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11-12-2008, 09:24 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 830
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Mods NOT worth doing (9004 to 9007 conversion)
I read on this site and others how you can easily convert your headlights from 9004 to 9007. There are also cables for sale to help you perform this mod.
I read that the 9007's are 20% higher wattage bulbs and have an improved beam patten, this all sounded good so I decided to try this mod using Silverstar Ultra's.
First of all this mod is not necessarily easy, second this is not necessarily an improvement.
When cutting or grinding the nubs in the housing so you can fit the 9007 bulbs, unless you are very careful ,you will get dust into the housing. Good luck getting it out.
If you try taking the bulb socket apart to change the wiring you will probably break them, old plastic tends to be brittle.
Be ready to take the battery out, possibly multiple times to get at the drivers side socket and to perform adjustments.
Once you install the 9007 bulbs you will find that The 9007s beam center is much higher and more scattered than the 9004s. Only extreme adjustment will get them down where they belong. If you do that your housing will no longer be flush with the hood and grill and it will look bad. I'm wondering if anyone has taken their Maxima for a professional adjustment after this mod.
Our headlight housing reflectors were designed by engineers to work properly with 9004 bulbs and not 9007. The 9004s put the beam on the road where it belongs, the 9007s scatter the beams all over the place. If you have the 9007's on your 4th gen Maxima you are probably blinding other drivers. I'm going to stick with the 9004's, the small amount of increased light is certainly not worth the effort.
I realize some of you will say you performed this mod and it was easy and came out perfect but I bet just as many will agree that this is one mod better left undone.
Last edited by Nopike; 11-12-2008 at 09:30 AM.
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11-12-2008, 09:54 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 1,567
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sounds like u had a difficult time. my bulb socket came right apart, its just as easy to just swap the wires themselves, my battery is plenty far enough to stick both hands behind the housing. id like to hear from more people who have had issues because imma gonna go with the very easy crowd.
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'97 Black/Black SE 5 Speed: K&N, Budget Y, Budget Test Pipe, Budget B, Dynomax Muffler, MEVI, Exedy Clutch, Shortened shifter, Mustang GT shift knob , Smoked Red/Clears, AE'd Headlights, Yellow Fogs, Ebay FSTB, Ionic front Lip, Intrax Springs, Sportmax 962s.....EManage Ultimate!
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11-12-2008, 09:55 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Orlando & Daytona Beach, FL
Posts: 2,436
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You're probably one of the first people I have ever heard say that its not a good upgrade... Honestly, I think everyone I have ever heard do this said it was worth it. I am not blinding anyone(I have never gotten flashed) and mine aren't even aligned properly.
If you did not make a harness to draw off of battery power, then yes I would agree its probably not worth the minimal increase in output. However, once I made my harness, the light output on the road was phenomenal. I wont ever go back to 9004. Hell, my fog lights light up the road more than my 9004 bulbs did.
__________________
FOR SALE: Ksport coilovers! $225 + s/h!
00VI | 5.5Gen BBK | Axxis Ceramic | Raxles | Ksports | 00 5 spokes | AE'd | Cleared Tails | Shortram | 9007 conversion | LED interior | SNOMAX's LCAs
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11-12-2008, 10:04 AM
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#4
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The Original CF Maxima
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin TX
Posts: 6,172
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nopike
I read on this site and others how you can easily convert your headlights from 9004 to 9007. There are also cables for sale to help you perform this mod.
I read that the 9007's are 20% higher wattage bulbs and have an improved beam patten, this all sounded good so I decided to try this mod using Silverstar Ultra's.
First of all this mod is not necessarily easy, second this is not necessarily an improvement.
When cutting or grinding the nubs in the housing so you can fit the 9007 bulbs, unless you are very careful ,you will get dust into the housing. Good luck getting it out.
If you try taking the bulb socket apart to change the wiring you will probably break them, old plastic tends to be brittle.
Be ready to take the battery out, possibly multiple times to get at the drivers side socket and to perform adjustments.
Once you install the 9007 bulbs you will find that The 9007s beam center is much higher and more scattered than the 9004s. Only extreme adjustment will get them down where they belong. If you do that your housing will no longer be flush with the hood and grill and it will look bad. I'm wondering if anyone has taken their Maxima for a professional adjustment after this mod.
Our headlight housing reflectors were designed by engineers to work properly with 9004 bulbs and not 9007. The 9004s put the beam on the road where it belongs, the 9007s scatter the beams all over the place. If you have the 9007's on your 4th gen Maxima you are probably blinding other drivers. I'm going to stick with the 9004's, the small amount of increased light is certainly not worth the effort.
I realize some of you will say you performed this mod and it was easy and came out perfect but I bet just as many will agree that this is one mod better left undone.
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Sounds like you made things harder then what they needed to be.
If you were altering the sockets of the headlight, why not remove the headlight from the vehicle. Dust getting in the housings isnt diffucult remove, if you remove the lens.
As far as the wiring goes, just cut the old connector of and solder up the new, making sure to swap the hi and gnd or just cut and swap the wires before it gets to the connector. Why you would try and take apart the socket is beyond me.
Aiming wasnt difficult at all to me, and you can see the patter on the wall so you can see if the light was scattered and blinding people.
If you found this to be difficult, I feel for you doing other "real" mods.
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11-12-2008, 10:10 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Dur-ham NC
Posts: 6,198
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retro-fitting projectors, u wanna talk about difficulty, but it was worth the time and effort
__________________
96 White I30 auto
H&R springs//Koni yellows//Kenwood MP4028 HU
96 Black I30t VLSD 5spd(down and out)
Eibach springs//Koni yellows//F&RSTB//Black retro'd Cefiros w/CLK Bi-Xenon projectors//WAI
  
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......im a cheerleader for foolishness
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teh my lingo
Stuff for sale
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11-12-2008, 10:29 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 830
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flava_24/7
Sounds like you made things harder then what they needed to be.
If you were altering the sockets of the headlight, why not remove the headlight from the vehicle. Dust getting in the housings isnt diffucult remove, if you remove the lens.
As far as the wiring goes, just cut the old connector of and solder up the new, making sure to swap the hi and gnd or just cut and swap the wires before it gets to the connector. Why you would try and take apart the socket is beyond me.
Aiming wasnt difficult at all to me, and you can see the patter on the wall so you can see if the light was scattered and blinding people.
If you found this to be difficult, I feel for you doing other "real" mods.
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I've installed a Y-pipe/ exhaust, done the fog lap turn on mod and installed a beeper for the alarm with no problems.
I was trying to avoid taking the housing out, and was taking the socket apart so I could switch wires instead of soldering, it's cleaner.
The 9007s beams ended up way higher than the 9004's they looked like brights. I don't see how you can bring them down without extreme adjustment.
Last edited by Nopike; 11-12-2008 at 10:34 AM.
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11-12-2008, 12:22 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 783
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Worked fine for me. Did it last night. Plain Ole' wire cut/swap. I removed my headlights and stuffed a piece of a wife-beater t shirt inside the hole to catch all the debris from grinding the nub and used a Dremel w/grinding wheel.
Didnt even have to align them. Which i thought was weird.
Next up, Projectors!...if i can figure out how to do it.
BTW: my car was originally from Illinois, your car getting rusty? Cuz is. My rotors and sh1t are all rusted around the edges.
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11-12-2008, 12:23 PM
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#8
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Member who somehow became The President of The SE-L Club
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,698
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I agree 100% with the OP. This mod does not give you better light output. The high beams don't work for crap either after that mod. Light is all over the place, not focused at all.
Personally, I'm happy with my PIAA's. When they go I will put an upgrade harness, sockets and run with 80/100 9004's. Plenty of light right where you want it focused on the road with high beams that light up more then enough of the road way ahead of you.
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11-12-2008, 12:28 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 830
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shadyonedeath
Worked fine for me. Did it last night. Plain Ole' wire cut/swap. I removed my headlights and stuffed a piece of a wife-beater t shirt inside the hole to catch all the debris from grinding the nub and used a Dremel w/grinding wheel.
Didnt even have to align them. Which i thought was weird.
Next up, Projectors!...if i can figure out how to do it.
BTW: my car was originally from Illinois, your car getting rusty? Cuz is. My rotors and sh1t are all rusted around the edges.
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Yea that is weird, the alignment part was my main problem. The only thing I can think of is if I did not install the bulbs correctly the clip for the socket should be at the top (12 oclock) is that right? As far as rusty rotors you can get Chinese one cheap. Yea it all rusts here, kind of sucks. |
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11-12-2008, 12:34 PM
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#10
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Wild for Width
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 6,415
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I am in the easy crowd, I will agree that keeping the shavings out is tricky but nothing to get excited about.
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11-12-2008, 12:35 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 830
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Quote:
Originally Posted by njmaxseltd
I agree 100% with the OP. This mod does not give you better light output. The high beams don't work for crap either after that mod. Light is all over the place, not focused at all.
Personally, I'm happy with my PIAA's. When they go I will put an upgrade harness, sockets and run with 80/100 9004's. Plenty of light right where you want it focused on the road with high beams that light up more then enough of the road way ahead of you.
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Thank You! 9004s put the light exactly where it is needed, I think they get a bad rap. Our housings were not designed for 9007's.
The stock 9004's are crap but with silverstar 9004 I get more than enough light.
Last edited by Nopike; 11-12-2008 at 12:43 PM.
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11-12-2008, 12:47 PM
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#12
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NOT Banned
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Edmonton AB Canada
Posts: 2,295
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you guys are silly. I ground down the base of the 9007 bulb so that I didn't have to worry about getting crap into my factory headlights. And this way I can easily swap back to the 9004 bulbs when it's time to sell the car. I also just cut and swapped positive and ground wire.
Made things reversible. ftw.
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11-12-2008, 01:05 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 830
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When I say our housings were not designed for 9007's I'm not talkng about the nubs. I mean the reflector part was not designed for that type bulb so it does not reflect the light properly. I bet any automotive design engineer would agree.
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11-12-2008, 01:32 PM
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#14
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The Original CF Maxima
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin TX
Posts: 6,172
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Quote:
Originally Posted by njmaxseltd
I agree 100% with the OP. This mod does not give you better light output. The high beams don't work for crap either after that mod. Light is all over the place, not focused at all.
Personally, I'm happy with my PIAA's. When they go I will put an upgrade harness, sockets and run with 80/100 9004's. Plenty of light right where you want it focused on the road with high beams that light up more then enough of the road way ahead of you.
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I had two different types of Piaas, Nokyas, Mtecs, Silverstars etc. and they all had horrible output. I ran an upgraded harness as well, and didnt help output just the life of the connectors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nopike
When I say our housings were not designed for 9007's I'm not talkng about the nubs. I mean the reflector part was not designed for that type bulb so it does not reflect the light properly. I bet any automotive design engineer would agree.
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A agree that the housing werent designed for 9007, but the 9004 bulb size is really close to where I dont think it would make a huge difference. Not like your using a smaller H3 bulb in the 9004 housing.
Im assuming you have never noticed the differences in 97-99 refeclectors compared to those of the 95-96s, they are different and both use 9004 bulbs and the output is pretty much the same for both of them. |
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11-12-2008, 01:37 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Grand rapids Mi
Posts: 3,165
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flava_24/7
I had two different types of Piaas, Nokyas, Mtecs, Silverstars etc. and they all had horrible output. I ran an upgraded harness as well, and didnt help output just the life of the connectors.
A agree that the housing werent designed for 9007, but the 9004 bulb size is really close to where I dont think it would make a huge difference. Not like your using a smaller H3 bulb in the 9004 housing.
Im assuming you have never noticed the differences in 97-99 refeclectors compared to those of the 95-96s, they are different and both use 9004 bulbs and the output is pretty much the same for both of them.
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They all suck. Projectors FTMFW lol.
__________________
99 GXE Auto V1 370cc injectors and Modded vb.
97 5sp SE New build Holset HX52 and spray. More to come.
91 GXE Auto bone stock beater
Led retro's Pm me
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11-12-2008, 01:42 PM
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#16
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Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 190
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^+1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
and i really don't understand how 9004's could provide more than enough light on the road. Some of you guys must have much better eyes than me....
Last edited by AndrewR2442; 11-12-2008 at 01:45 PM.
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11-12-2008, 01:45 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 830
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flava_24/7
I had two different types of Piaas, Nokyas, Mtecs, Silverstars etc. and they all had horrible output. I ran an upgraded harness as well, and didnt help output just the life of the connectors.
A agree that the housing werent designed for 9007, but the 9004 bulb size is really close to where I dont think it would make a huge difference. Not like your using a smaller H3 bulb in the 9004 housing.
Im assuming you have never noticed the differences in 97-99 refeclectors compared to those of the 95-96s, they are different and both use 9004 bulbs and the output is pretty much the same for both of them.
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The 9004 filament mounts in the horizontal position and the 9007 is vertical that would appear to be a a big difference. Although 97-99 and 95-96 reflectors may be different they were both designed specifically for 9004's not 9007's. |
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11-12-2008, 06:04 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Orlando & Daytona Beach, FL
Posts: 2,436
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Unless you make a harness to draw off battery power, your 'increase' in light output will be next to nothing with a 9007 bulb. Make a harness, and you wont ever go back.
__________________
FOR SALE: Ksport coilovers! $225 + s/h!
00VI | 5.5Gen BBK | Axxis Ceramic | Raxles | Ksports | 00 5 spokes | AE'd | Cleared Tails | Shortram | 9007 conversion | LED interior | SNOMAX's LCAs
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11-12-2008, 07:05 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 830
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MOHFpro90
Unless you make a harness to draw off battery power, your 'increase' in light output will be next to nothing with a 9007 bulb. Make a harness, and you wont ever go back.
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Thanks for the advice but the 9004's have been installed, I just could not even come close to aiming those 9007's the way I expected. |
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11-12-2008, 09:57 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 985
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9007 I liked, just aim down to not blind on coming traffic. Just use the specs givin. Next I just walk down like 30 feet and look at car to see if it blinding. I live in the country and love being able to see all the critters that like to walk on the road.
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11-12-2008, 10:05 PM
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#21
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,210
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MOHFpro90
Unless you make a harness to draw off battery power, your 'increase' in light output will be next to nothing with a 9007 bulb. Make a harness, and you wont ever go back.
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BS... ur only drawing 5 watts more... or 350mA ur stock harness is fine...
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11-12-2008, 10:06 PM
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#22
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,210
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nopike
Thanks for the advice but the 9004's have been installed, I just could not even come close to aiming those 9007's the way I expected.
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thats weird... i had them and they were great until i put in my TL's.. i never had to aim anything and they didnt blind anyone...
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11-13-2008, 07:25 AM
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#23
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: houston tx
Posts: 7,716
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Title should end with "in my opinion". Filing off a flaky tiny nub and splicing 6 wires is hardly a hassle. I will admit that I didnt notice an output difference (from what little I can remember) and I've even switched to 97+ headlight housings. I kind of made up my mind that this set-up is just outdated because even with my brights on, it is disturbingly weak out where I live. In the city I dont care, but this **** is useless for anything else. I need projectors. What is all this talk about getting power from the battery?
Quote:
Originally Posted by f550maranello2
BS... ur only drawing 5 watts more... or 350mA ur stock harness is fine...
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Why is everyone saying that? I simply swapped harnesses. |
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11-13-2008, 08:14 AM
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#24
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Dur-ham NC
Posts: 6,198
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output of my headlights with PIAAs
Its really not going to get much better than this unless u completely redesign the maximas headlight housing. if the light is that bad the best thing for u to do is just save up some money and look for a good set of projectors u will not regret it
__________________
96 White I30 auto
H&R springs//Koni yellows//Kenwood MP4028 HU
96 Black I30t VLSD 5spd(down and out)
Eibach springs//Koni yellows//F&RSTB//Black retro'd Cefiros w/CLK Bi-Xenon projectors//WAI
Quote:
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......im a cheerleader for foolishness
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teh my lingo
Stuff for sale
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11-13-2008, 09:12 AM
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#25
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Chelmsford,MA
iTr | |
