bbznyc

Guess what?

You're right.... My headlights got stolen. Yep. This is beyond comprehension - I give up

Guys, again, please help me!

1. They took out everything, bent both fenders.

2. I need everything that is listed in this pic. A guy on ebay sells 2003 headlights from type S. Please tell me if i can put them in and what else I need to buy

3. Also, what is a balast? Is it the same thing as an igniter???

Please help.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2437479968


Thanks.

Mr Zipps

They might be yours....

Did you read the part that said broken tabs. Broken tabs = stolen headlights....

bbznyc

yeah, i got that part....

but my car is '99 how hard to fit it in??? I don't want to spend $1300 for freaking headlights - it's crazy. Since tabs are broken, can i put them in????

TLKrazey20

What part of BK did this happen? I am so scared to park my car and leave it .... this Schytt is ridiculous. Moving out of NY next year Just hope my lights last till then

bbznyc

Brighton Beach...


Can someone please post actual answers. I need my car working ASAP. IF anyone here actually has this stuff for sale, let me know!!!!


I can offer reasonable money. PM me!!!


Thanks to all!!!

Mr Zipps

Those headlights won't fit a 99TL....

LS14ME2

With all due respect,but won't your insurance cover it??

bbznyc

this is bad.... very....


anywhere else i can buy the whole set, preferably used????


please let me know????

btw... i have a $1000 deductible, plus insurance will go up right away!

thanks

TLNY

BBZNYC:

Sorry to hear that I feel your pain. I had only one light stolen from me I have a 99. I found one for sale on ebay too I got it for $55 including shipping. I am out in Queens. I know they have it in the Junkyards out here in Shea. I don't kknow their price but you can use any acura tl headlight as long as it's between 99-01 it will fit. As for the HID's if you get hella ballast the ignitor is already built in and thos can be found on ebay. I just got one it cost me $110 total.

My car is in the shop right now being fixed dropped it off in the morning should be ready by Sat in the morning. I know the place and they do awesome work.

If you got any questions PM me.

Good Luck

Hope I helped you.

galfert

I don't think it is wise to buy headlights from ebay with broken tabs. Think about it. ...If you buy them then you are contributing to the problem. If there is no market then there won't be any theft.

I would say that if you have $1000 deductable then you should have lowered it to $500. Lesson learned for you and for others that may be driving around with a $1000 deductable. If you can't afford the deductable then lower it. If you can't afford the premium of a lower deductable then you need to re-evaluate you situation and consider a different car.

njtls

yeah...whats the point of a 1000 dollar deductable....and those light swont fit your car..unless you want to spend alot more then 1300

TLNY

bbznyc I just sent you a PM

Also to others who might assume I bought stolen lights I did not.

My light's came in an original Acura headlight box except this was used. It arrived in great shape. Nothing broken.

What can we do to prevent this from happening. I know if they want it bad enough they will do it. How can we make it harder for them?

nym31mp

so fukin sick of these a holes doin this to the tl's etc......damn pisses me off we cant even enjpy r car w/o worryin damn

TLKrazey20

I really want to know

bbznyc

This is insane...

I had no idea how helpful some people are here. It is just amazing. The day when this #@it happenned to me, i felt like i wanted to die because i had no idea what to do next, call cops, cut my arms..., i was just stuck.... And what do you know after a day of searching and asking for help, people began offfering ideas, solutions, and I forsee actual results, and recovery after this mess.


THIS FORUM ROCKS BABY. THANKS TO ALL WHO HELPED. YOU ARE THE BEST GUYS!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

markhorowitz

The ones up for auction on Ebay are not for your car - they are the newer ones for 2002 and up.

I too live in Brooklyn, and am so sorry I bought a TL. I park it in the backof my driveway every night and say a prayer each time I use it that I don't find two gaping holes where the lights used to be when I get back.

Freekin jungle we live in but hey look at the bright side - WE'VE GOT THE YANKEES!!!!

songoku

Make sure to check your Comprehensive deductible. Sometimes people has different Collision/Comprehensive deductible.

This will be under comprehensive.

vipvop

Im glad I dont live in New York, I dont know why the headlight stealing thing hasn't caught on in california but at least we don't seem to have to worry about it as much.

I think the new york TL'ers need to start setting up "sting" operations where you park your car, pretend to leave it somewhere, then beat the living s**t out of people who try and jack your headlights. maybe if TL owners got a reputation as people who will violently defend their car the theives would think twice. nah, prolly not.

VQ35DE

NY area 2k2-2k3 Maxima owners feel you bro. I think we're hit more than TL guys. Some guy with a 2K2/3 Max parked in my employer's parking lot (with security) for ONLY a couple hours and got his HIDs snatched.

I'm glad I keep my Max stowed away in my garage all week.

Peace.

HeLLxRiSeS

Yup, in NYC, they rather get Maxima's than TL's

ThaLegend

Kidz I know that do this told me that it's easier to hit the Maxima's than the TL's Im ok cuz I keep the heat close by...:bigun2: :rocketwho :enforcer:

Just Kidding...no I'm Not!

bbznyc

So the only thing to do is to put an alarm that will go off if someone touches them. Which alarm should it be??? Anyone knows???

scottiew

Yeah that's real low stealing headlights... So far I don't think that happens around here.

A good sophisticated alarm that would alert you when it was activated would be good. I'm here in Texas so that wouldn't be to good for a crook in my driveway as Texas has a firm Self-Defense law that does include protecting property.

bbznyc

I wish we could do it here.....

shoot those people who mess with a man's automobile. You just can't do those things!!! Can't!!!

galfert

I don't think it would be smart to start jumping people stealing HIDs in NY.....you are likely to end up getting shot at. Life isn't worth a $500 or $1000 deductable charge...thats why there is insurance to begin with. Life is full of risks. Be smart....protect and care for your loved ones and consider yourself too because your loved ones will be hurt if you are hurt.

If you really want to set up a sting operation then volunteer your car to the local authorities...and coordinate it with them. Realize though that your insurance might not cover if your car is used for police work.

I think it would be smart to see an episode of COPS where they do a HIDs sting operation. I would love to see some faces getting busted for this crap. If this shows up on COPS then it will get the message across to those hoodlums so that they wise up and reconsider. Maybe they can even do detective work and catch the people selling HIDs with broken tabs on eBay.

galfert

Well I took it upon myself to email Fox to put this into a COPS TV show episode.....Lets hope it happens.... Better yet ...why don't more of you let Fox know that we want them to put this in thier show. Their email is: user@fxnetworks.com

Here is my email to them:

I’m emailing you to give you an idea for a COPS TV show episode.

It has recently become much of a fad to steal headlights from cars that have HIDs (High Intensity Discharge) headlights or also referred to as Xenon Headlights. These headlights are in luxury and near luxury cars and they glow bright white in color. It seems though that these headlights are easier to steal on some cars than on others. I frequent car message boards on the Internet and have learned that the Acura TL and the Nissan Maxima are probably the most popular amongst these thieves….and the places where this seems to be the biggest problem is New Jersey and New York. How about setting up a COPS TV show where you set up a sting operation and catch some of these Bad Boys. If it shows up on COPS I’m sure the word will get around and maybe these thefts would be less of a problem. It is such a fad. I can’t believe that I haven’t heard about this on the news. These headlights are worth upwards of $1300 to replace EACH ONE. Try a search on eBay and see how many Xenon HIDs you find listed and you can tell that they are stolen because they even advertise on eBay that the headlight mounts have broken tabs…a sign that they were crow bared off. It literally takes a thief seconds to pop the lights off and they dent the hood and bumpers when they steal them. Here is just one such listing on eBay….look at how cheap they sell them for:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2437479968

It is really sad for me to read about fellow car enthusiast on these message boards that have had their headlights stolen….and sometimes more than once. These people that don’t have garages and have to park their cars on the street literally say prayers every time they park theirs cars. At malls they park their cars backed into spots so that the front of the car is more visible, and therefore more of a deterrent to would be thieves because they can’t easily hide as they do their crime. I lowered my comprehensive insurance just because I own an Acura TL.

Please let me know of the possibility of this showing up on your show.

Feel free to contact me for more information:

XXX-XXX-XXXX Home

XXX-XXX-XXXX Cell

bbznyc

Dear galfert,

If you would live in NY you would realize that even though you have $500 or $1000 deductible, your insurance goes up in price, no matter whose fault it is... especially if you are under 25.

Point is, people who take headlights must be shot on the spot or beaten down to death, have their fingers cut off. It is not right... I mean it is not right.... it pisses me... big time...

Actually people tried to sell me stolen HID's and i told them no, out of the principle. Dawm A$$-holes. Luckily bunch of people contributed in other ways. Big....


Thanks to all.... yet again....

scottiew

Yeah in some countries they will cut your arm off for that. In those countries you tend to not see stuff like stealing headlights.

neuronbob

(praying that this problem was fixed for the 2004 TL)

scottiew

There isn't a fix... If people want them bad enough they'll get them. That was mentioned earlier.

HeLLxRiSeS

Couple of months back, they had a story on fox news. about people stealing HID's and ****. 30 seconds and they got your headlighs..... i don't see what an alarm could do. 4 in the morning, your alarm goes off.... nobodys gonna hear it

scottiew

Again would be nice to have it rigged to notify you via Radio Freqency waves or something. Then you could wire it to have a bell go off that wakes you up.

Then you grab the .12 guage riot gun.... Well that might not be suitable for apartments. Though the rack of a pump action shot gun will typically have people sh!t their pants then run.

In your own driveway (at least in Texas) it's another story.

Alexxx

Where in Brooklyn did this happen? The "normal" way you could protect your car (if you already have an alarm) is to get a car cover and cover your car completely every night.

These guys drive around the blocks and look for Acuras and Maximas.

I was speaking with one guy in a shop who said they can mold metal bars on the inside to the chassis. I thought about doing it, but when the thieves realize they can't steal they'll probably break them and other things.

I'm up for a sting anything, and if they start shooting.....I'll shoot back.

DrivebyTL-S 03

true, just catch one of these ****er and beat the living **** out of them. Ive got an alarm with a pager, and the minute that thing starts beeping I will roll out with a shottie and regulate like karma

galfert

I can't believe he said that.....Kennedy was a Democrat"

ps - Sorry off topic but I had to say something

scottiew

His wife is a Kennedy

bbznyc

Since pictures speak louder than words... i have attached the pics of my car. When i look at it, i cry (deep down). Why?? Why???:o

bbznyc

another side

scottiew

That is low I'm sorry that happened

Hope they catch the idiots.

HeLLxRiSeS

They didn't take the housing on the left side? newbie thieves