![]() Also, the bulb must be in a horizontal position when it is on, otherwise it may overheat and fail. This creates a potential explosion hazard so do not attempt to power a HID bulb outside of the headlamp assembly to "test" it. ![]() The hot ionized gas produces a "plasma discharge" that generates an extremely intense, bluish-white light.ĬAUTION: Once ignited, the pressure inside an HID bulb builds to over 30 atmospheres due to heat (up to 1500 degrees F inside the bulb!). When high voltage current is applied to the electrodes, it excites the gases inside the bulb and forms an electrical arc between the electrodes. Inside the bulb are two electrodes separated by a small gap (about 4 mm or 3/16th inch). HID lighting systems use a special quartz bulb that contains no filament and is filled with xenon gas and a small amount of mercury and other metal salts. HID bulbs typically produce 71 lumens of light per watt compared to 18 lumens of light per watt for standard halogen bulbs. This is possible because HID lighting systems work like a vapor-filled street light or metal halide lamp. The xenon bulbs that are used in HID lighting systems also produce three times the light output of standard halogen headlamps (3000 lumens versus 1000 lumens), and require less energy (35 to 42 watts versus 55 watts). The lower the temperature rating, the more yellowish the light appears.īlue-white light is better for visual perception, but yellow light is actually somewhat better for reducing glare in fog, rain and snow (that's why fog lights are yellow). Light from a standard halogen bulb is 3200 degrees K, and that from an ordinary incandescent bulb is 2800 degrees K. Light produced by a HID xenon bulb is 4100 degrees K. Natural sunlight at noon is 4870 degrees K. The color of light can be measured in "degrees Kelvin," which refers to the "temperature" (shade) of light. The near-white light produced by HID headlamps improves visibility and makes it easier to see distant objects. ![]() Halogen headlamps, by comparison, are more yellowish in appearance but are brighter and whiter than older incandescent style headlamps. Though the color of the light is often perceived as having a bluish tint when viewed at night, most of the light that is produced by HID headlamps is actually very close in color to natural noontime sunlight - though some of the light produced is also in the blue and ultraviolet spectrum. Like the name implies, high intensity discharge lighting creates a very bright light that is ideal for night time driving. LED headlamps are far less expensive than HID headlamps, plus LEDs essentially last the life of the vehicle (no bulbs to burn out), and the light generated by LED headlamps creates less glare to oncoming drivers. The majority of new cars, trucks and DUVs are now equipped with LED headlamps. Today, HID headlamps have mostly disappeared from new vehicles. The popularity of HID headlamps grew quickly but had peaked around 2015 when new LED (Light Emitting Diode) headlamps started to appear on more and more new vehicles. However, the performance and safety advantages of the high tech lighting system created more consumer demand for it on mid-level vehicles as well as luxury and high-end vehicles (Nissan Altima as well as Nissan Maxima and various Infinity models, for example). The growth of this technology has been slow because of its high cost. The first domestic application was the 1995 Lincoln Mark VIII. HID headlamps were first introduced back in the mid-1990s in Europe and Japan on a handful of high end luxury cars. Applications include Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chrysler, Ford, GMC, Honda, Jaguar, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo. For the 2005 model year, 95 vehicle models were factory-equipped with Xenon headlights, also known as "High Intensity Discharge" (HID) headlamps. Those bright bluish headlamps that really light up the road are found on many 1995 to 2015 import and domestic vehicles. High Intensity Discharge (HID) HeadlightsĪuto Repair Library, Auto Parts, Accessories, Tools, Manuals & Books, Car BLOG, Links, Index
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