Kryogen

Hi, I have a 04 with OEM HIDS. Last year I changed the bulbs for new GE OEM ones because I though they were aging and output was low.

Didnt really make a big difference. Light output still seems low to me compared to other hid cars.

What is your guess? Projector coating is not as reflective? Ballasts are tired? Or are our HIDS just not that bright?

Kryogen

Thinking about getting all brand new stuff from TRS:

Bi-xenon: Hella EvoX-R (E55 upgrade)
Matsu****a Gen V Ballasts (upgrade to our ballasts)

With those items, and my quite recent oem D2S bulbs, output should better than new.

Anyone tried this? +- 350$, should work #1.

smplyamzng

I'm no HID expert but ive never really seen an 04-06 max with really bright output as compared to say the similar modeled M45/35. I think it has to do with the housings because the 6.5gens appear somewhat brighter and they are the same projectors.

ChrisMan287

iTrader: (34)

Talk to joecurr.

joecurr

What GE bulbs did you use and where did you get them from? You can't really compare a Maxima's output to another car's because you are comparing two totally different projectors. The Maxima projector's (AKA E55 projector) output isn't wide and doesn't have much foreground light, which leads people to think the output isn't as bright as other cars, but people usually don't compare the distant lighting which is what the E55's were designed for. You can check your projector bowls by pulling them out of the back of the headlight, see if there are any burn marks on the inside. If there are, you'll need some new projectors. I don't think the ballasts should be an issue, it's more of a if they work they work if they don't they don't kind of thing.

Comparing the EvoX-R's to the E55's, it seems there are pros and cons. The Evo's are a bit brighter on the sides, making them appear "wider", but the center intensity isn't as bright as E55's so the distant lighting is a bit less. The Evo's have a lot more color along the cutoff, which is a user preference. The Evo's have a different cutoff step, which is also a user preference. I have older bulbs in mine, but I'm going to receive some low hours Philips 85122+ bulbs soon which I'm going to use to make a better comparison between the two projectors.

Good looking out. I just got some 85122+ bulbs, but don't rule me out for the CBI GB yet.

Kryogen

I checked the bowls but didnt really notice any apparent "burning".... they just seemed a tad dull to me but nothing more.

The GE bulbs, I got it from a local parts store. They ordered them.
They are OEM D2S GE, and I paid 100$ each... ooc. should have bought from TRS.

So theres nothing that can be done to improve light output?

L_U_D_I_AMaxima

iTrader: (3)

no there is but you will need to take the projector out of the headlight... study how it is build look at the shape of the bowl... do those have clear lens? I am not sure, if the lens are fresnel you could try to change them with a clear lens, but you will need to know the exact diameter. Then after upgrading the lens, the next step will be to make a custom cut off shield that is curved. then put everything back together put a bulb in there and try to put different spacer between the bowl and the lens holder until you get the nice crisp sharp cut off...
It could be done but it is a very tedious process, it will pay off at the end but the question is how much time are you willing to invest...
Second option is to upgrade to better projectors if you don't want to spend time tuning yours
The only two factors here involved are: how much money you are willing to spend? how much time are willing to spend on upgrading/tuning projectors?

joecurr

The E55 bowls are normally dull, they aren't as shiny and reflective as you'd think. The Evo's are mirror-like, which probably explains the slight increase in brightness in certain areas, but also the streakiness compared to the E55's. The E55's have a very smooth foreground while the Evo's have visible streaks.

$100 each? Ouch. Yeah, you should have just bought the Philips 85122+ from TRS, total for the pair is about $100. Or since you were willing to spend about $200 you could have got the Osram CBI's (Cool Blue Intense), which are the best 5000K color bulbs on the market.

I'll let you know how the Evo's truly compare to E55's when I get around to installing the 85122+'s, just give me a few days. If I'm still not satisfied with the new bulbs, there's one last thing I can try with the Evo's to see if they can be better, but that'll take a bit more time.

A clear lens and color mods (lens spacing, custom shields, etc.) are not going to help light intensity, which is what he has a problem with. I installed clear lenses in my E55's and saw no increase in brightness, just a sharper and a bit more colorful cutoff. And as far as I know, nobody has made a custom shield for a bi-xenon E55, well, hardly any bi-xenon projectors in general.

L_U_D_I_AMaxima

iTrader: (3)

Actually MSU2000 did make a custom shield for a pair of E-46s that he was using, it doable but it all depends on how much time you want to put in it... But bottom line is that if the bowl does not reflect too much light then doing anything to that projector is obsolete and a waist of time... I personally have never worked with a the E-55 projectors before...

kzoosho

iTrader: (16)

I have done custom shields as well. The e55 just isnt the greatest. Leaps and bounds over halogen but in the projector world, is only above the e46 as far as output.

Kryogen

I dont care about color and cutoff.... I want more light.

seems like my GF rav4 halogens light up way more than my hids and it pisses me off.
(yup I paid 100$ over the TRSprice for the OEM bulbs but, bleh, at least they are new.... whatever.) Cant go back. They work fine.
They did improve the output by 15% over the used ones id say, but not more than that.

dcskater584

kryogen im in the same boat, coming from a 5th gen i had pot in h3 hids and comparing my 04 max stock hids my 5th gen is WAY much brighter, i have no idea what it is as well, i thought of replacing it but everyone says the stock ballasts are great. well lets see what anyone else has to offer.

- Dan

joecurr

A bit of an update since I've had the pair of Evo X-R's and the Philips 85122+ bulbs in for a few weeks.

To the average person, the Evo's will probably be an upgrade. They "look" brighter overall and make you feel like you can see more. They don't have as much width and brightness as other projectors like the FX-R, but the foreground and sides are a bit brighter than the E55.

To someone who knows about projectors, it's a toss-up. Compared to E55's, the hotspot is not as big and bright, which affects distant lighting. The output is a bit streaky, which is sometimes visible depending on the road. The high-beam isn't as bright because of the streakiness. The foreground is bright, maybe too bright? I wonder if this can also be achieved with the E55's by removing the foreground limiters, maybe you can try that before buying anything. If you drill out the limiters, they can be reinstalled with nuts and screws, or they can be used with the Evo X-R's, so it's probably worth trying anyways.