pae1215

iTrader: (3)

I was comparing the headlights on the Maxima. Cars with HID have the letters D2S written on them and cars with Halogen have the letters HIR2. Obviously one who is familiar with HID lighting know that D2S bulbs are HID bulbs. I dunno about you guys, but I think its stupid for nissan to display that on the outside of the lens. Whats next, will they write on the headlights: "car has HID, please steal and sell them on ebay"

Maxium

thats the reason? Are you sure it's not because people still them to use them? All kidding aside, I didn't even realize the lights were stamped that indicated HID...

CanadianMoFo

It was an issue with the 5th gen vehicles. However with the 6th gen there has not been the same problem.

CM

factorymax

Anyone who wants to steal HID headlights knows what they look like without reading a number stamped on them. Even I can tell the difference immediately even during the day time (anD no, I am not a headlight thief).

Nissan (and other manufacturers) stamp information on the lights because the feds make them. If a crook wants anything in or on your car, it's a gonner. Thank you State Farm!

vopal

Sorry for stupid questions.
1) What is the difference between Halogen headlights and HID?
2) If HID is so expensive and Halogen isn't why Nissan website listed $120 price difference for them?
3) What is the difference from driver point of view?
Thank You,

originalstarlit

Also remember that if it is an SL, it is HID, so don't even bother reading the bulb.

Atomic_Ed

What about the SE models? What type do they use? I have been trying to figure out what tyoe my new 05 SE has,
I didn;t see any markings on the headlights as described in the other posts,

F23A4

Mike_TX

Look on the window sticker. It'll list "HID" or "Xenon" in the fine print if it has them. Or, if you have the Driver's Preferred or Journey package, it does have HID's.

If all that fails, watch when you turn them on at night. Xenons (HID's) come on kinda like some flourescents ... they pop on, then sort of spool up to full brightness. The light is very bluish in color, and they have a sharp cutoff at the top of the beam pattern that will have a purplish edge to it when it's shining on your garage wall.

Halogens, on the other hand, are not as bluish in color, generally have a more roundish beam pattern at the top, and turn on and off like any other light.

As for definitions, "HID" stands for high-intensity discharge. HID's make their light by striking an arc in a bulb filled with xenon gas (hence, they are sometimes just referred to as xenon lights). Halogen bulbs use a traditional filament, but enclose it in halogen gas, which intensifies the light output.

Mike

bluemaxx

If you can flash your high beams and illuminate road signs three exits away, you have HID.

lightonthehill

vopal - OEM HID headlamp assemblies are only $120 more than halogens because, as the car is being assembled, there is no difference in labor in installing the two types. The $120 represents Nissan's higher cost for the HID headlamp assembly. The halogen headlamp assembly is also not cheap. Try running one into a pole and having the dealer replace it and you will be surprised at the cost.

But changing to OEM HIDs 'after the fact' can be both labor intensive and expensive. Lots of work involved, and the dealer parts department cost of OEM HIDs for us folks out here in the boonies is considerably more than it is for the Nissan assembly plant, which gets them by the thousands at a cut-rate cost.

I.e. - don't let the 'already on the car' $120 difference in cost between HID and halogen mislead you as to the cost of converting to OEM HIDs. We are talking big money.

Redstone

I honestly think that Nissan should have made HID's standard on all 6th Gen Maxima. The main problem with the 5th generation model was that people were stealing HID's on the 02 or 03 models and putting them on 00 or 01 models. In fact the problem stil remains for people who own 02 or 03's. Guess they should have made a light so it would'nt fit on the 00 and 01 models like changing the dimensions etc. On the newer 6th gen model the HID's are standard on the SL model, but here we go again Nissan simply created a continuation of the HID theft problem by making them optional on the SE model. So now the people who don't have HID cause it might have been a bit cheaper to purchase the car without them, are either stealing from someone who has them or buying them of the black market. Now if all the 6th gen models came with them standard, then there would'nt be any reason for people to steal them or buy them off the black market cause they already have them unless of course they had front end damage and wanted to get a cheap replacement to avoid paying high cost at the dealership.

CanadianMoFo

I agree with that too. It should have been a standard feature, adding very little to the sticker price of each Maxima.

Some of the HID's stolen are stripped of the ballast and bulb to be used on a different headlight assembly too. But it would certainly discourage thefts if there was no reason to steal the assembly since all the Maximas would have HID's.

CM

bluemaxx

No one can deny that what you describe may have happened but as far as 00/01 Maximi are concerned, most of the 02/03 stolen HID were damaged beyond reuse on any Maxima; victims of the process of gouging them out of their donor cars with a claw hammer. Apparently, it is possible to cobble together the mortal remains to fashion some sort of pseudo-HID system suitable for use on Civics and the like.

Redstone

Bluemaxx don't worry about statistics, just watch where you park your car. Remember if they really want them they are gonna take em. Whether they use a claw hammer like you described or they professionally remove your lights without a single scratch to the vehicle itself you are still at risk if you have HID's.

lightonthehill

Yes, Maximas with HIDs are at risk. But this is true whether they are on all Maximas or not. bluemaxx was just reminding us that most HIDs stolen from 5.5 gen Maximas were not installable in 5.0 gen Maximas because of the damage done in digging them out.

Yes, the cost of HIDs at the point of assembly is not great. But neither is the cost of the heated steering wheel, or the 'memory' seats, or the leather, or . . . but you get the picture.

Almost every option is 'reasonably priced' at assembly time. But why, out of all possible options, would Nissan pick only the HIDs to make standard on all Maximas? Traction control would be a much better choice. And that is why Nissan finally made traction control standard.

Just because HIDs might be the option wanted most by some here does not mean that would be the option of preference for others. I would much rather the vehicle dynamic control be made standard on all Maximas. HIDs would be well down my list.

Nissan offers a base Maxima SE for those who either can't afford more, or who just want a base Maxima. If you wish to have HIDs on your Maxima SE, you must 'pay the piper' by adding an option package. Sure, the HIDs are standard on the SL. But the base SL costs two thousand dollars more than the base SE.

Nissan handles Maxima options the same way many manufacturers handle them on many cars.

bluemaxx

I guess you and I will just have to agree to agree.

Zargon

Some people don't like them. I have them and love them, but the option is there for people that don't want them.

Atomic_Ed

I still can't tell if I have them or not. Whichever they are, they sure are bright.

lightonthehill

Atomic Ed - On the '05 SE, the HIDs are part of the Driver Preferred package.

If you aren't sure if you have the Driver Preferred package, simply look at the lower left part of your dash. If you have a button (switch) for a heated steering wheel, you have the Driver Preferred package, hence HIDs.

Atomic_Ed

Thanks for the detailed info. So much to learn here as I am new to owning a Maxima. I do not have that package on mine so I must not have the HID lights. However what was confusing to me is that my lights are so intense I had never seen normal headlights look like this which is why I was wondering of they were the HID type. Whatever they are they are definately really good compared to any other car I had before. On my previous car I had installed some of the aftermarket xenon bulbs that I picked up one day at circuit city of all places. They were actually very nice compared to the stock bulbs I replaced in that car and they were nothing like the ones I have in my SE now. So thumbs up to Nissan if these are their stock lights.

Thanks,

lightonthehill

Atomic_Ed - And don't feel slighted by having the halogens. They are perfectly adequate for almost any driving situation; actually better than the xenons for city driving.

The xenons are too powerful for any but rural driving. Even when dimmed, hills and curves can direct these billion candlepower beams directly into an oncoming driver's eyes. It doesn't make them happy, and could possibly endanger both you and they if they can't see.

Additionally, the xenons seem more prone to a short life than halogens. Several here had to have their xenon bulbs replaced before the car was a year old.

I finally had the lowbeams on my 6th gen HIDs adjusted downward much lower than the lowbeams on the halogens on my 2000 SE. Only after that adjustment did I comfortable driving with them.

us024077

Not all SLs come with HID. They could be deleted on the 2004 for a credit. I'm not sure about the 2005. So it was possible in 2004 at least to get an SL with halogens or the DPP with halogens. There's always an exception to every "rule".

queenambeach

iTrader: (3)

The idea of making HIDs standard on all maximas will not decrease the problme on HID theft. You see the D2S bulb is not only made for maximas. The D2S bulb will fit in almost any HID projector. No matter what the manufactuer is. And the theft on of the 03' Maximas HID is the same thing. They use D2R bulbs, which can be fitted and rebased to fit any headlight assembly that uses a reflector housing.

Sonic

The halogen headlights are pretty damn bright too.

Ammi

iTrader: (26)

Oh really................ I have 2k3 HIDs on my car. Bought them at some junk yard because it looks better than halogen headlights and they light up the road much better than halogen.

Main reason why 5.5 headlights are stolen is because of the ballast and bulbs; not to do a swap on 5gen.

FusionAcid

iTrader: (1)

Damn, that sucks.

03maxiSE

i know how u feel...

here is my old car....

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/453093/4

HzMajesty

iTrader: (1)

i think tryna figure out the puzzle of getting the assembly outta the friggin car is confusing enough for any theif... might as well hot wire it and drive off.

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

does your back hurt after all that digging?

DocHolliday

I like this explination. I love it when people flash their lights at me. I am quite certain they regret that.

TXT-1

iTrader: (1)

And you know this how???? The main problem was 1. They are easy to steal.
2. People can get a lot of money for them pawning them on eBay
3. They can take the bulbs and ballasts out and retrofit them to other cars
4. IMO, I think the thefts are mainly due to the import modification scene where people want the latest and greatest for their riced out civcs without paying for them.

RHMax

What else did he find?

dopestar129

The lights that you have on your SE are a somewhat new type of halogen bulb known as HIR2. They are brighter than normal halogen bulbs. And they have a longer life span than normal halogens. Everything is explained in this ebay listing fairly well:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HIR-9...spagenameZWDVW

CallmeDoc

There 2 reasons why people like Nissan's HID:
1.) They are so easy to steal.
2.) All 5.5 gens came standard with HIDs and that drew a croud to Nissan's headlights.

My old 02 Acura TL-S got its headlights "partially" stolen a few years back at the mall. At first they targeted the Acura TLs because they also came standard so you knew you were getting HIDs. But then Nissan came out and made an even EASIER car to get HIDs from. If Nissan was smart, they should have learned from the Acura TL incidences.

VTmaximaVT

what you getting from those $10 xenon bulbs is whiter beam than stock bulbs. most of them are not as bright as stock ones. i wouldn't waste $$$ on those, however I recommend Silverstar bulbs from Sylvania. those are brighter than stock and produce whiter beam.

HIDs have much longer life span than halogens. if you don't give HID bulbs enough time to cool down or heat up, it'll shorten the life of the HID bulbs.

Iron Scimitar

iTrader: (38)

I used to abuse my old philips bulbs and they still where running strong after 3 years of use.

brewboy13

That is exactly right! I love my HID's like no tomorrow.

I don't think that I could ever get used to halogen again.

My last road trip was at night through the country and I never did get tired b/c my eyes never strained to see the road.

VTmaximaVT

HID bulbs are designed to last about 2000~2500 hours of use.
that's about 5~8 years depends on your driving time

danger300z

iTrader: (4)

wow man seeing that hurts . Did cops say how they took your car?