Hey after several discussions with many people, it's still confusing to me what data dots are and how it works. Can someone please elaborate on this, specially someone that already got data dots for their HIDS. Thanks.

 

its just a anti theft system that when they try to steal them it breaks them insted of leaving them with a gold mine.

it breaks the ballast so can't get use of them.

I got DATA DOT also.

 

Yeh, can someone elaborate for me too? Im mad confused , according to all of these articles I have read on the internet Data dots are little identification things placed all over the headlamp and assembly, but others are saying its the brackets, can someone elaborate.

Nissan does not comment on active lawsuits. However, the company did submit a press release detailing its efforts to protect Maxima owners from theft. The release notes that Nissan offered to install the DataDots identification system along with a security device at no cost. The release explains how the security device works: “With the installation of the bracket, the ballast will be re-positioned away from the headlights, making it more difficult to steal. The xenon bulbs will not work without the ballast to energize them.” In addition, the release states, “No other manufacturer here has done more than Nissan to help reduce thefts of these types of headlights.”

See Reference http://www.soundillusions.net/Forum/...threadid=37330 for DataDots

 

So are data dots like brackets?

 

data dots didn't deter mine from being stolen friday night.

 

SOrry to hear that dude, how bad's the damage?

 

yea Its like a bracket. it seems they found the way around that too though huh.

 

both fenders are f*ct and the hood not only bent, but the damn thing won't latch now. killed my night life, or at least my driving at night life. they didn't get either power supply (ballast?). it rained last night and i started the car to move it across the street (street cleaning) and shorted out something. turn signals are now also f*ct... probably a fuse.

 

Data dots have two steel brackets which the headlight ballasts are attach to. Those brackets are then screwed onto the frame of the car; this makes it harder for thieves to get to. It also comes w/ a foam, which is applied on the back of the headlights. This foam has a tracking # (it can be seen under a blacklight) which is registered to the vehicle; this only for tracking purposes if stolen hedlights are recovered.

Data dots do not protect our lights, they just make them a bigger pain in the butt to remove.

 

but they have a nifty sticker they put on the car

 

I was going to put the kit in on my car. I had the entire kit(data dots and brackets) in my truck for a month waiting to get them put on by Nissan. Then I saw a car that had the brackets on....Damn was that car banged up. They messed up the entire front end getting those lights...I said screw that...I wasn't putting that kit on my car so they can mess up my car even more.....I still have the kit sitting in my closet. Waste of $160.00.

 

What?! They charged you money for the Data Dots kit? It's a recall that is installed by a dealer, not something available for public sale. I know this for a fact as I was the one on this forum to give everyone a heads-up on the whole thing before Nissan made it public. If the dealer charged you money for it, you got ripped off my friend.

 

Ya, second time putting them in...got into a fender bender and made the other guys insurance company pay for another set...Nissan only pays for it once...Technically I didn't pay for jack, but still...in general it was a waste of 160.00. At least that was the price on the receipt Nissan gave me.

 

Oh ok, that makes sense now. I meant no offense in my original post.

 

Had mine done. can't really tell what they did except for the cool stickers on the windows and headlights

 

I was not aware that HID theft was an issue in boston. Thieves will start to realize that headlights with data dots/brackets are not as easy to steal anymore. So far all the people that got hit that had data dots, they could not get the ballast. Hopefully they will move on. I know the Audi S4 is a big target now.

 

where in Boston do you live?

 

None taken.... I should have explained that it was my second time getting them done in my original post...

 

It sounds like from all the posts about this topic, that there is really no way to completely protect the HID lights on our cars, yet. I am putting 02/03 HID's (bought new from Performance_Depot on ebay), and am slightly worried about being a victim of this. It sounds like the more things you put in the way of these f$cking thieves, the more they destroy your car ripping them off!! There has got to be some way to esthetically and effectively secure these, so just looking at them, you know they are literally strapped (from outside surface of light, to inside car frame) in place, and will not come out. Somehow shaping a SS strap, shaped to look like part of the light, yet obvious that it is there to any potential thief. I am definitely going to have to see what I can come up with.

 

well, my 02 se just went into the shop today. it'll take them a week to get the parts, so if you come up with anything, please let me know. i'm driving a hot pink (according to enterprise rental cars) silverado extra cab until i get my car back, and i hate it. so if you think of something genius, let me know so that i can tell the shop to do it. thank you. -andy
oh, and about your strap, perhaps you could incorporate them into upper and lower eyelids? just a suggestion...

 

i was watching a movie at the boston common loews. i left the car on arlington st. between marlborough and newbury (sort of across from the ritz carlton hotel). left the car at 10.30pm and found it without headlights at 1am.
that's when the expletives started...

 

That is exactly what I was thinking!! A stainless steel shroud, looking like upper and lower eyelids, allowing full headlight, parking light, and turn signal
light function. Then have the shroud/strap extend down into the engine bay and bolt the mother-fu<ker to the frame with serious reinforcement!! Initial design/drawing has been done. I know a race welder/fabricator, and will show him my idea, to see how much the sonof***** is gonna cost. I would really like to beat these fu<king thieves at their own business!!

~George

 

this is "Dr REDONKUlOUS" HID theft with data dots. pics.

 

Holy crap... that poor Max... that's terrible...

 

Recall, you should be able to get the data dotts for free.

 

its good to know performance can turn around sell your HID lights to some 2000/2k1 owner on ebay..... realllllll NICE!!!! hey check out the .org pic, its a 2k1 with 2k2 hid lights....!!!!


the #1 2k2 2k3 max's get hid's stolen is cuz of 2k0 2k1 owners desire to have them!

 

Since this is a recall, does Nissan guarantee that the lights will not get stolen anymore? Like, if your lights get stolen, you should be able to hold Nissan accountable b/c their data dot system didn't work. (sorry if this is a bit far-fetched.)

 

Haha... hmmm vewy intewesting...

 

yes you can get data dots in boston.(new england area). l live in the hyde park area of boston. wow your lights got stolen in a pretty busy area. i swear if anyone comes near my car............................

 

yes you can get data dots in boston.(new england area). l live in the hyde park area of boston. wow your lights got stolen in a pretty busy area. i swear if anyone comes near my car............................remember boston is only 3 hrs from new york so if its a new york problem its a boston problem

 

Well, the HID's I bought from Performance_Depot are NOT, I repeat, NOT Nissan HID's at all, they are made by a company called Depot. The name "Depot" is stamped all over the lens and back of the light housing. They are a very good copy of the OEM Nissan HID's, but that is all they are, a copy. The Depot lights are brand new, all tabs intact, not even so much as a piece of lint on them. So, unless Nissan uses Depot for it's light supplier, and all HID's used in the real world remain utterly and absolutely pristine after countless thousands of miles, then I am very assured that the lights I bought never saw the light of day, and were NOT stolen. Performance_Depot sells lights for all makes of cars both foreign and domestic, virtually every brand. So don't worry, this company is one of the good guys, not a black market bonanza for thieves to sell their wares.

 

+



How much did they charge you for these?

 

They were $589.85 plus shipping ($34.95) and insurance ($2.00 they require this), for a total of $626.90. The lights come complete, with ballasts wired up and ready to go. You will need the wiring harness kit from Courtesy Nissan, which is $34.95 and the lower headlight clip for a 02/03 ($4.00 for two) from your local Nissan stealer, err, I mean dealer. Then you are good to go. This is their everyday price. Performance_depot has a 99.9% rating on ebay, and quite frankly, it should be 100%. The lights came within days, actually one day earlier than promised. Compared to $1400 for the OEM HID from the dealer, err stealer, these lights are very affordable.

 

I want to take this one step further, for the sake of argument. If everyone would spread the word about Performance_Depot, so people buy their HID's from them, instead of used and possibly stolen, it would quite possibly start a chain reaction. Demand for used/stolen HID's would slow to a trickle, and maybe, just maybe, we win this battle by simple economics: supply and demand. Thieves will be much less inclined to steal something that nobody is buying!! Now I know this sounds a little optmistic, but you never know what you can accomplish unless you try. That, combined with bombarding ebay with complaints everytime we see an ad for HID light with the "tabs broken" could have some impact, how much impact, well that would be a good debate onto itself. Success on something like this is measured only in small steps, but if there is a chance of making even a small dent in this problem, then let's do it!! Just my .02

 

Uh... no.... I'm inclined to disagree with your economic reasoning here... demand and supply works based on prices, if black marketers offer HIDs at lower prices, regardless of medium, why would more people want to buy from Perf Depot at a higher price? Demand is almost always downward sloping and people are rational, meaning that as price decreases, the quantity demanded increases, ie. the cheaper it is, the more people will want of it.

An altruistic motive like telling people not to buy "stolen" HIDs probably will not stand a chance against market forces (lower prices) but may be an informational change (although that's even a stretch), which may shift the demand curve to a point where there are less HIDs demanded at any given price, but the reality is still that the demand curve slopes down and that cheaper HIDs will still have more buyers. Motivation like that will never work 100% in any market. Complaining to eBay won't do anything either, they claim no responsibility for the credibility of their sellers and the more transactions they mediate, the more money they make, plus you'd also make it more inconvenient for other Max owners and junkyards from selling their HIDs, just something else to think about...

And yes, thieves will be less inclined to steal something that nobody is buying, but aren't people buying HIDs from Perf Depot? So people ARE buying it, thieves are just gonna supply it in a different way.

Sorry man, the only way around it is to hope thieves find something else to jack...

Btw, I hope ya don't take this the wrong way... I just wanted to give another economic perspective... in actuality, blackmarket HIDs are probably what's competing with Perf Depot and other places and keeping the prices lower than what they could be, so all this thievin is actually better for HID buyers.... No, I'm not on their side, I have an 02 with HIDs, and I worry everytime I go out, just presenting what I think...

 

Good points Puppetmaster, like I said, it is all debatable. But I am reminded of a quote I
once saw, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing"
If for every Maxima owner that I ever have the opportunity of speaking with, I briefly mention the problem, and asked them to share the info with other Maxima owners, and become part of the solution by buying from only reputable businesses, some impact, however negligible, has taken place. Multiple that by all of us, and all of those we talk to about this, and perhaps some benefit can ensue. OK, I'll get off my soap box now

 

And I totally respect that...

Just trying to set the economics straight is all...