Hello everyone. As I am fairly new to the 6th Gen forum I wanted to ask a question to those with experience about HID bulbs for an '04 Max. Mine appear a bit dim and being that I just purchased my car two months ago and that it is now 8 years old, I figure their life may be about up. To be proactive I'd like to replace them, but there are so many places to get them and so many companies putting them out, I was hoping you guys could share your thoughts and experiences on where to go for them. I am very familiar with PIAA and love their bulbs, BUT they cost a fortune for HID! I also know Sylvania makes good bulbs. What recommendations do you guys have that won't break the bank? I figure I will do the installation when I get them. Thanks for any help you are willing to give.

 

I suggest Morimoto bulbs in 4300K or 5000K:
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...oducts_id=1250

High quality, affordable and they have outstanding customer service.

 

Chris, do you have a preference for either the 4300 or the 5000? I imagine the 5000k puts out more or brighter light?

 

The 5000K puts out a little less lumens but the light is pure white so it may seem brighter or just as bright. It depends on your eyes.

Personally, I prefer 5000K and that's what I'm using on my car.

 

I see they also offer a 6000. Any experience with them? So the lower number actually puts out more light but is less bright in appearance?

 

No experience here with their 6000K but they'll have a slight tint of blue and will be dimmer than 4300K-5000K.

4300K = most lumens and slight yellow tint (stock color).
5000K = less lumens but pure white light.
6000K = even less lumens and white light with slight blue tint.

 

Thank you very much for your patience and help with this. Your input is very valuable.

 

One other quick one...the stock color then in our cars with HID's is 4300k?

 

Our bulbs are D2S. 4300k is daylight so you get the most visibility. I recommend to go on amazon and get a PAIR of Philips D2S 85122+.

 

I'm a fan of 6000k HID's and they are bright enough for me. Have them in my headlights, fogs, switchbacks, etc.

DDS Tuning has some good quality kits for a good price. Only place that I get mine and always recommend them to others. You should check them out:

http://www.ddmtuning.com/

 

Just in case you might have questions as to what bulbs you need in the future then here's a link for you:

http://www.sylvania.com/en-us/applic...s/lrgmain.aspx

 

The OEM replacement shouldn't cost you more than $50 a pair. Avoid buy the chinese ish, look for the German or japanese.Any thing with a 1yr warranty should be fine. HID's usually last a long time so you shouldn't have to panic about it blowing on you.

8000K is a great choice depending on what manufacturer you go with.But when it comes to cheap you should always try ebay

 

if you are referring to 02-03 OEM Maxima HID bulb, they are D2R not D2S. D2R is designed for HID reflector based and D2S is for projector base. Not sure about 6th gen but all reflector based HID use D2R

There is no easy way to find good OEM bulb in Ebay unless you are trained to see the different between the fake and the real ones. Buying it from trusted source like Amazon or TRS is the safest bet for the money. Sometimes you won't be able to see the different between fake and real as far as the output is concern if you are lucky. If I'm willing to spend $50 on a pair of bulb, I'd save up another $45 to get the real ones.

 

Stick with 4300K-5000K. It all depends on what color light you want, 5000K is a bit whiter. If you want OEM output get 4300K (I'd recommend the Philips 85122+, also available at theretrofitsource.com). If you want 5000K either get the Morimotos or wait for Sylvania to release the 66240CBI's. I am on the fence between the Philips 85122+ and the Sylvania 66240CBI, if I come across a good deal on the Sylvania's I'll probably try them out (*ahem* ChrisMan287, how's the GB going? lol).

 

Thank you everyone. There is a lot to chew on here but you all came through loud and clear and I really appreciate your help and opinions. I think I may be going 5000k as I like the true clear white although the 4300k's are still in consideration. I don't want to go too blue or get purplish.

 

I gotta ask the dude that told me about it lol

Morimoto 5000K will be pure white, trust me. No yellow, blue or purple.

 

Thanks.

 

Don't forget to post pics and enjoy the pure white light. You'll be able to see again.

 

lol...will do, Chris.

 

Only philips d2s 4300k from trs. Everything else is trouble
By the way, i changed mine and it did not help the light output....
I wonder if the reflector isnt shiny anymore or something.... I stopped bothering about that and leave them the way they are...

 

When you have time, you should pull the projectors out of the headlights so you can check the projector bowls. For the OEM bi-xenon projectors it's easy since the projector fits through the back of the headlight.

 

I've never had any problems with Morimoto bulbs on numerous retros.

Maybe your bowls are toast.

 

Just got DDM 35w 5k about a month ago. Output is not too bad..just looks like a dullish ebay blue imo and my cutoff is horrible even after retrofitting in bi xenon projectors. Also one ballast doesnt always fire on startup smh.

Currently looking for a good deal on stock xenon housings.

 

What bi-xenon projectors did you put in? And in what way is your cutoff horrible?

 

Got a set from a 6th gen maxima. Cutoff is crooked..one headlights cutoff is kinda yellow and the other is purple. They also dont sit flush on the shrouds either which is why i think the cut off is messed up.

The headlights are aftermarket which maybe the real issue so instead of continuing to try and correct i will just replace and save myself the headache

 

If it aint broken don't replace and stick to Phillips 4300k that will last and last .....untill you think they are giving up and kast and last giving the same output.

 

If there is a difference in cutoff color, first check that your bulbs are seated correctly 100%. The cutoff should be yellow at close distances (I think around 10ft or less) and more blue/purple at further distances. If that doesn't resolve it, then your cutoff shields may need to be adjusted. Here is a link on how to bend the cutoff shield, in your case I think you have to push the center of the shield closer to the bulb to make the yellow cutoff more blue.

http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/show...or+modding+e55

As for the "crooked" cutoff, are you sure it really is crooked or does it bow up on the sides? If it's bowing, that's a characteristic of the E55 projectors.

 

Mine looks a lot like yours, Joe. It appears my right light is aimed slightly higher than the left.

 

Please check whether your ballast is in good position or not. If you have idea to buy new Nissan HID ballast I am suggesting you a site named sparkhid. Their supporting staffs are good. They are very knowledgeable and effective. They will help you to find the correct car part for you.

 

i suggest cnlight bulb, it is from a big company which supplied to philip. The hid bulb has a good performance, but price is not high.

 

get phillips bulbs from TRS. 4300K. not worth it to get knockoffs.... chinese **** burns after 3-6 months.bite the bullet and get good ones.
trs is half the price I paid at the local parts store....

Anything other than 4300K is less light to get a ricer look.... OEM hids are 4300K. get those. they are the brightest.

 

Yeap a true Guru in that department.....