Originally Posted by MSU2000

Ok, this is getting out of control from what I read.

The OP has 2000 SE ( based on his profile) and he asked if the anyone has good experience with PnP kit.

ALL headlights, it doesn't matter if they are LED, candle lights, burning coal, OEM HID, PnP, etc, produce glare. All colors produce glare also 3000K to 30000K. It's not about the color of the light. I don't care if If see someone with blue, yellow, pink lights that's their preference. The issue is the amount/how much of glare and the direction of it. This applies to ALL headlights not just the PnP in halogen based headlight. I've seen people with OEM HID projector that aim the tree top too, so for all fairness it's depend on individual as long as you don't compromise safety to others then you do what tickle you. Even in the OEM HID, they purposely produce glare to see street sign or freeway sign BUT it is very much controlled.

The halogen reflector based headlights reflect/scatter lights in much broader range than projector based headlights do. When you put HID, which is a very intense light source, to a reflector based headlight, you get ALOT more lights everywhere except on the road. This is what you are seeing (I know..I know..even the D2R reflector based HID light isn't helping either. It is still performing poorly), is it brighter absolutely, is it brigther on the road no way. It's the Physics that comes in play here. This is why the HID bulbs need to work in the projector bowl rather than the reflector bowl. The projector bowl takes the lights from the light source and DIRECT it to an image plane which is your cut off shield which then be collected by lens and reflects it to a very nice beam pattern. If putting PnP kit is the way to increase lumens as well as improving safety to other, ALL new cars would have this and It will be DOT approved. Even with the 02-03 OEM Maxima HID stock, the bulb, D2R has special coating that block the lights on the bottom of the capsule, why is that, is to limit the lights that will be reflected in upward position (glare).

Here is what I'm talking about. In this picture you can see the guy standing in front of the door of his house (this is 120 feet or so), you can also see the lights from my car about 1.5-2 feet away from his eye level. There is a very disctinc seperation between dark and light. Now, you put a PnP kit in halogen based headlight and aim it at the same height, you will light up his face and the top of the house. Which scenario is better for the guy standing in front of the door?

Hope this helps to understand what the whole argument is all about.

Originally Posted by ranmas2004

Thanks for the explanation.......so is there anyway to direct the lights on a PnP kit so they dont glare all over the place?? You said that the stock lights have a special coating on them...can you coat the HID kit bulbs as well??

Originally Posted by ChrisMan287

You can re-aim them but that will only get you so far. For the 5.5 guys it's not as bad if using proper D2R bulbs since those reflectors are designed for it but for the older years ('01 and down), HIDs do not work well in their halogen reflectors. Believe me, I know from experience.

Stock D2R bulbs have the black coating that you see here:


Some aftermarket bulbs come with shields like this but not all do:


The coatings/shields help with glare.

Originally Posted by ranmas2004

Thanks...I'm going to research and see if I can find some online that have the shield and see if that makes a difference......I know I hate it when those BMWs and Lexus' come up behind me with those HIDs blasting in my mirror.....don't want mine to blind anyone.

Originally Posted by Gizm0

I find the HID fogs most useful on curvy mountain roads. HID fogs light up the sides very well, which helps alot seeing the road when going into tight turns at night.