Hey all...

Sorry for the long post but...STOLEN HID's!!!...

I'm still busy getting over the day's worst event. I was about to go out to catch FD2 with the wife when she checked her voicemail, only to find out the the headlights on my 2k2 max were stolen...

It's the worst feeling ever, especially for those of us who really enjoy our cars...

For the past three weeks, I've been leaving my max parked outside my father-in-laws house in queens. Seems like the third times' a charm!!!...F*$%#&@ assh*$&#... I was gonna steak out and watch to see if anyone came around tonight looking at the car, but I figured whats'done is done...My insurance company is gonna cover the damage to the fender (which I am going to demand a whole new fender, I figure it cost about as much to putty and paint), and the headlights. The fender got damaged from the f*@$s prying out the fixture.

I told a friend of mine who just got and X5 to becareful. In my opinion, cars that have parts the can be retro-fitted onto the model car (2002 max -> '00 &'01 or 328 w/HID -> 328 w/o HID) are at the highest risk for theft. And, how anti-theft kits will only increase the damage done during the raping!!!...Manufacturers shoe make it so that HID's pop once remove from the car.

I any case gonna get HID's back in and park in my garage at night!!!...

And in the future, I'll try not to park in the same spot three weeks running!!!...

FYI these things are $$$$ to replace!!!!....

NO MORE WHITE EYED MONSTER...TEMPORARILY...TBC...

 

I haven't replied to a HID theft post yet, but perhaps it's time to do so.

It seems ridiculous to me that manufacturers put something on what amounts to the outside of their vehicles that costs as much to replace and is as easy to remove as HIDs. Then again, let's look at it from the standpoint of the manufacturers.

Every time a set of HIDs gets stolen, they need to be replaced. And where do you have to go to replace them? That's right. The manufacturer of the HIDs. So every time a set of HIDs gets stolen, the manufacturer WINS!

Needless to say, attempts on the part of manufacturers to create anti-theft devices are simply a ruse. They don't work. Not only do the manufacturers get to sell devices that don't prevent thieves from stealing your HIDs, they also get to sell new HIDs once the devices fail.

So every time a set of HIDs gets stolen, the thieves win and the manufacturers win. Everyone else loses INCLUDING THOSE WHO DON'T EVEN OWN HIDs. (Who do you think ends up paying for all those stolen HIDs, guys?)

If this arrangement seems as strange to you as it does to me, I'd suggest you complain to your elected representatives.

 

I wish I still had the link in my favorites, but I ran across and excellent post about Hondas. Apparently, Accords and Civics are the easiet cars on the planet to steal. Stunningly easy. The author of the thread felt that Honduh did it on purpose. Makes you think.

Sorry about your HIDs. Check the for sale forum...

 

Yup. Maybe the guy who stole yours will sell them back to you at a discount.

 

Keyword: Negligence.

Fault: Manufacturer.

...but who has the initiative to take on Nissan?

 

Those who want your vote on the next election.

 

Us 2k2 to 2k3 Maxima owners should write to Nissan or our insurance companies and have Nissan pick up a portion of the repair costs.

One thing that bothers me about HID's is this: in the past, car stereos would short out or lock themselves out if they were remove from their housing. Now why on earth can't automotive manufacturers (HONDA BMW AUDI NISSAN)make HID's such that when removed, or disconnected from the car short out??? THEY CAN SQUEEZE OUT 200HP from a 4cyl, 1.8L, but can't simply make "SMART HID's"?

In the end, consumers end up paying the price...higher insurance rates and more restless nights for those of us with HID's, be it BMW ACURA NISSAN or HONDA...

Just got estimate from insurance comp... ~2500 to repair...DAMN!?...

 

Are the insurance costs for Maximas going up as a result of the current HID thefts? I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Insurance costs are figured, along with other factors, on how many claims a perticular car has. Nice, now the Max owners are getting it from the theives, Nissan, and soon insurance!

 

guys, i was just thinking....

a few nights ago i was watching the discovery channel where cops could tell if a car was stolen or not. one thing they did was VIN etching on the window. its actually a clear sheet of tranparency, that you print on, your VIN # then apply it to your window and spray a mixture on it and it actually is like acid that eats into your window so it is impossiable to remove, so theifs will have to replace the entire window which costs them money. you know where im going with this.


also there are some extremly good points about manufactures in here, but its quite obious nissan has done a good job protecting our cars. I dont think I would go as far to say nissan designed the hids so they are easier to steal, but more or less, it was a cost cutting thing. as everyone knows, just complaining will get us jack, weve got one of the biggest, enthusiasts communities anywhere, we can do quite a bit.

I think that we should put pressure on nissan to improve the design of the Housings, instead of cheap and flimbsy plastic, use metal. it might cost alittle more to produce, but then its a higher quality object and they can have the claim to fame on preventitive automotive vandalism. and it would be a sure way to prove that nissan is not designing the HID's to be easy to steal.

one side note, think about the times when you hear of entire dealer ships getting their HID's jacked, granted the dealer has to pay, but what if it happens while the cars are still Nissan's Property, hmm maybe some leverage there

let me know what you guys think.
MrGone

 

Hey all, I got my max back Weds...The job came ut ok, except for some minor overspray that ran, on the upper edge of the wheel well. New HIDs are great...let's hope they stay that way. Except for some chattering under hood, can't figure out what it is, needs closer look over weekend, guys at Wayside bodyshop in queens, ny did good.

I think i'm gonna invest in some steel slabs about 1" wide to run vertically on my HIDs.

Let's see thos FU!$# get at them now!

 

Has anyone thought about making a steel or aluminum extension that can be welded to the body somehow. Something long enough to make contact with some sheet metal somewhere so you can weld the lights to the car.


Jesse

 

I wasn't kidding when I said I was gonna get some steel strips to run vertically on my HIDs...I have to see if I can either have the pieces welded or bolted (with keyyed bolts of course, lik whell locks) onto the frame...

Any thoughts....Anyone????....

 

well like i said in my thread about my hids getting stolen,insuranace helps but finding out who did it is much more satisfying. glad everything is right on your car now and yes for those who either bought a 2k2 or 2k3 or someone who saved and actually bought the lights from nissan(me) we should make nissan more aware of the problem so they can do something about it.

 

I guess you missed the point, BlueStreak.

Nissan doesn't care if your HIDs get stolen. In fact, the more HIDs that get stolen, the more money Nissan makes.

Get it?

 

1) etching the VIN number on the HIDs probably won't work as its only the ballast and bulb they are after. Even if you etch the balast somehow, the people who buy these items know they are stolen. Your only hope is that you might get them returned if they are found. And this is likely to be very slim.

2) Nissan does care when they steal the lights from their dealerships. What I find a little unconscionable is that Nissan charges so much for their anti-theft kit and of course the labor to install these things. They should seriously consider giving people with these a break on the cost.

3) Acura, Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus and MB all are having the same problem although perhaps not to the same extent as Nissan. We will just have to wait till these become standard on all cars (can anyone say airbag).

 

Is the housing made the same way for earlier 5th gens?
I guess they are if some people are using AE's in 02+
Sounds like Nissan didn't think it would be a problem and one they can live with ($) till the next gen comes out. We'll have to see how it is on the 04. Someone said it was an option...

 

Well you've got me there, ajahearn. I was, of course, referring to HIDs stolen from vehicles that had been purchased or leased by consumers as opposed to HIDs stolen from dealer inventory. But I didn't make myself clear.

 

If maximas' get there HIDs stolen from dealerships, guess who's been picking up the cost of replacements!!!....

 

Insurance . . . which ultimately translates to you and me.

 

y2kse... yes i understood it from the beginning, i am not 2. i was just saying that if enough people can get together then nissan "might" do something better that an "anti-theft" kit and present a real solution to a growing problem.

 

Let's put your "I am not 2" theory to the test, BlueStreak, and find out if you can do something besides complain.

What would you consider to be "a real solution to a growing problem"? And precisely how are you planning on getting enough people together to persuade Nissan to create your as-yet unidentified solution? And assuming you can get enough people together, how are you going to force Nissan to pay attention to you?

 

y2kse, i do not take personal attacks lightly and i do not like to have my intelligence underminded. a real solution to the problem would be say relocating the HID ballast away from the headlight housing. however i am not an automotive designer so it may not be feesable. getting people together? look at all the forums around and tell me there would be a problem in pooling people together. there is always power in numbers. so what would be your solution?

 

I don't have one, BlueStreak. And apparently, neither do you nor anyone else that has proven to be effective.

 

i never said that i had a solution that worked but maybe someone on the forum is thinking about something and could develop a solution with the added ideas of people on this forum. but i guess that we will never know.