HID (High-Intensity Discharge) headlights are most commonly used in newer high-end cars, especially in luxury and sports vehicles. Some popular car brands that use HID headlights include BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Acura. HID bulbs work by sending an electric current through a small gap between two electrodes within the bulb. This creates an arc of electricity that ionizes the xenon gas and causes it to emit light. HID bulbs produce a much brighter and whiter light than traditional halogen bulbs, making them a popular choice for many drivers. HID (High Intensity Discharge) headlight bulbs are a type of headlight bulb that produces light using an arc of electricity instead of a filament. They are also commonly known as xenon headlights, as the bulbs contain xenon gas that helps to create the bright white light that HID bulbs are known for. Choose the Right LED Headlight Bulbs For Your Car.Why LED Headlight Bulbs Better Than HID: 3 Main Reasons.LED vs HID Headlights: Which is Better?.No doubt about it: xenon technology can make a tremendous difference at night.Īt night, the xenon projects a wider beam, and a broader beam of light the better you see the more time you have to react. Halogen bulbs burn hotter than the same wattage xenon bulb.Xenon light is whiter, bluish light whereas Halogen is more yellowish.Xenon produces a cleaner, whiter light than a 55w Halogen bulb.
Xenon can last 10 times longer than Halogen.Xenon light is 300 times brighter than Halogen.There are many advantages to the Xenon bulb: Halogen does not emit as much light as a xenon and road vibrations will cause the Halogen incandescent filament to slowly decay.īut it is also less expensive than xenon. Instead, it uses two electrodes that meet inside the xenon glass filled bulb.Ī Ballast is used to send up to 24,000 volts of electricity which creates a potent spark and ignites the xenon gas mixture.ĭiscover how to change the tail light bulbs on your car Disadvantages of halogen bulbs Today, a factory equipped xenon lighting use a 35w lighting system.Ī true xenon HID bulb does not use a filament, like the Halogen bulb. This xenon gas creates a much more powerful amount of light- measured in thousands of Lumen- depending on the power consumption which normally is 35w, 55w or 75w. The HID light bulb (which stands for High Intensity Discharge) is filled with Xenon gas which responds to the spark created inside the HID bulb. Xenon bulbs (also called HID bulbs) are not the same as a Halogen bulb. Compared to the tungsten, the previous metal used in bulbs, they were superior. It is also why standard automotive headlights are called Halogen bulbs. Halogen reacts to the hot filament by creating a large amount of light (1,200 Lumen of light output). Incandescent light bulbs, as used in car headlights, are filled with a special gas called Halogen. Incandescent light bulbs are not very efficient - about 5%-10% goes to making light and the rest makes heat. Light bulbs that use filaments are called incandescent light bulbs. Simply put, a light bulb has a filament and when electricity is applied to each side of the filament, the filament gets very hot and reaches a state of incandescence. Thomas Edison, the inventor credited with the first long-lasting headlamps in 1879 used incandescent light bulbs and most cars today are based off his original designs. The lamps used in the first vehicles were very rudimentary basically, they were lamps that used a glass housing with a candle burning inside it to light up the road.