LAXMONKEY

Ok so I ordered a headlight bulb but instead accidentally got fog lights in H3. We went to open the headlight unit and the bulb said H9 but my manual says D2S or 9012. 9012 for halogens and D2S for xenon. Idk which bulb number I need. Apparently my lights are HID already but want to put 8-10000k bulbs in from ddmtuning.com. So can someone please tell me which size I need so i can buy my kit with ballasts and so I don't make another mistake.

06BlckMax

If your headlights are HID all you need is a D2S bulb

joecurr

If your headlight bulbs are H9 then you have aftermarket headlights, which aren't very well made. OEM is D2S, but you need H9 for those. I'd look for used OEM headlights instead if I were you.

LAXMONKEY

yea they are HID already. and i called ddmtuning and they said that H9 HIDs arent possibly and arent factory made. so i may need the D2S which i'm hoping for lol.

LAXMONKEY

and id hate to buy the wrong ones again. the manual says D2S but the bulb was an H9. so i guess and H9 will fit?

ChrisMan287

iTrader: (34)

If the bulb that's in there is H9 then get an H9.

On a side note, don't go that high in color temperature.

LAXMONKEY

8000K better? my fog lights are 10000k but my fog lights suck in general. I live in FL and 10000k are still legal but my headlights are being blacked out so it should lower the lights.

ChrisMan287

iTrader: (34)

I'd go 6000K at the very most.

Also, black them out the right way by opening up the headlights and painting the inside. Don't throw tint over the top of them. It sounds like that's what you're looking to do.

LAXMONKEY

ya my guy at the body shop does all that on his side job and customizes cars. hes taking care of me and knows how to do it. im ordering LED tail/brake lights and blinkers and hes blacking out my tail lights and my grille.


But i need H9's is what i need to know?

ChrisMan287

iTrader: (34)

I believe so. Just check that other side to see if it's H9 as well.

joecurr

I believe what ddmtuning means is that OEM H9 HID bulbs aren't possible, but there are aftermarket H9 HID bulbs. And if yours are indeed H9, your entire headlight assembly is aftermarket and D2S bulbs will not fit.

10000K is A LOT dimmer than 4300K, then you're going to add headlight tint which will further dim it, and on top of that you have aftermarket headlights which don't have very good output in the first place. Increasing the color temperature actually decreases brightness. As ChrisMan287 said, don't go that high in color and don't add tint.

LAXMONKEY

ok thank you. then H9 it is and 6000-8000k will work for me. my fog lights are gonna be brights as hell bec i got the 10000k by accident.

joecurr

Your fog lights won't be very bright because you got 10000K. Like I said, the higher you go, the more dim it will be. The number only determines color, not brightness.

LAXMONKEY

ok.

LAXMONKEY

but getting 10000k headlights with a black tinted headlight will push through the black?

ChrisMan287

iTrader: (34)

Not at all.

LAXMONKEY

damn lol!

joecurr

Tinting headlights is bad, even on OEM 4300K lights that are much brighter than yours. 10000K lights are dim to begin with, 8000K won't be much better, 6000K might be decent, but anything will suck with tint. Like Chris said, if you want black headlights paint the INSIDE trim of them. If all you care about is looks then do whatever, but if you want better lighting I'd start with OEM headlights.

LAXMONKEY

ok then what it looks like i should do, because i do wnt just looks, is not tint my headlights and just get the lights and leave them.

po8pimp

If it where me, which I know it's not, I would keep the 8000k or 10000k bulbs, because they are nice and blue, however the D2S 6000k's look blue just because of the type of bulb they are. They are extremely bright as well. As previously mentioned the higher the number passed 4600 gets bluer and darker. http://www.ehow.com/list_7603460_hid...fferences.html <--- good read. I would also get my lights opened up and painted inside vice outside. I have seen a black maxima with blacked out headlights and tail lights and it looked sick. However with a painted inside of the light, it will look pretty much identical due to having a clear headlight lens. Plus you can customize the inside of the headlight while you have it apart. there are instuctional videos and write-ups on backing the headlights and painting the inside. http://my6thgen.org/f276/bake-paint-headlights-12644/ <--here is one link

po8pimp

http://my6thgen.org/f276/i-give-up-p...dlights-16881/ make sure you read this before you try doing this yourself if that's what you intended.

LAXMONKEY

but i have H9's

po8pimp

http://www.sylvania.com/en-us/applic...l=1315&make=65

Someone put the wrong bulbs in your car. I have 9006 bulbs in my car, but I put them there with an HID kit from normal halogen. H9's are just a bulb type. If you had an aftermarket HID kit installed, then you have to use the bulb type recommended for the kit. If you are the original owner and know that there was not an aftermarket kit installed, and that it is HID, then you are safe to order the D2S bulbs. No maxima came from the factory with the H9 bulb installed.

Here is the replacement guide http://www.sylvania.com/en-us/applic...l=1315&make=65

joecurr

Do NOT assume D2S bulbs. In fact, don't assume anything. You need to figure out what headlights you have. OEM halogens use 9012 and accept a 9006 bulb, OEM HID use D2S, aftermarket headlights (I'm not sure if it's halogen or HID, but I'm pretty sure it was HID) use H9. Since you say your headlights came HID, if they are OEM they'll have a Matsush!ta ballast mounted at the bottom of the headlight. There's absolutely no way to plug an H9 bulb into a D2S socket, so I think it's safe to say it's not OEM HID, which leaves us with OEM halogen or aftermarket. I'm not 100% sure about the physical differences since the eBay sellers of aftermarkets rarely show any part of the headlight except the front. Best way to tell is if you could post detailed pictures of the headlight, like the projector, wiring harness, bulb mount, etc.

LAXMONKEY

ok that makes sense. so then i would need D2S because my Manual says it has D2S and the bulbs are HID's already.

LAXMONKEY

its HID Xenon

LAXMONKEY

i would have to go to a body shop and have the whole light taken out to show which took 45min per light. its not easy bec im not a car tech lol sorry to say.

LAXMONKEY

this would be my theory. so the car came out in 2006, i bought it 2 months ago. so what could of happened was the headlight unit could have gone out and the place that repaired it must have replaced the bulb with the aftermarket bulb that must of fit inside the socket. So apparently, nothing has changed for the main bulb size meaning the bulb i would need would be the D2S.

po8pimp

honestly if you are not tech savy, I would call nissan with your vin number and have them look up your car to see if you have stock HID. If they say it is halogen not HID, then drive to nissan and see if the tech can take a look under your hood and see if you have stock HID or if it is aftermarket HID. The tech should be able to look and tell you within a few seconds of looking at it. Don't schedule an appointment, they will charge you a diagnostic fee. Just go in and ask the question of whether or not you have HID and play dumb, even the service rep should be able to look and tell you.

joecurr

It is possible that someone previous to you replaced the OEM headlights units (not just the bulbs, but the actual headlights) with aftermarket headlight units, since it has been shown before that aftermarket 6th gen units use H9 bulbs, and you said your headlight bulbs were H9. If you needed a D2S bulb your bulb connector would look like this:



That D2S connector will NOT fit an H9 bulb, so if you pulled an H9 bulb out of the headlight you do NOT have OEM HID's and you should NOT buy D2S bulbs.

LAXMONKEY

damn! ok then i will just go to Nissan and get it checked out. bec i dont wanna buy the wrong piece.

cheese20323

Just take off your bumper and do it yourself I see your username is LAX monkey? I would be able to help you if you give me some gas money and I know a spot in LA that sells some nice HID kits with great luminosity for like 60. They do not look dim at all and offer GREAT visibility I have them on my truck and will get some for my max soon. I thought the same when I first bought my max, one bulb had gone out and since I saw they were HID I ordered the D2S and come to find its not that one but a 9005 iirc. Usually its easy to tell when its factory HID because factory HID's have a well spread out beam pattern and don't glare. And aftermarket HID's are bright and the beam pattern is way more focused because its meant for a halogen. But if you aim the headlight properly you should have no problems.

LAXMONKEY

hhahahah bro LAX = Lacrosse. Its the abriviation. lol But this is what i have came to conclusion. Forget about the Headlights. In general, there Bright white with a hint of blue. So i'll just leave them as they are but buy 2 ballasts so i can have my 10000k fog lights put in. After that, i will get my LED tail/brake lights, blinkers, and reverse, and blue license plate lights. Black out my tail lights, spray my grille black, get my Fujita air intake, exhausts, and get me the black rims and call it a day. lol

LAXMONKEY

correction! i will do the headlights. 8000k D2S

cheese20323

do 6k I had 8k's and they were way too blue or keep the ones you have trust a white beam makes it look better than blue, you'll get tired of it quick

joecurr

Once again, do NOT get D2S bulbs unless you know 100% that you have OEM HIDS! And also 8000k sucks for brightness.