HID

[REZN]

i need to know what you guys consider a good company to buy HID's fromwhat size do i need?What kind of HID's?i know theres bixenon etc etc and idk whats the difference with them all so please. any info will help.

[UndeGuy]

Assuming your Pathfinder still uses H4 lamps, meaning, it's just one bulb with two filaments to do both high and low beam, then you'll need to get something that is for "H4/9003/HB2", which are all three names for basically the same thing. There are some slight differences, but for the most part, you wouldn't notice anyway.

What kind of HIDs? well, I prefer Bi-Xenon. This is the kind that uses only one Xenon gas bulb, period. The way it works is, when you flip to high, an electro-magnet switches polarity, and pulls the bulb back a little. If you go to any auto store, find an H4/9003/HB2 headlamp bulb, you'll see two filaments, one further from the base than the other. The far one is the low beam, you should see a shield around it. The closer one is the high beam. Moving the bulb (with a secondary shield) in a bi-xenon kit is supposed to replicate that.

Make sure you get a shield with the bulb you buy.

The other type that gives you high and low beams is usually called a "Hi/Lo Xenon" kit... It uses a xenon bulb for low beam, but you'll have a halogen bulb for high beam. I really dislike this one. The problem is, the second bulb isn't centered, so you're not going to get the focus you need.

Let me put it this way, there are people out there that b**** and moan that you shouldn't use a Xenon kit in a halogen housing because of the light source isn't in the same place and the same "direction." By direction, a halogen's filament runs left to right when you look at the bulb, but a xenon runs up and down. In any case, if what they say is remotely true for something off by a millimeter or two, can you imagine a second bulb that's off by a centimeter? I'd have less issue if it was at least lined up in front, not to the side of the xenon bulb. Now that I think about it, it might not be as bad if it were on the other side. The way it is, the high bounces to the driver side, or in other words, to oncoming cars on roads like in the US.

In any case, the last type of kit are single bulbs for ONLY high or only low. If you go this route, then you obviously are going to lose one... unless you replace the housing with a custom made dual bulb housing. I say custom, because there's no aftermarket part being sold, that I've seen.

Like I said for the bi-xenon, make sure you get a shield around the kit, unless you're going for high only. The shield prevents the low beam light from bouncing off the bottom of the reflector housing... that bottom light reflection is only needed for high beam since it reflects up.

As for where to get them... I'm still working on it... so far, getting them off Amazon isn't helping me.

[JonathanPrem]

I'm in the same stage. I'm planning on getting 12k Bi-Xenon. I heard that the Bi-Xenon use hid as daytime running light and high beam as hid as well.

[REZN]

ok im starting to get the concept here.so im pretty sure bi-xenon would be the waybut where can i find the good onesi mean ive heard of people saying months after buying their kits things are breaking.

[Slaxl]

Well i buy my HID Kit's from Amazon - the brand i use is JLM - i have bought 2 kits so far - a 6000K Hi/Lo Bi-Xenon kit that comes with the shield and a 4300K Single Beam Kit for my foglights. I have been using JLM for about a year now with no problems. I always recommend Hi/Lo Bi-Xenon because we have to be considerate of other drivers on the road. And the housing in our pathfinders are great with the HID kit we get a nice cutoff line as though it is projector style headlight.And on high beam it retracts the bulb moving it further from the shield.

My friend uses the barnd Kensun on his Pontiac Vibe- i think it is slightly cheaper but it hasnt given him any problems as yet either.

And to JonathanPrem - i wouldnt recommend 12K HID - because even thought the "heat" intensity is greater and it looks brighter the lumination is not. Meaning that if you look at your headlights from the front from a distance they apear to be as bright as the sun. But if you are actually in the vehicle you will find that it is quite difficult to drive with them because the light doesnt if you want to say reflect off anything. It's as though it is simply aborbed especially by the road. It will bounce off chrome quite great though. That ultra-purple HID is a bad idea. That is basically for show not for practicality. SO if you do driving at night i recommend 6000K the most. But if you have high powered fog lights and you want that 12K look well i guess you can go for it.


Modified by Slaxl at 7:55 AM 1/21/2010

[Slaxl]

And the Bulb Size i bought specifically was H4(9003) Hi/Lo Bi0Xenon for my 2001 SE

[REZN]

12k fogs and 6k heads? or vice versa?wonder how it would look

[Slaxl]

Hmm............i wonder as well. Should look ok - my neighbor has i think 10K in his foglights on his Expedition - doesnt look bad and when you switch to highbeam the fogs cut out anyways so it should work.

Always keep the lower number in your healdights though - we all need to see the road at night.

with the foglights however you can always play around with those

[Freyspath]

Well I hate to be the black sheep in this thread, but I bought the basic Xenon Low and Halogen high... I gotta say, the halogen high beam is a bit ridiculous because it looks tiny, compared to the big xenon bulb next to it. I thought I would be up a certain creek without a paddle, because I use my high beams very often. From what ive noticed they actually work pretty darn good. Not as good as a Bi-Xenon kit, but they shed the same amount of light as my OEM halogen bulbs.

The low beam pattern on these guys are a bit strange.. maybe its because im used to having an actual projector housing on my OEM xenons from my Audi, but on the pathy, the beam pattern isn't a straight line on the top like my Audi had.

I know you guys are going to nag me for having bought the "cheap" hid kit, but im now a full time college student, and I dont want to dump a whole lotta money one mod, id rather save and do 2-3 more mods.

I got this kit from Carhidkits.com and it was on sale for $79.99. I also got 6000k "wanna be hid" bulbs from ebay for like $16 for my fogs. They work great, amazingly, and look real nice @ night.

[Slaxl]

but how do those HID wanna be bulbs work out for you?

i have had nothing but bad luck with them on a ford focus, ford escort, honda passport and a mazda 626.

i had mentioned in a previous post that to overcome the tint or blue look on those HID bulbs they have to increase the Wattage rating - placing a bigger load on your exisitng headlight system. Normal halogens are rated for 55W - those "hid bulbs" are rated between 80-100W - hence halogens being halogens use only 5% of their power to create light while the othe 95% is waste by creating heat. Hence they tend to heat up your sockets and literally melt them. Thats why you cant stick your hand in front of a halogen headlight for too long without it starting to get really hot. The HID conversion kits i have are rated for 35W - they are brighter, light up the road more, are cooler for sure - u can place your hands in front of the lights with no discomfort, are really not that expensive now, look better BUT the downside is - the bulbs are more expensive to replace. I haven't had a single HID bulb blow on me yet but when it does its about 45US for the pair i believe - cant remeber - the only downside to HID's i see is the price.

[Slaxl]

Oh sorry freyspath- just realized you said you only have those bulbs in your foglights - and u drive with highbeam on moslty.......my bad.

[01-QX4]

i need to know what you guys consider a good company to buy HID's fromwhat size do i need?What kind of HID's?i know theres bixenon etc etc and idk whats the difference with them all so please. any info will help.

To better serve you and others in the future on which bulb (headlights, tailights, etc.) fitment, I use this site to find it >> http://www.sylvania.com/Consum...uide/

Assuming your Pathfinder still uses H4 lamps, meaning, it's just one bulb with two filaments to do both high and low beam, then you'll need to get something that is for "H4/9003/HB2", which are all three names for basically the same thing. There are some slight differences, but for the most part, you wouldn't notice anyway.

What kind of HIDs? well, I prefer Bi-Xenon. This is the kind that uses only one Xenon gas bulb, period. The way it works is, when you flip to high, an electro-magnet switches polarity, and pulls the bulb back a little. If you go to any auto store, find an H4/9003/HB2 headlamp bulb, you'll see two filaments, one further from the base than the other. The far one is the low beam, you should see a shield around it. The closer one is the high beam. Moving the bulb (with a secondary shield) in a bi-xenon kit is supposed to replicate that.

Make sure you get a shield with the bulb you buy.

The other type that gives you high and low beams is usually called a "Hi/Lo Xenon" kit... It uses a xenon bulb for low beam, but you'll have a halogen bulb for high beam. I really dislike this one. The problem is, the second bulb isn't centered, so you're not going to get the focus you need.

Let me put it this way, there are people out there that b**** and moan that you shouldn't use a Xenon kit in a halogen housing because of the light source isn't in the same place and the same "direction." By direction, a halogen's filament runs left to right when you look at the bulb, but a xenon runs up and down. In any case, if what they say is remotely true for something off by a millimeter or two, can you imagine a second bulb that's off by a centimeter? I'd have less issue if it was at least lined up in front, not to the side of the xenon bulb. Now that I think about it, it might not be as bad if it were on the other side. The way it is, the high bounces to the driver side, or in other words, to oncoming cars on roads like in the US.

In any case, the last type of kit are single bulbs for ONLY high or only low. If you go this route, then you obviously are going to lose one... unless you replace the housing with a custom made dual bulb housing. I say custom, because there's no aftermarket part being sold, that I've seen.

Like I said for the bi-xenon, make sure you get a shield around the kit, unless you're going for high only. The shield prevents the low beam light from bouncing off the bottom of the reflector housing... that bottom light reflection is only needed for high beam since it reflects up.

As for where to get them... I'm still working on it... so far, getting them off Amazon isn't helping me.

Everything UndeGuy mentioned here is right and dead on.

12k fogs and 6k heads? or vice versa?wonder how it would look

12K fogs IMO would be deemed USELESS. Anything above 6000K will emit a blueish hue. The higher K=Kevin the more blue it becomes. If a road was just newly paved with dark asphalt and you have a 12K HID kit, it will basically blend in because they are so dark interms of light output. You will have no usable light, so you're better off just staying with your stock halogen H3 foglight bulbs. It's more or less a personal perference. I tend to stay away from any HID kits higher then a 6000K kit for performance. But if that's what you're trying to achieve and going for just looks then that's your choice. I choose function before fashsion. Good luck on whatever you decide.

[Slaxl]

in the end 01-QX4 is right - it is your preference - you pretty much knw what amount of driving you do especially in the night - also before you go along installing 12K's i think you should check if they are legal where you live.

Thats why i use 6000K in theheadlights - it gives a light light blue almostlight purple and 4300K in the fogs for the most lumination or light output on the road. Do a fogmod and you can have them both on when your highbeams are on.

Or you can go the route i see some people take and do a "Lexus" like foglight. U can get the 3000K for that really yellow light just like what you find on those old Mercedes Benz or what comes on a Lexus.
Modified by Slaxl at 9:34 AM 1/21/2010

[slickroger]

Headlights 10kfog lights 3k

if your in the GTA I can get get HIDs for about 150 a set, I only paid this price because whenever I had a problem I get the replacement ballasts and bulbs for free.

I have only had ballast problems in-fact i replaced all of them already but it was free and i haven't had problems since.

email me and ill let you know if the link is still availabe

[UndeGuy]

Hey slickroger

how's the light output on your HIDs? I have 10ks also, and I'll have to admit, they feel a little dim (still usable, but I wish they were brighter). But the weird thing is, this is the 3rd kit I have. And while this and the first kit both seem a little dimmer than I'd like, the second seemed brighter than them. The only problem with the second kit was it was throwing too much light upwards (bad shield is my guess).

Maybe I'll give a 6k kit a try next... and from somewhere other than Amazon.

[JonathanPrem]

Slick What the % of Tint on your headlights and can i get a daytime and night night pictures please and thanks

[slickroger]

Ill tell you the honest truth there not that bright alone but the fogs really help. the combination of lights makes a decent light output. My headlights are tinted so halogens do not make the cut anymore the HIDs are definitely brighter through the tint.

Try finding someone in your area that can offer some kind of warranty or guarantee. I was gonna give up on HIDs until I found this local guy.

[NutsPathfinder]

I have 6k McCullochs in both my heads and fogs. They are my second set, not on the same truck though. I love them. They are more pricey then the other brands, but they are also a better brand then all of the ebay ones. Check out http://www.xenonking.com

[cpocollins]

Sorry to sound like a newbie about this. I recentley bought a pair of bulbs for the fog lights. But the guy who sold them to me didnt include the ballast. What kind of ballast do I need? Thanks


H3 35W 8000K Xenon HID Foglight Light Bulbs