idnumber1

iTrader: (1)

Hello Guys. I recently converted my max to HID with a conversion kit. The lights looks awesome, however i noticed that the left side light beam seems to be aimed lower than the right hand side. The weird thing is.. if my car's lights are aiming directly at a wall and I switch to high beams, the left side beam is now aimed way higher than the right. It's hard to explain, but i don't have a digital camera yet to show you guys. Is this normal? If not, is there any way to change the beam direction? Thanks!

lightonthehill

idnumber1 - Don't go by 'seem'. Hold a piece of cardboard (or a box or whatever) in front of one headlight at a time, so you can see exactly where each beam shines.

As info, when you switch your lights to lowbeam, the left beam should drop more than the right (as well as shift slightly to the right), as this is the one that would be most directly in the eyes of oncoming drivers.

The right beam will not drop as much when dimmed, as it is needed so you can get a clear view of the right edge of the pavement (where you are supposed to be looking when meeting oncoming traffic).

A good test is to notice where the top edge of your lowered beams crosses the vehicles in front of you. That top edge should be below the inside rear view mirror of an average height vehicle.

This is a generalized response, but should help you understand what you should be seeing.

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But to carry this a tad further, HIDs operate sort of different than halogens in that lowering the beam actually results in an opaque screen dropping down inside the headlight assembly to block the upper part of the beam. On OEM Maxima HIDs, this top edge slants upward from left to right.

The brightness of HIDs is such that having the lowbeams low enough is critical. Blinding oncoming drivers (of whom studies say 40 percent are under the influence of either alcohol or some kind of illegal drug) can get both you and the other driver killed.

blakstarz

I think I know what you are talking about......I have something of the same thing..... my right side ":shines" a little brighter than the driver side (it's like there is a bright part aiming to the far right or something, but if put on the highs you can't notice it all that much). It's like a bright patch of light aiming in a awkward direction.
I haven't had the time to go to my installer to see if it's just how its positioned or what.

idnumber1

iTrader: (1)

thanks for the responses, its just that i remember and earlier thread that showed how to adjust the beam direction, but i can't remember how it was done. The high beam on the left side is just aimed way too high... This is espacially apparent when i am going to work and i am inside out parking stucture. when the lights are shining against the wall about 6 feet ahead of me, if i switch to hight beams, the left side beam is aimed around 6 feet while the right is at around 5 feet. I am going to borrow somebodys digital camera so that you guys can see what im talking about.

lightonthehill

idnumber1 - There were threads here a few months ago that discussed the adjustment of HIDs on the 6th gen Maxima.

As I recall, CanadianMoFo posted something like 'the vertical adjustment can be done fairly easily if you have the right tools. There is a phillips screw with 10mm hex head located at the rear of each headlight housing.' He accessed it from inside the engine compartment, using a small ratchet wrench with a 4" extension.

I tried without success to adjust mine, as I was unable to access it with my primitive tools, so had the dealer do it under warranty. Didn't cost a penny.

NIKV69

I will be converting my SE to HID this summer. With the wise words of lightonthehill as my guide.

While we are on the subject and have lightonthehill here I have to say my halogens SUCK!

The left low beam seems to point up and to the left and the high beams don't seem to do jack! Has anyone had this problem?

DougJones

Same here on all accounts, especially the left low beam pointing up and to the left. I took the Max back to the dealer in order to have the lights adjusted. It must have been the first one that they had done as they all stood around staring in the engine bay for a good 15 minutes

VTmaximaVT

Here are the pictures of my 04 SE HID beam patterns.
hope this helps.

Low Beam about 10ft away


High Beam about 10ft away


Low Beam about 25ft away


High Beam about 25ft away

VTmaximaVT

btw, I really need to get my headlight re-aimed at the dealer...
I went snowboarding last night so I had to drive two hours each way.
I had my low beam on during the whole trip and I got high beamed more than
ten times. this happenes alot especially when I have someone in the backseat, or lotta stuff in the trunk.

MagicMax

My left side low beam is lower that the right also. I figure that another reason it's like that is so the light doesn't shine directly in the side view mirror of the car in front of you, blinding the driver. While driving behind other cars I noticed how the beam is just low enough on the left to miss hitting the other car's side view mirror.

tibbettscp

I have noticed the same thing not only on my '05 Maxima but also on my girlfriends '04 TL. When I talked to the Nissan Dealer about this, the response I got was rather curious. He said the reason the right side beam appeared to be shining higher on the road than the left was to see objects (deer, rocks, pot holes, etc) more clearly as you are driving down one lane roads. SO take what you will from that info but that comes from the dealer.

pae1215

iTrader: (3)

VTmaximaVT, are those stock HIDs? Those are great pics!

idnumber1

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the responses... I will open it up myself on monday. I don't think my installer did a very good job in sealing the headlight as i found moisture insie the housing this morning. Man this sucks!

pae1215

iTrader: (3)

damn moisture in the headlight sucks. they have to reseal that again or else, you'll always have mositure.

NIKV69

DougJones and VTmaximaVT,

I hear you! I was at Desert Nissan last week and would have to leave the car there all day to have them look at the headlights. So I didn't. There is this 3 mile stretch of Casino drive here going back to my place that is very dark and I drive on it with my low beams and get flashed all over the place!

I am taking it to Cooper Canyon Nissan before I leave. I will have them look at them.

VTmaximaVT

yes, they're stock HIDs. They're great, but I hope they were aimed little lower.

kenttz

Damn my pattern doesnt look that good, however i have halogen lamps instead of the xenon ones so I guess that is why mine looks wayy different.

jcberb

Hello everyone i came across this site last night and wanted to share it with you guys just in case you have not discovered it.

If you know about it sorry, dont thrash me i just wanted to share what i thought would be a site with helpful info on hid retro/kits.

http://hidplanet.com/main.html

http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/

homerjay4242

yeah i have been there before... it is a good site, but the ppl on there do not like aftermarket kits, so unless you are looking for a retro you are not going to find much help there... i am still looking for a place that i can get good info on aftermarket kits...

jcberb

What type of info are you looking for?

jcberb

And i can understand why they would prefer retro over after market, some examples of benefits in retro versus kits is clearly evident. I am going to use OEM parts myself. I am saving up to get my hands on either two headlight assemblies, or two projectors, depends which comes easiest. The money for the headlight assem. will probably be a lot.

homerjay4242

when i first went to that site i was looking for info on aftermarket kits, so w/ that in mind i did not get much help aside from the "do not buy them" response...

what i have found are OEM capsules and ballasts d2s that have been refitted for 9006... i think that i am going to get those.. i do not feel like spending 600-700 for the entire assembly... and i do not want to get the aftermarket kits, and i also do not want to swap out projectors, as this is a lease.. so i think i will go with the OEM refitted kit...

Redstone

I am not sure about this, but on the 6th gen Maxes there is what appears to be a light next to the front trun signal/parking light. I have never seen this light funtioning before. Someone told me it might be daytime running lights used on the Maxes in Canada. Can someone confirm this information or is this just a dummy light with no bulb inside. What I am thinking is that this would be a good mod to put a bulb inside and make it a clear parking light similar to the 5.5 gen instead of the amber parking light combined with the front turn signals. I hate amber parking lights.

MAJ_Jimbo

Redstone...just looked at my car, at night in my garage. It appears to be a vertically grooved piece of plastic. If it's a daytime running light in Canada...it wouldn't be bright...it would be like the cornering lights. Not sure there is a dummy bulb area and if a light could be put back there or not without tearing into the engine area to remove stuff to see behind it...There are a few folks that have 6th Gen's from Canada in the forum...hopefully they will chime in....

Jimbo

MaximaPolak

iTrader: (9)

If the passanger side is brighter, that's the way it should be.

The driver's side is lower not to blind oncoming drivers.

CanadianMoFo

Yes, indeed it is a DRL location. The Canadian Maxipads have them installed and functioning. Its an 1157 bulb if I recall correctly. You could drill a small hole for an LED and fill it in with silicone after the install to seal it back up. If I wanted a small rice light in there that's what I'd do. I think it wouldn't look bad at all. Like a city light on the VW's to add a little colour to the front end.

CM.

MAJ_Jimbo

Makes no sense to me...I've owned a lot of cars and never had a car with one headlight brighter than the other. Mine is the opposite, and I've see over a dozen 2005 Nissan Maxima's SE's and SL's with their headlights just right...both at the same brightness. I see probably over a hundred cars on the way to FT. Carson at 5:30am...and only see every now and then a car or truck with either the drivers side or passengers side headlight brighter than the other.

Now I don't know much about headlights, but I would say a horizontal aiming of the driver's side headlight slightly more to the right would make more sense in not blinding oncoming drivers...

Either case, if anyone has "official documented" information on this, then I might believe it...till then...the dozen+ 2005 Maxima's I've seen on the road must be all correct as their headlights are even brightness on right and left...

Jimbo

blakstarz

I wonder if this is a result of installing aftermarket HID's.......liek I said earlier in the thread my passenger side side a little brighter than my driver's side......it seems more so of angle that overall lighting (but I could be wrong) you have to see it, to know what I'm talking about......