[s-cars] Xenon phenomenon...

[Krasusky Paul (WQQ2PXK)]

Wow, guess I'm too naive to think about the reality of this, but seems to be
a bit of a problem I'd say.  Lame.  Posted from the Boston Globe (long):


Left in the dark:

Audis, Nissans being stripped of high-tech headlights
By Peter Demarco, Globe Correspondent, 2/26/2004

Jon Lufkus of Roslindale was typing at his computer
one quiet Friday night last month when a loud and
ominous "CRACK" rang out from his driveway. 

Looking out his bedroom window, he saw two young men
standing in front of his prized Audi S4, each holding
a round object in his hands.

"I see the two kids, then I look at the car, and I
don't have any headlights," Lufkus recalled. "I'm
like, `What the hell?' "

Car stereos are ancient history, and airbags are old
hat. As Lufkus discovered, xenon headlights, those
super bright headlights with a bluish tinge common to
many high-end cars, are the coveted automobile item
nowadays. Car thieves have been swiping them in
increasing numbers across Boston, selling them on the
black market for a fraction of their $540 list price,
and leaving unsuspecting car owners with repair bills
in the thousands.

With the right tools, thieves can steal headlights off
two models in particular, Audi S4s and Nissan Maximas,
in under a minute, auto industry specialists said. The
headaches for car owners last a lot longer.

Victims typically pay $500 or $1,000 deductibles, lose
the use of their car for weeks to the repair shop, and
worry that after all the expense they will be
vandalized again.

"It's a huge problem," said Richard Poillucci, owner
of Automotive Specialties Inc. of Hyde Park, who has
replaced headlights for Audi owners from the South
End, the Fenway, Back Bay, Brookline, and Roslindale
in recent months. "Originally we thought it was just a
fluke. But I'm seeing on an average week four or five
that have been hit."

Headlight thefts were first reported a few years ago
in Florida, where thieves were pilfering Porsches of
their xenon, or high-intensity, discharge lights,
which are three times more powerful than halogen
lights, and far more expensive. Halogen light bulbs cost about
$14, according to auto repair shops. The thieves
installed the xenon lights in other cars, such as
older Hondas. The trend was seen last summer in New
Jersey and on Long Island in New York, and last fall
in Boston.

Boston police said they are aware of the problem: In
the South End last month, police arrested several
suspects who allegedly possessed stolen xenon
headlights. But officials could not provide figures on
the number of xenon headlight thefts in the city this
year.

Glenn Greenberg, spokesman for Liberty Mutual Group's
Boston office, said his office has seen an increase in
the number of reported thefts. "I don't have a hard
number for claims, but it certainly is a noticeable
amount," he said. "We're seeing it in Boston and the
Greater Boston area. There have been some incidents in
the Framingham area."

MBTA parking lots in Hyde Park and Readville have also
been hit, though authorities have arrested a suspect
they believe was responsible for all seven thefts
there.

While experienced thieves make off with headlights
fairly quickly -- Lufkus could not catch the youths
who stole his headlights -- novices have ravaged car
hoods, fenders, and windshields, requiring weeks of
repairs and astronomical bills.

"I just finished fixing a 2004 Audi. They actually cut
the [headlight] wiring harness that was incorporated
with the airbag system. This was a $10,000 headlight
theft," said Alexander D. Haddad, a manager at
Automotive Specialties. In some cases, owners have
been robbed not once, but two or three times.

"I was away at a conference when it happened the first
time in September," said Heikki Nikkanen, 33, of
Jamaica Plain, whose Audi was vandalized in his
driveway. "I went through the hassle with the
insurance company, I didn't have my car for three
weeks, and with the deductible I was out $1,000. Then
it happened again in December. The same exact thing. I
think it's the same guy, frankly. He knows where I
live."

Nissan, responding to thefts of 2002 and 2003 Maxima
headlights, recently launched an identification
program with the British firm, DataDotTechnology, in
which car owners in the Northeast, including
Massachusetts and Connecticut, can go to their local
dealers and have small chips affixed to their
headlights. Individual vehicle identification numbers
are printed on the chips, allowing law enforcement
officials to recognize stolen headlights in automotive
chop shops.

Nissan has also redesigned its 2004 Maxima models to
make it much more difficult for a thief to extract the
headlights, a DataDotTechnology official said.

Doug Clark, spokesman for Audi of America, said the
company is reviewing xenon headlight thefts and is
weighing several options on how to address the issue.
The Audi S4 is the most targeted of its models because
xenon headlights are standard equipment. They are
optional on the A4, and sometimes thieves mistakenly
remove non-xenon headlights from unlucky A4 owners.

With no devices available to better secure xenon
headlights to Audis, though, owners have been left
scrambling to find other ways to protect their cars.

Nikkanen bought a car cover, installed a $600
radar-based alarm that goes off if someone comes too
close to his car, and had his landlord install better
lighting.

Neal Rantoul, a Northeastern professor, said he now
parks his car in public garages with the front-end
out, so that his headlights are in public view and a
degree safer.

Andrew Malgieri, 35, a South End computer engineer
whose headlights were swiped last month, said he's
been searching in vain for a more secure spot for his
Audi S4, which was vandalized in the parking lot
behind his home.

"There just isn't any garage parking available in the
South End," he lamented. "For me, I do a lot of
traveling to Vermont and New Hampshire. Having
all-wheel drive is pretty important for my safety. I
love my car. It's a great car. But now, I've thought
about selling it."