Bmsluite

iTrader: (1)

I've got an 07 HR and I can't see at night. Either these headlights or the bulbs suck. I know it's 35W D2S HID bulb but is there a better bulb to upgrade to? Do I have to switch to a different cam bus? I considered getting all new headlights. They are like $300 on ebay but I didn't do a ton of research into seeing if they use a different system.

travlee

iTrader: (8)

I doubt you will find an after market assembly better than the oem. Get some quality 5200-5500k bulbs first

MicVelo

If you are complaining about 06+ lights, there's something amiss with the lights themselves as these are the best lights for a Z33.

Things to check:

1. Lens cleanliness - should be absolutely clear; polish as necessary - if outside cleaning is insufficient, you may need to bake them open to do the insides. But before you do that, check further below.

2. Aim - do the "25' from a wall" test to get a rough perspective on aim. Cutoffs should be obvious with no light gap in the center and overlap should be clear and uniform. Any of these deviations indicate a need for aiming.

3. Check for proper shutter operation between low/high. This is simple on '06+..... do you get high beam when you click the light stalk?

4. Projector may be off kilter and require adjustment. You will need to bake them open to do this so while you're going about it, swap the projector lenses to a better one, e.g., Fresnel to STI-R clear lenses.

5. If that all doesn't clear up the problem (sorry, bad unintended pun) - and while you have the whole lamp apart - consider upgrading the bulb/ballast/ignitor assembly. Unlike the old days, you cannot just slap a bigger bulb in and let them naturally draw more juice or relay them up. You HAVE TO swap all of the componentry behind the bulbs to upgrade the lumen output.

You'll note this is the LAST recommended step. It's usually something pretty basic like lens cleaning or aiming that fix the problem. There are myriad how-tos on all of the above, google the site for specifics.

mr. sparco

iTrader: (13)

If all of the above posted by mic does not improve, get OEM HID bulbs if you want the brightest light. You might have some cheap aftermarket bulbs in there or ones that are near the end of their service life. I have OEM bulbs with non-fresnal lens and that really cleared up the sharpness of the beam.

Bmsluite

iTrader: (1)

I had the lenses polished already and I hoped that would help but it didn't. I just ordered some new bulbs. I forgot xenons fade over time. It doesn't seem like they are aimed at the ground. Are there dials in the headlights to aim them? The inky reference I have for headlights is when I messed with them on my BMW. So if Nissan is different then I'm starting from scratch in the knowledge department

MicVelo

This is old but it makes the point. Sure there's something over on Tube for the picture challenged: http://www.hypersprite.com/auto/tech-z-003/index.asp

Only thing I'd check and correct is the height you're aiming to and the distance from the wall. It's always been: "25' from wall, aim cutoff top to just below the sideview mirror bottom." (Measure your own and transfer to wall.)

Bmsluite

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Mic. I'll go ahead and adjust them. I can tell you that right now they are definitely not anywhere near someone's side mirrors at 25'. They are basically aimed at the middle of the lower bumper (using a Toyota corolla as an example)