U.S. Turn Signals to Euro Style Turn Signals Conversion And Viceversa

And I'm not talking here about how in some countries people drive on the wrong side of the road (I'll let you decide on your own which countries do that, the ones that drive on the left or the ones that drive on the right), or on how some use the metric system to measure stuff, and the others the imperial one. What I’m talking about here are the differences that pertain to a vehicle's lighting system, meaning the headlights and turn signals.

Over in Europe, for instance, the laws there require that all luminaires of the same kind must provide equal strength and height and be symmetrical with respect to the middle of the car when installed in pairs.

Then, all modern-day cars must be fitted with daytime running lights (DRL) which automatically turn on when the engine is started. Finally, as far as the color of the headlights is concerned, it must be either white or yellow, the stop lights must be red, and the turn signals orange.

Most of the rules stated above apply to the cars operating in the U.S. and elsewhere as well. That's because the colors are inscribed in international regulations, the most recent one being the United Nations Vienna Convention on Road Traffic in force since 1968. It states that all the car's light that are facing forward must be white or yellow, the ones facing backward must always be red, while the turn signals must emit some kind of amber light.

But where and why did the U.S. and Europe start having slightly different lights regulations? After all, it can't be natural for two standards for headlights to exist simultaneously.

The root of the present-day difference can be traced back to the 1940s, when American authorities standardized sealed-beam headlights in a bid to put and end to the use of the unsealed ones. Unfortunately for people driving their cars in America, the rules and regulations of that time did not evolve at the same pace as cars did, so that initial standard became obsolete by the 1970s.

It was about that time when regulators began to feel the pressure of the automotive industry, which wished to include smaller and more aerodynamic headlights into their designs, so they had to modify the standard.

However, while Americans did get better headlamps as a result of these new rules, the systems used to power them were still not as evolved as the ones sold across the pond. To some extent, the differences remain true to this day, despite of globalization and widespread availability of cutting-edge technology.

In our day and age, American standards require DOT or SAE headlights to be installed in cars, while the vehicles roaming the roads of the Old Continent are forced to comply with something called the ECE approval, also known as the E-code. It's a piece of legislation that has been adopted and implemented in every other country in the world, except for Mexico and Canada, which have chosen to stick by their North American neighbors.

American legislation requires the presence of amber front and red rear side marker lights, as well as retroreflectors. As you might have guessed, in this story we will focus on the turn signals, and what can one person living in Europe can do to adopt American blinkers, and viceversa.

Turn signals are used by drivers to let other people on the road know which way they plan on driving next. They are generally part of the left and right light assemblies on the corners of the car, both front and rear, but they can also be found installed on the sides of the cars and on the mirrors.

When used in other places than on the corners of the cars, they are called repeaters, and they are legally required in the European Union. The U.S. allows them, but does not specifically require them.

Turn signals date back to the early 1900s, when people used all sorts of improvised devices to signal their intentions. The first documented use of a factory-installed turn signal dates back to the early 1930s, when several Talbot cars received such elements. Because they are rather simple pieces of technology, they haven't evolved much since.

Because it is human nature to desire things one can't have, the most passionate of drivers tend to want their car lights, turn signals included, to be specced differently than they roll off the assembly lines. More specifically, there are some European car owners who would like to fit U.S.-style lights on a European car, and the same applies to some Americans as well.

I am not here to question why some people desire this, and I will not give my two cents on the matter of converting car lights to anything other than what they originally were. But we do get why people who fit U.S.-style turn signals on a European car, and the other way around, do this: it's all about looking apart.

That's because in most cases the retrofit does change the way a vehicle looks, and even if the differences between Euro and U.S. lights is not that great, it is noticeable, especially on some of the car models currently in use.

In case you are among those who are looking into such matters we decided to run a little guide that will give you a sense of what needed to perform such a conversion, applicable on most cars currently available. I am talking here about both modern and classic models, but do keep in mind that what you're about to read only works on cars of the same make and model that are sold both in Europe and the U.S.

If you live in Europe and choose to apply some of the following changes to a car that is only available in the U.S., you run the risk of deleting the American parking lights. On the other side of the coin, doing something similar on a car that only sells in Europe yo could do something that is borderline illegal.

So, before getting into tampering with the car's native light system just to make it look prettier (there is no other advantage to switching your car's lights to U.S. or Euro spec), make sure you comply by the rules and regulations of the country or continent you call your home. Some states, counties, and countries have extremely strict regulations when it comes to illumination systems, so it may be illegal to do anything at all on your own accord.

It may not seem like it, but the dangers are pretty real, and you may end up with a mod that lands you a fine every time you cross paths with the police or worse, it could lead to the car itself being banned from traveling public roads.

I said earlier that there is no other advantage to switching your car's lights than making the car look a tad better, but that's not entirely accurate. In some cases, Euro-spec headlamps do come with superior performance, but that only applies to the main lights of the car.

That's because of the lenses used in the design, but also thanks to the way the bulbs are configured. When it comes to the turn signals, which are the focus of our story here, that no longer applies.

Before getting into it, it’s important to know the differences between U.S.-style lights and Euro-style lights. So, what sets these two designs apart?

It is fairly easy to spot an American version of a car, and the differences run deeper than just the amber reflectors that are mandatory on vehicles sold in the USA. The most telltale sign of an American-spec Audi, for instance, compared to its European sibling, is the amount of glare that hits the eyes of the incoming drivers when the lights are set in low beam. That’s because as per the American DOT standard, allowed glare levels are higher than over in Europe.

Then, there is the set of side markers, also referred to as corner markers, and the yellow parking lights that illuminate the vehicle, which are telltale signs you're looking at a car intended for American roads.

European cars can be identified by their light systems just as well, more specifically (among other things) thanks to the existence of rear fog lights, and a headlight self-leveling system.

That being said, it's time to have a look at what one needs in order to swap the turn signals on a car to match the vehicle's version that is sold on the other continent.

If you plan on performing the change on a classic car that at one point was available in both the USA and Europe you are in luck. All you have to do is find a set of headlamps of the type you desire, and then proceed to install them. It's an easy conversion because there is a big chance the electrical system works on the same voltage for both versions, so serious modifications will not be required.

But that only applies to the headlight itself. Fitting amber side indicators could become a serious balancing act for the simple reason that on some cars these bits of hardware are integrated into the bumpers. Because of this design choice, replacing the turn signals will require some disassembly, cutting, fitting, and installation. All of them are procedures that could become quite costly and ultimately not worth the effort.

If you do decide to still do it, make sure to check the fuses for the supplementary bulbs fitted to the amber indicators, as these might require some attention. A few extra relays and fuses might be needed to complete the job, depending on the make and model.

Make sure the wiring of the system is sound and that the entire electrical system operates correctly before and after the modification.

If need be, but also for safety reasons, maybe it isn't such a bad idea to adjust the new headlights and turn signals to the appropriate settings once work is completed, as they might not be the same for the U.S. and European lights.

If you are the owner of a more recent car model that sells both in the U.S., and Europe and you plan on gifting your ride with the turn signals of the corresponding model, the job should be even easier. That's because their light systems are probably already prepared for such a conversion. Granted, that doesn't apply to literally all makes and models.

Because modern cars are controlled by computers down to their bone, the change might require coding, which means that the person that does the modification needs to have a computer with dedicated software to change particular settings through the OBD II port.

It is advisable you don't try this yourself, especially if you do not have any experience in this field. If you screw something up, the electrical system might get damaged, and the fixes are usually quite expensive.

You will find below this text a series of videos showing what coding a different standard of headlights on a modern vehicle means

When you choose the turn signal you want installed on the car always make sure you go for OEM parts and avoid fitting knock-off lights. They may not comply with either European or American standards.

Always make sure you buy the correct bulbs for your vehicle, and be confident that they have been correctly installed. Messing with the electrical system of your automobile could lead to a potential short-circuit, which can lead to a more serious fault or even a fire.

Knowing all of the above there is one final thing I want to say. Even if you find the turn signals available on the version of your car sold on another continent, leave yout vehicle as is. The change of headlights and turn signals is not worth the trouble, especially in a day and age when the light signatures of many models are so unique and exciting.