Nissan Repair: headlights, 04 Murano, xenon headlights, xenon bulb

Question
I recently purchased a used '04 Murano with Xenon headlights.  Because of some non-matching paint on the hood and passenger fendor and doors I suspect it has been in an accident.  The general condition of the vehicle is great except for the passenger side headlight. The passenger side headlight is very dim on low beam. Not just aimed incorrectly but very very dim. Any suggestions?

Answer
David,

The Xenon lights use a ballast to fire them to operate.  I would check the grounds on that side of the vehicle first.  Also, since the car is getting to be four years old the light could be going out and that is the sign that a xenon bulb is going to fail.  They get dim and then finally do not light.  Lastly, the headlight switch is the actuator for the bulb and both the right and left are switched independently with contact points in the switch.  Now, a Nissan this new should not have a defective switch.  But, it could have been damaged in the accident it might have been in.  I once worked on a Corvette that had been wrecked and the turn signals were doing strange things and it ended up being the stalk on the column that had been damaged in a previous wreck.