Headlights
Moderator: volvite
Headlights
I've had the Pathfinder a few months and my biggest complaint so far is the headlights. Worst of any vehicle I've owned in many years and I'm driving primarily state-routes crossing national forests....200# deer everywhere. Switching to high beams does very little and you can see where the beam has a designed cut off. Has anyone tried adjusting these up? While I'm sure that will help some, I'm concerned my low-beams will start blinding everyone. If no one has tried, I'll be the guinea pig and give it a shot.
I drive an 08 Pathy and I do not think the headlights are that bad. But maybe it has alot to do with the persons eye sight, etc..I know I prefer the fog lamps on with the headlights. Have you considered changing the 9007 bulbs to PIAA or something else? look on http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProduct ... esults.htm
The first two post should help.
http://thenissanpath.com/viewtopic.php? ... =headlight
http://thenissanpath.com/viewtopic.php? ... =headlight
Perhaps they were set wrong after an accident or other service?skinny2 wrote:I will change out the lights if adjusting doesn't do anything. More interested in trying the adjustment first as there's a clear cut-off to the OEM lights on high beam. They just don't shine very far down the road. My previous Tundra, wifes Odyssey, and my Dodge all had nearly twice the distance.
I suppose anything is possible. No accidents according to previous owner, just three oil changes and I bought at 15k. I suppose it's possible she complained of blinding other drivers and they adjusted them. Doesn't look like anyone here has really tried so I'm going to go it alone. I think I'll turn the drivers side up one full turn and the passenger side two full turns. We'll see what happens.
Adjusted them tonight. One full turn on drivers side, two full turns on passenger side. The gap under the headlamp is rather large on the passenger side so they're probably higher than normal. I took it out my drive just to see if I could tell a difference (really couldn't). The first pic is low-beams, the second is high beams. Notice the reflector you can barely see in the second pic. It's about 100' down the drive from where I stopped. For giggles I took my wife's Odyssey down and did the same thing, first pic is low beams, second is high. Reflector is just a tad more obvious 
Pathfinder Low
Pathfinder High
Odyssey Low
Odyssey High
Pathfinder Low
Pathfinder High
Odyssey Low
Odyssey High
I'm not sure the photo's really do it justice (although the reflector is pretty tough to argue....) but you can see more than the camera captures. It's pretty good for comparitive purposes though. There is a pine tree about 20' beyond the reflector that you can see clearly in the Ody, but it doesn't show up on camera. Pathfinder wasn't lighting it at all. I'll have to see what happens out on the open road but I don't know what could be different about mine beyond adjustment of the lights. I feel blind without high-beams driving these abandoned state routes at night. I've thought about some monster Hellas or something too. If I'm running late at night, i've driven 20 miles before passing another car so it wouldn't be a big deal to switch them off every once in awhile.
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WheatBread
- Posts: 148
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 7:08 am
- Location: Little Rock, Ar
You think these are bad, you should have driven the Dodge Nitro I traded in on the Pathfinder. Every Nitro owner complained of them. I switched to Sylvania Silverstar bulbs and it made a noticeable difference. I went ahead and bought Silverstar Ultras for the Pathfinder on my way home from picking it up yesterday. Prepare for sticker shock ($40-$50) but in my opinion worth it.
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