to do it people saying 'How much! So-and-so had theirs done for 60 euros!' and so you reject the first quote only to find that so-and-so hasn't had theirs done at all.

First of all the ficha tecnica didn't agree with the car, even though it is a perfectly ordinary Seat Alhambra with no modifications. That took three goes and two months to get right (after we'd had to take the towbar off plus get the paperwork to say '7 seats' instead of '5 or 7').

Now the gestor is saying there is a problem at trafico because the car has been in the country longer than six months. (I don't believe him.....I don't think he has been to trafico because it is over two hours drive and he can't be ar$ed). Before this he was saying we had to have a letter from the British Consulate, even though he had taken copies of our residencia and empadramiento.

I am quite honestly sick and tired of it and will NEVER use that gestor again (or get involved in any Spanish bureaucracy if I can help it).

MnM

That would be quite an accomplishment considering the fact that you're living in Spain.

If you manage it, please please tell us how