BruceM99

Im looking to get some HIDs for my car either white or blue, I dont know which will look better yet.Also im lookin to get the high/ and low beams onese... I just wanted to know the opinions of other people? and are they hard to install? and if some are better than others?.

XJinCT

iTrader: (3)

no

Thanatos

iTrader: (1)

cake

BruceM99

WHAT??

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

anyone who uses blue headlights should be shot with a small gun to prolong the suffering. Blue is distracting to drivers, dissipates the fastest, and anything that isn't white just cuts down on the usable spectrum of light. White is every color combined, which means you have the highest possible output, as well as being far far easier on the eyes.

anyone who uses HIDs without a suitable housing (and no direct-fit maxima headlight fits that description does) should suffer the same fate as a blue-headlight user

source some decent projectors and figure out how to worm them into a compatible housing (EURO stock style or BMW E36 style) then worry about the bulbs. 4300 is the only legal temp i know of.

BenStoked

iTrader: (7)

qfmft.
or slashed repeatedly with a dull box opener.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

or frozen in a block of ice and dropped off a high-rise building

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

It has nothing to do with kelvins(color) and 4300K isn't the only legal kelvin! Most BMW's use 5000K-6000K from the factory! The housing is what makes it legal or illegal! HID bulbs in a halogen housing is illegal! The housing shoulb be designed for HID if HID is to be used legally! The glare that the halogen housing produce with HID can affect oncoming traffic eyes with that instense and uncontrolled beam! Something you can do is adjust your beams down slightly and if possible closer towards your right side curb!

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

well ok.. even if 6000k is legal, then there's still no point in using it. the other facts i stated about them remain facts. blue dissipates faster b/c of its shorter wavelength (especially in fog) and anything BUT pure white is just a waste. and even if 6000k is legal it's still distracting.

nismax1994

haters

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

guilty as charged. don't get me wrong. blue is fine as a COLOR... just not for automotive headlights. yellowish light will light up way more than blue will. so it's bad for you, and bad for others. tinted bulbs are even worse than naturally-blue HID bulbs though, in terms of light loss. that's why i used my Silverstar Ultras for about 2 hours and tossed them for a set of Xtravisions.

BenStoked

iTrader: (7)

I hate people who have no respect for other people on the road. people with the blue bulbs fall into the same category as people who street race through residential neighborhoods, people who drive around with their brights on in rural areas, and refuse to turn them off when approaching oncoming traffic, and bikers who pop wheelies at 9:00 at night, 15 feet away from the car in front of them(that ****ing light "bouncing" is more distracting than putting a kid with ADD into a classroom filled with shiny things...)

BruceM99

Are the white Silverstar Ultra bulbs not great either?

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

they suck donkey *********. reason is they are tinted. natural incandescent light is yellowish, and has a VERY small amount of blue in it... if you filter out everything BUT the blue.... you end up with almost no usable light. think about it... if you have a yellow flashlight and put blue cellophane over it, it won't be very bright will it?

white they are, but an artificial white.

bs33mp

I hate to be the one to say it but I love the way HID's look especially on 3rd gens and I'm definitely getting some this summer but I won't be an ***hole and blind everyone. But to answer some of the op's question HID's are not hard to install if you can't do it yourself then installation isn't expensive either and when it comes to quality they're all the same pretty much as long as you have a warranty you should be fine

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

oh there's nothing wrong with HIDs and i agree, they can look pretty sick if retro'd properly. it's just a matter of whether or not you have respect for the outside world and aim them right and use a warmer-than-blue color (and cooler than straight yellow too, ugh), or if you wanna do it your way and throw the finger to everyone else (regardless if they'd be able to see it from being blinded, haha)

BruceM99

Alright so White HID's with stock stock lenses.. would they be straight to pass inspection?

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

you haven't read a SINGLE WORD in this thread at all, have you?

traxtar944

iTrader: (12)

LOL! In otherwords....NO they wouldn't. Do the E36 conversion. If you have enough for HIDs then you have enough for $50 headlights and can do the mod yourself.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

Technically ANY headlight modification is not DOT legal currently.
the Euro Clears, are not DOT legal.
E36 lighting is not DOT legal for the Maxima.
now whether or not your car passes inspection will be up to the referee that is judging your car that day.
But, According to FMVSS 106 (as currently interpreted by the USDOT) no non-original replacement lighting is legal.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

that includes taillights too? I don't like that law because of the lighting mods i have planned, but i can understand why it exists, because 99.9% of people who do lighting mods are idiots with no respect for functionality, the appearance of their own car, or other drivers' eyesight.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

I believe it affects tail lights as well.
Sadly, like most laws of this type, it only is enforced when people feel like it

shoult

iTrader: (1)

In the case of taillight mods, many years ago when the "Altezza" lights were all the rage APC got their *sses handed to them with a civil suit because ALL of the "Altezza" lights they had sold up to that point di not meet federal standards. Cost them MILLIONS in fines.

However, it didn't affect anyone who had installed them. End users were allowed to continue using the non-conforming tail lights.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

did you know that clear corners on our cars are illegal too? there's a recall for it for manufacturers of 'replacement sidemarker lamps which do not conform to federal standard x.x.x.x.x.x because they do not contain amber reflectors blah blah". Which makes sense. I'd rather tint the chrome dish orange-chrome, which would probably be more conforming than pure clear corners. Orange plastic alone is too harsh looking... I like it better when it's got an equally thick layer of clear plastic around it, kinda like 89-91SE taillights.

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

I 'm gonna search for some DOT legal HID projector lense headlights for my 90 Maxima! I have 8000k headlights and foglights in my 03 SE! But I don't think those big 1990 OEM headlights look as sexy as the Gen 5.5, 4 light headlight setup! If I don't go with Hid, I will go with some proven and inexpensive JcWhitney 100/130w for the headlights and 100w for foglights! One thing I've done is alot of comparing Halogen bulbs with each other! Other years of buying overly expensive PIAA's and a bunch of "like HID" b.s.; I'll never spend big $$$ on B.S. names and games! I'll put my money on some $15 JcWhitney bulbs that perform just as well! The reason I love HID is that they really don't use alot of power, and they throw down megalight, when compared to 100W halogens bulbs! So if there are no HID projector lense available, we'll be strictly hi output halogens....

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

even high output halogens need to be tamed. I'll be using something like that but not before my J30 projectors are installed. stock maxima housings don't aim the light worth crap. so the 'overspray' so to speak will be as bright as high beams. so that isn't necessarily the best way either. the best way is leaving it alone until you can afford to do it right, because it can be done right, and many members on here have done it right. I'm waiting until i can get my projectors into some sort of housing that will fit the maxima before i start going for anything brighter. currently i run the 9007 mod using Sylvania Xtravisions.

maxima-junky

iTrader: (8)

Shoot me

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

..... bang bang

fortunately i have no plans of ever going to NY so i won't ever be blinded by your disgustingly blue lights. so i'll shoot someone else down here on your behalf. maybe i'll shoot them twice

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

enjoy the melting

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

hmm true that. i was at the NC auto show and they had the Scion xB there. Normal tails are fagtastic (red blinkers), and an option is enhanced tails that are LED brakes and amber signals. The ehnahced ones were up on a display case, and they had them burning all the time, and the amber plastic around the turn signal bulb melted and was dripping. And that was NORMAL wattage.

Which further proves my point from post 21. MaxJunky included. Simple boolean logic applied tells the story.

Thanks for reminding me about the melting problem, brian.

maxima-junky

iTrader: (8)

Actually mine aren't blue they only look blue on TV. LOL the ones I have are least colorful I've seen. The cops in NY hassle you about colored HIDS. Believe me they have their hands full. Everybody done gone HID crazy around here.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

so basically your digicam sucks?

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

As I stated previously, I've run these 100/130W bulbs for yrs. What in the hell is gonna melt? Never had headlight damage done from those hi output lights... but I have better things to do besides setting up in a local gas station parking lot with all my lights on and music blarring trying to see who's ride is the most obscene and loudest!

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

Hey which way is the right way? I'm curious....Oh yeah that Sylvania stuff is made for the nocturnal night breed cause they really don't shine the light on much...I've tested them alright, What a waste!!!
I guess you ought try to do it the right way...cause you're headed in the wrong direction! My bad.... you can't see where you're gonna.....you're a sylvania xtravision fan!

maxima-junky

iTrader: (8)

Yes it does suck. Didn't think anybody would pick up the fact that I'm using a $9.99 keychain cam from CVS Drugs.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

The right way being getting legitimate projectors, aiming them right, and using neutrally colored bulbs whether they be halogen or HID.

And being that at the time i bought my last headlights I didn't really do any research on anything, I just noted that the xtravisions put out more usable light for me than silverstar ultras. doesn't make me a fan of them, but out of the types i've used they worked best. And I don't like the idea of making stock housings produce more light since halogen housings still have too much 'overspray' of light above where a cutoff line would normally be, so until that's reduced, I wouldn't want to do that anyways. I'd rather use HIDs in the end because then use less power and make more light, so it's a win/win.

so if you've got money to exeriment with, then fine. I don't, so I just stick with what works well-enough until I know i can do better. which is why i bought those projectors so i can start doing a retro and then select my bulbs after that. besides i said somewhere further up something about not doing anything until you can do it right. i never said that 9007XVs were 'doing it right'... i'm waiting until i can. how much are 100/130s anyways? i don't like buying headlights to test with b/c they aren't returnable.. i got burned on the SSU's

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

the wiring harness melts. you are pulling 2x the wattage through the same wiring that was designed for 1/2 that.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

so as long as you run an upgraded harness with relays and fuses straight off the battery post you're OK right?

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

Most people that have melted a wire harness, had other problems such as worn out or loose plug contacts, defective wiring, contaminated wiring (painted harness or oil soaked harness is bad news). As stated I tested dozens of brands of bulbs and my old *** 86.5 Hardbody was the mule...run 100/130W H4's for 8 yrs no problems, just upgraded to 6000K HID!

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

what's your source, and do they make them in H5/H6 as well? when i do the J30 thing i prolly won't be playing with HIDS right away. i'm amazed that the stock headlights have a 15A fuse per bulb (12v x 15A = 180W right?) for a 45/65w bulb. if there's some factor that i'm missing here lemme know what it is. I want to run an upgraded relay'd harness just to be on the safe side. plus it gives me more to do, more to say i've done. kinda like how i helped with an engine swap and then we did the head gasket a week later on the same car....