Headlights - question

[veery]

How do I tell whether I have Xenon dims or not?

My headlights project a black line at the top of the low beams, and this line also shows as a thin black shadow between lows and highs as they shine down the road. I find this line quite disturbing and am wondering if different bulbs would help.

[Ilya]

Do your bulbs change color upon first starting up? Do they start white and go slightly yellowish? If so, you have HID's/Xenon's. If they just turn on and don't change color (due to warming up), you have halogen lights.

[veery]

OK, so I guess mine are halogen. I think the actual light is horizontal and may clip at the causing the black line. Will this change if I go to Xenon, or is it the result of the lens and reflector?

Can I change the brights to the Osrams?

[Ilya]

What packages are on your car? If you have the 14 speaker system, then you have HID's. If you have the 8 speaker system (and maybe Nav), you have halogens (that's the package I had on my 07).

I'm not sure I understand your black line bit...any way you can get a picture? Generally speaking though, it's the design of the halogen projector. You can definitely upgrade your halogen bulbs to better ones or to HID/Xenon bulbs in general. I recommend getting stuff from TheRetrofitSource.com. A little pricey, but hard to beat their stuff. Osrams are D2S size bulbs which won't fit in a halogen projector (if that's what you have)...sounds like you need H1 sized bulbs.

[veery]

Perhaps a better description would be that the dims project a light that ends abruptly at the top, so that the dark area above the area illuminated is distinct and separate. When I light up the brights then there is a dark line/band which separates the two areas which are illuminated - the two do not overlap.

I will try to get a photo this evening.

[Ilya]

Perhaps a better description would be that the dims project a light that ends abruptly at the top, so that the dark area above the area illuminated is distinct and separate. When I light up the brights then there is a dark line/band which separates the two areas which are illuminated - the two do not overlap.

I will try to get a photo this evening.

The first part is what we call the 'cutoff' in the projector headlight world. Very normal. In fact, if you didn't have a cutoff, I'd tell you to go get new headlights lol. The sharper the 'cutoff' the better the projector. Sounds like your high beam needs to be re-aimed. They should overlap a bit.

[veery]

The FSM shows aiming adjustment for the dim, but not for the brights. Don't like the cutoff, but I guess I need to get used to it. My 330xi wasn't that way.

[Ilya]

The FSM shows aiming adjustment for the dim, but not for the brights. Don't like the cutoff, but I guess I need to get used to it. My 330xi wasn't that way.

What year 330xi? Most likely it was a reflector housing and not a projector housing.

This is what a real high-quality projector outputs...the Infiniti M projector (at least the non-HID one) is very lackluster and not anywhere near that sharp.



Notice how the left side is lower. This is so you don't blind other drivers.

Projectors > old reflector technology.

[veery]

OK, so my 2006 M35x has projectors? That means the quality can be modified by changing the bulb? I see a similar view to your photo, but not as discrete (sharp borders) as the one you show.

Or can I change the actual projector housing to improve things?

Sorry, I am getting educated and you are the teacher!

[Ilya]

OK, so my 2006 M35x has projectors? That means the quality can be modified by changing the bulb? I see a similar view to your photo, but not as discrete (sharp borders) as the one you show.

Or can I change the actual projector housing to improve things?

Sorry, I am getting educated and you are the teacher!

Yes, all Infiniti M's have projectors. Some are halogen and some are xenon/HID. Yours is likely halogen if the light is more yellow than white.

And yes, the M projectors aren't that sharp. I used to have Acura projectors that I put into my old Nissan Maxima's headlights. The cut off on that thing was SHARP. Like a laser. It's a lot of work to change the actual housing (you can take it apart and replace the lens of the projector with a clear lens which will sharpen the cutoff). Lower quality projectors use a fresnel (frosted) lens compared to some of the high end projectors (which use a clear lens).

As for changing the quality, some bulbs are better and more clear...so if you upgraded to an HID system from TheRetrofitSource.com, you may see some improvement in distinct cutoff, color, and beam pattern.

I would only install HID's in your low beam (projector) and not in your high beam (non-projector). This is because HID's take 10-15 seconds to fully 'warm up'. Pretty much useless in a high beam situation where you only need it for short periods of time. Also, switching to HID high beam and off and on and off will absolutely KILL your HID ballast (what powers the HID bulb). They are meant to turn on and stay on for longer periods of time (10, 20, 30+ minutes). They don't like constant on/off action.

This is why I love my new M56. I have bi-xenon HID's, which means that one projector (per side) has both the low beam and the high beam in one. Inside the projector is a little 'shield' that moves depending on which one is engaged.

[veery]

Thanks for all the information, Ilya!

[Ilya]

No problem. If there is one thing about cars that I know best, it's HID's lol. I had two retrofits back when I owned Maxima's and had one retrofit on my second motorcycle.

[veery]

The dark line which is evident at either side of the bright/dim margin actually continues all the way through - the light is washing out my exposure so it doesn't show. Should I consider raising the dim aiming?

[Ilya]

To me, it looks like you have xenon/HID lights based on the color difference between your halogen high beam and your low beam. Your low beam looks fine, your high beam looks like it isn't aimed very well.

[veery]

You may be right - they start out greenish and get whiter. I had to adjust the photo on the brights - so that may have distorted the image - they are brighter then that. I see no instructions for aiming them in the FSM.

[Ilya]

Yeah I never aimed my M's headlights in the 5 years I owned the car, so not sure I can help there...unfortunately.

[Larz]

I agree with Ilya. You appear to have HIDs and they appear to be aimed properly. However, your high beams seem dodgy. They appear to be lighting an area much less wide than mine. Also, on my 08M the highs begin along the upper edge of the low beam coverage, but do NOT bleed into the low beams as your high beams appear to be doing. My high beams seem to make a second row of light that floats just above the upper edge of the low beams. They do not cover as wide a path as the low beams, but they make a wider path than yours appear to be making. (that could also be just how the camera lens captures them though.)
I have upgraded my high beams to Osram Nightbreakers and I am NOT impressed. I am still looking for an HB3 60w (OEM spec) bulb that will do a better job of matching the color of my D2S Osram 66240 CBI low beams.
It is my understanding that the Ms with HID low beams also have AFS so they 'should' automatically shine at the proper height. Seems to me your trouble is with the high beams, not the low beams.
As for the clarity along the cut-off line, Infiniti's do not have clear projector lenses like most other brands (BMW, Acura, Audi, etc) so your cut-off will be no better with different bulbs. Another reason why your BM may have a sharper cut-off and brighter path is the ballast. Infiniti's use 35w ballasts and 35w bulbs. Possibly your BM has 55w bulbs and ballasts?

[Ilya]

I agree with Ilya. You appear to have HIDs and they appear to be aimed properly. However, your high beams seem dodgy. They appear to be lighting an area much less wide than mine. Also, on my 08M the highs begin along the upper edge of the low beam coverage, but do NOT bleed into the low beams as your high beams appear to be doing. My high beams seem to make a second row of light that floats just above the upper edge of the low beams. They do not cover as wide a path as the low beams, but they make a wider path than yours appear to be making. (that could also be just how the camera lens captures them though.)
I have upgraded my high beams to Osram Nightbreakers and I am NOT impressed. I am still looking for an HB3 60w (OEM spec) bulb that will do a better job of matching the color of my D2S Osram 66240 CBI low beams.
It is my understanding that the Ms with HID low beams also have AFS so they 'should' automatically shine at the proper height. Seems to me your trouble is with the high beams, not the low beams.
As for the clarity along the cut-off line, Infiniti's do not have clear projector lenses like most other brands (BMW, Acura, Audi, etc) so your cut-off will be no better with different bulbs. Another reason why your BM may have a sharper cut-off and brighter path is the ballast. Infiniti's use 35w ballasts and 35w bulbs. Possibly your BM has 55w bulbs and ballasts?

While generally true, cutoff is *slightly* affected by bulbs too (as is color at the cutoff - more blue/rainbow color, etc.). He might get *negligle* results from a better bulb due to the Infiniti fresnel lens (not clear).

Since you are in fact D2S, you can get the CBI bulbs that have been mentioned before.

[veery]

This is undoctored photo of both together:



I do have AFS. I think I just need to adjust one or the other to eliminate the black shadow. You are right about the projector lenses - they aren't clear. I will look to see if there is a way to drop the high beams a tad.

[Ilya]

Yeah, I'd start with aiming the high beam and you should be good.