OEM HID Light seems not as bright..time to replace?

[Grimy]

I feel like my Rogue's lights are not as bright as they should be or once were. I have had the Rogue since November 07(4+ years). I have the SL AWD so it came with the OEM HID d2r lights. I was wondering if anyone has replaced there's and had any better results? I saw someone converting to HID bought the philips D2r. I like my lights to be extremely bright WHITE light..not blue. Any reviews on some headlights I should consider that have good reputations? I know on the halogen side, sylvania is super bright but has shorter life span(for the brightness that would be expected). Is there HID's any good? What about the Philips D2R Xenon HID Headlight Bulb vs Philips D2R CrystalVision Xenon HID Headlight Bulb??

[kerrton]

Bulbs will become less bright over the years as they age, in my opinion it's not really worth the effort of trying to find upgraded bulbs such as the Sylvannia super bright (which as you mentioned are very bright but don't last as long), or upgrading to HID. I've looked at a lot of HID upgrade kits and honestly most of them on ebay in particular are not good quality and not worth the headaches, in the long run you end up with a system that is not reliable and will not have the longevity of OEM.

OEM bulbs are relatively cheap, and easy to install yourself. In my opinion if you want very bright lights that are reliable and long lasting, just replace your bulbs with OEM at shorter increments such as 4 to 5 years and you'll be good to go. With all the potential headaches, costs and reduced reliablity risks I'd stick with a well engineered OEM bulb designed to work with your car.

However if you're so inclined and have the spare time it can be a fun project to research and do yourself, just don't get sucked in to the cheap upgrades on ebay, be sure to go with qaulity products that will of course cost more. Some bulbs such as the Sylvannia Super Bright claim to produce a whiter light that is more visible to the eye in addition to being brighter, this may be something to consider but I have not seen these in action or tested them. I'm sure some Rogue owners with more experience than me will comment on their experiences to help you out.

[Grimy]

Bulbs will become less bright over the years as they age, in my opinion it's not really worth the effort of trying to find upgraded bulbs such as the Sylvannia super bright (which as you mentioned are very bright but don't last as long), or upgrading to HID. I've looked at a lot of HID upgrade kits and honestly most of them on ebay in particular are not good quality and not worth the headaches, in the long run you end up with a system that is not reliable and will not have the longevity of OEM.

OEM bulbs are relatively cheap, and easy to install yourself. In my opinion if you want very bright lights that are reliable and long lasting, just replace your bulbs with OEM at shorter increments such as 4 to 5 years and you'll be good to go. With all the potential headaches, costs and reduced reliablity risks I'd stick with a well engineered OEM bulb designed to work with your car.

However if you're so inclined and have the spare time it can be a fun project to research and do yourself, just don't get sucked in to the cheap upgrades on ebay, be sure to go with qaulity products that will of course cost more. Some bulbs such as the Sylvannia Super Bright claim to produce a whiter light that is more visible to the eye in addition to being brighter, this may be something to consider but I have not seen these in action or tested them. I'm sure some Rogue owners with more experience than me will comment on their experiences to help you out.

Great advice, thanks for the quick response. I'm not sure though if you understood that the model car Ii have came stock with HID's. I wouldn't even know where to look for the OEM hid bulb except the stealership. One reason I mentioned Slyvania/Osram because I was curious if their HID bulb was known to last any longer then their halogen bulb.

[philipa_240sx]

I feel like my Rogue's lights are not as bright as they should be or once were. I have had the Rogue since November 07(4+ years).

Both HID and Halogen lamps experience a decrease in light output as they age. Both the number of starts and total operating hours affect how quickly the light output deteriorates.

Simply swapping to a brand new bulb (HID or halogen) will result in increased light output similar to what the vehicle had when new. For that reason alone, a bulb replacement is a good idea.

I typically replace the halogen lights on my vehicles every 2 years.

I like my lights to be extremely bright WHITE light..not blue.

Lighting color temperature measured in Kelvin. Example:

Daylight = 5000K and higher
OEM automotive HID's = 4100-4300K
Halogen lights = 3000K.

As you go higher in termperature, the light goes more blue in color. Conversely, lower temperatures are more yellow.

You can select a different color temperature based on your preferences. In your case, I would stay towards to the 4100K range to reduce the amount of bluish light.

As for bulb quality, IMHO any of the reputable mfg's should be about the same: GE, Sylvania, Phillips, etc.

STAY AWAY from any of the unknown brands and any 'fancy' bulbs claiming increased light output. Many simply market high Kelvin bulbs (very blue light) to unwitting consumers who don't know any better! In many cases, they aren't any brighter... and sometimes the visible light they produce is worse!