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HID's on 98 - Will I ever stop getting flashed??

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Old 03-04-2004, 01:23 PM
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HID's on 98 - Will I ever stop getting flashed??

I installed my McCullough 5300K kit 2 weeks ago. I obviously love it, but it seems some people I pass going the opposite direction don't love it. Despite multiple attempts at re-aiming my lights lower and away from opposite-direction traffic, I still get flashed on occasion.

Anyone else with an HID kit in a 4th gen have this problem? Can I just assume that since the lenses and reflectors in my 98 were never meant to handle the intensity of HID that I'm forever gonna pizz people off?

It's a good thing I re-wired my fogs to stay on with my parking lights, cause if I get flashed, I just end up turning the headlights off and run on the fogs till I pass. Just hopefully it's not eventually gonna be a cop flashing at me.

Aside from other people disliking my lights, goddam do they kick azz!!

Got em on this ebay auction for $265, it appears he has upped his price since then with this current auction.

Thanks for any tips. I'm considering making up some kinda in-car controller so I can aim my headlights remotely. Would kinda make up for the lack of high-beams, not that I really miss them.
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Old 03-04-2004, 01:25 PM
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I have 8000K HID's ... I get flashed on occasion. I have them kinda low, but they're still bright as hell
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Old 03-04-2004, 01:25 PM
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our housings, lenses, and reflectors were never made to handle HIDs very well.... from what I have read, unless you get projectors custom made- the flashing will go on and on
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Old 03-04-2004, 01:43 PM
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I'm sure half of those who have HIDS without projectors get flashed on occasion. Since im from the city, the HIDS arent highly noticeable due to all the street lights. But when you're on a suburban road without street lights, ppl dont understand that HIDS are brighter lights. Everyone thinks you're high beaming the shi.t out of them.

i have the hanabi 8000k
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Old 03-04-2004, 01:49 PM
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Yeah, kinda what I figured. Hopefully I dont end up getting hassled by any cops. After I did the HID's, I was thinking about how illegal my car actually is...

-front clear parking lenses (no yellow side reflectors)
-red/clear tails (no side reflector)
-HID kit
-no front plate (required in IL)
-no catalytic converters
-tinted windows (illegal in IL)

I'm just asking for trouble...
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Old 03-04-2004, 01:52 PM
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and yes, the times I get flashed the most are on dark 2-lane roads out in the suburbs. I'd think about custom projectors, but I try to stick with mods that are "fast" instead of "furious". Kinda ashamed I spent $280 on headlights. They are phat though.
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Old 03-04-2004, 01:53 PM
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dont worry about it. My 8000k kit would attract more cops, since they are bluish as well. It all depends on where you live, and whether or not the cops give a crap.
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Old 03-04-2004, 01:53 PM
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You know how annoying it is when someone has their high beams on all the time. Now increase the lumens by 2-3 and now you know why people are so ****ed. At least aim them down and consider some eyelids?
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Old 03-04-2004, 01:54 PM
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My 8000k's are aimed real low still get flashed everynow and then but wtf do I care, I can finally see the road!
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Old 03-04-2004, 01:54 PM
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Originally Posted by 98se5speed
Yeah, kinda what I figured. Hopefully I dont end up getting hassled by any cops. After I did the HID's, I was thinking about how illegal my car actually is...

-front clear parking lenses (no yellow side reflectors)
-red/clear tails (no side reflector)
-HID kit
-no front plate (required in IL)
-no catalytic converters
-tinted windows (illegal in IL)

I'm just asking for trouble...
looks great though!
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Old 03-04-2004, 01:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Jeff92se
You know how annoying it is when someone has their high beams on all the time. Now increase the lumens by 2-3 and now you know why people are so ****ed. At least aim them down and consider some eyelids?

Yeah, i totally understand. My headlights are aimed to the lowest the housings go, but it still seems to **** ppl off. I actually had my gf drive in my car behind me and a friend of mine in his car. It didnt blind him, but it was bright enough to think God was following you.


I would love to have projectors like Honduhs, but its just not avail. for the maxima yet
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Old 03-04-2004, 02:49 PM
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I've had my Catz kit on for about a week and I haven't gotten flashed yet. It like 1/4 cars here have HIDs though, so everyone is used to it...
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Old 03-04-2004, 03:02 PM
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hids blind everyone else on the road, kinda sux. the only thing i could think of besides adjusting them is eyelids?
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Old 03-04-2004, 03:17 PM
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Reaim them all the way down and you will stop getting flashed.
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Old 03-04-2004, 03:20 PM
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Yea I just aimed mine down all the way, i was getting flashed nearly 20x a day. But there are some hilly roads around here and when you come up a hill, you completly blind people.... funny actually...
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Old 03-04-2004, 04:55 PM
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chillinmax- Yeah, it all depends on how bored your local cops are. They can get kinda bored in the town I live in, and unfortunately they get super-bored in the town my GF lives in. I'm gonna get pulled over by them some day for sure, just a matter of when. Yeah, I keep meaning to have someone else drive my car so I can see what they look like and how blinding they are, but my one friend who has a clue how to drive stick lives in LA.

Jeff92se- Yeah, it sux when you get some azzhole with his high-beams in your face. That's exactly why I wanna figure out if there's anything I can do to minimize the pain I'm giving people. Having to drive on my fogs for short periods of time isn't a huge deal.

Maxima99SEbose- Thanks for the compliment

BlueC- luckily pretty flat around here, but when I do come over a slight hill, I just feel bad for the other people. Not bad enough to sell my HID kit, but sometimes bad enough to turn em off.

ohannon7- interesting idea. I might just have to give it a shot with some tape or something, see if it reduces my "flashings". Not sure if I'm huge on the eyelid look, but worth a shot
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Old 03-04-2004, 05:30 PM
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hell yea i get flashed all the time....but now me and my firneds play game...... wel all bet on how many flashes will get that night.

i have my aim all messed up on my hids and i get flashed al the time with no cops yelling at me.
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Old 03-04-2004, 06:28 PM
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when i first had my HIDS put in my headlights were pointing up, blinding every person in front of me and having the ability to light up the cockpit of every car in my way. I felt bad as hell so i adjusted my headlights all the way down, but ppl are still not used to it and feel as if you're high beaming them. Oh well, they can eat my shorts.
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Old 03-04-2004, 06:30 PM
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Flash em back
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Old 03-04-2004, 06:37 PM
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i ran HID's in the stock housings for about three days and i was blinding everyone and i knew its was not going to be too long till i got pulled over for. so i went with projectors.
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Old 03-04-2004, 07:13 PM
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I had my hids in for about a week before i reamimed them all the way down. I didn't get flash, but I had weak long range lighting and my forground lighting was too bright. So I went with projectors will never go back to reflector housings. Never.
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Old 03-04-2004, 07:18 PM
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Where did you fellas get your projectors? I'm thinking about maybe converting to something other than stcok, but am unsure where to look without getting taken to the cleaners in the process.
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Old 03-04-2004, 07:33 PM
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Wow $265 to $320. Thats a $55 dollar increase. Luckily you got it at the lesser price. $265 sounds like a really good deal.
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Old 03-04-2004, 09:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Doc
Where did you fellas get your projectors? I'm thinking about maybe converting to something other than stcok, but am unsure where to look without getting taken to the cleaners in the process.

http://www.hidtech.com

$800-$900 for a brand new custom job with ignitors, ballasts, bezels, bulbs, projectors, solenoids, etc...

If you don't wanna spend alot, stay with blinding people by buying HIDS and putting them into a housing that was never meant for them. The blinding will never stop, even if they are pointed all the way down.
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Old 03-05-2004, 04:09 AM
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I got an 8300K kit off of ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2463506933

and I love it. I did modify it though...I made up some glare shields that cut off alot of light that strays up and blinds passing drivers without having to aim my lights so far down that I would not be able to see more than 2 feet in front of my car. My beam now shines in the same spot on the road as it did with the stock halogens. With this setup, I finally got flashed for the first time last night while going up hill by a car comming down the hill, so my lights were pointing up higher at that point in time. I have even passed numerous cops and even been behind them without being stopped....and for me not to be pulled over by them yet is pretty good because they pull you over for sneezing the wrong way around here.

It took just a little time of tuning the light pattern by adjusting the shape of the shields to get it just right. And anyway, I don't know about anyone else but, I used to get flashed by people once in a while with the stock halogens (Silverstars) and I had those aimed correctly by my shop.

Chris
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Old 03-05-2004, 04:21 AM
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When I had my 6000K kit, I got flashed only on the highway. Now I have a Catz 4500K Hi/Lo kit and I don't get flashed.
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Old 03-05-2004, 04:27 AM
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Originally Posted by geo1317
i ran HID's in the stock housings for about three days and i was blinding everyone and i knew its was not going to be too long till i got pulled over for. so i went with projectors.
Dude,
that looks awesome! Where did you get the projectors and how much did that cost you???
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Old 03-05-2004, 04:28 AM
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i just think that it's ridiculous to pay $250+ for HIDs. I rather get a car that has stock HIDs so that in case of an accident, my money won't go down the drain.
But then again, that goes the same for all mods.
I guess i'm just broke. =(
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Old 03-05-2004, 04:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Maciek
Dude,
that looks awesome! Where did you get the projectors and how much did that cost you???
i got the parts off ebay and it ended up costing me alot, cause i had to figure out what i need to buy, but if i had to buy again i would say $400-500. If you want some one to make them for you add $300.
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Old 03-05-2004, 04:44 AM
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Originally Posted by minsbang
i just think that it's ridiculous to pay $250+ for HIDs. I rather get a car that has stock HIDs so that in case of an accident, my money won't go down the drain.
But then again, that goes the same for all mods.
I guess i'm just broke. =(
Sorry to tell you that when you buy a car, your money has already gone down the drain. That's just the way it is.
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Old 03-05-2004, 06:38 AM
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Originally Posted by Maciek
Dude,
that looks awesome! Where did you get the projectors and how much did that cost you???
:sigh: Custom job

go to http://www.hidtech.com

$800-$900 for a brand new custom job with ignitors, ballasts, bezels, bulbs, projectors, solenoids, etc...

If you don't wanna spend alot, stay with blinding people by buying HIDS and putting them into a housing that was never meant for them. The blinding will never stop, even if they are pointed all the way down.
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Old 03-05-2004, 06:57 AM
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Originally Posted by Maxima99SEbose
our housings, lenses, and reflectors were never made to handle HIDs very well.... from what I have read, unless you get projectors custom made- the flashing will go on and on
Couldn't have said it better myself
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Old 03-05-2004, 07:06 AM
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Originally Posted by geo1317
i ran HID's in the stock housings for about three days and i was blinding everyone and i knew its was not going to be too long till i got pulled over for. so i went with projectors.
Where did you get your Halo projectors? and how much?
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Old 03-05-2004, 07:10 AM
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Originally Posted by Stringztoo
The blinding will never stop, even if they are pointed all the way down.
I have 6000k HID's, and aimed them all the way down and have never been flashed before. I've even gone as far as switching cars with someone and driving by my car, and they are no worse than cars with OEM HID's.
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Old 03-05-2004, 07:37 AM
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Originally Posted by ejj
I have 6000k HID's, and aimed them all the way down and have never been flashed before. I've even gone as far as switching cars with someone and driving by my car, and they are no worse than cars with OEM HID's.
The only think that has to be done to our housings is add a sheild to block the light from reflecting off of the bottom of the housing. If you study most of the new housings on cars and some trucks you'll notice that the light is cut off from hitting the bottom of the housing which causes the most glare. That portion of the housing isn't even needed to throw light to the road. I already have plans to make another sheild to kill that extra glare.
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Old 03-05-2004, 07:41 AM
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good point. I'm gonna have to take a look at some cars that have factory HID's and see what their reflectors look like. Perchance an Altima or 02 Max will give me a good idea. I've been thinking about taking my lenses apart anyways to do the anniversary mod, so I'll do it all at once.

Sure is nice having a second car
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Old 03-05-2004, 08:29 AM
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i didnt read the whole thread, but u can always add eye lids to your headlights to lower the beam, that is what eyelids r mainly for, other than looks
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Old 03-05-2004, 09:33 AM
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Hey deezo...I made the shields but found that by putting the shield on the top of the light instead of the bottom (which should be where it goes) gave me a nice cut off and less glare than putting it on the bottom of the bulb. I have experimented with putting the shield in many different positions but putting it on top of the light produced the least glare. If you did make the shields already, where did you put them?
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Old 03-05-2004, 10:08 AM
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ive got hyper white replacement bulbs from pcp and i get flashed sometimes.
those are just higher wattage 9004 bulbs i can just imagine the HID.....
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Old 03-05-2004, 10:32 AM
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Originally Posted by 98se5speed
Yeah, kinda what I figured. Hopefully I dont end up getting hassled by any cops. After I did the HID's, I was thinking about how illegal my car actually is...

-front clear parking lenses (no yellow side reflectors)
-red/clear tails (no side reflector)
-HID kit
-no front plate (required in IL)
-no catalytic converters
-tinted windows (illegal in IL)

I'm just asking for trouble...
i wouldn't worry so much about the clear stuff if you have yellow bulbs, or the hids, or even the tints, but the no front plate seems to **** off cops, and i dunno how you're gonna pass inspection with no cat. even though i'm in NY so i have no idea about IL
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