Typically, incandescent light bulbs have the filament in a vacuum, but car headlights are filled with special gases in the halogen family (usually iodine or bromine). The newer LED and Xenon HID lights use a different system, and are much more efficient, producing more light, and less heat, from a given amount of electricity. Simply put, a common light bulb has a filament and when electricity is applied, the filament gets very hot and reaches a state of incandescence (glows bright red/orange/yellow). Incandescent light bulbs are not very efficient - about 5%-10% goes to making light and the rest makes heat. Indeed, most cars today still use lights based on his original designs. Step forward Thomas Edison, the inventor of the incandescent light bulb, who came up with first long-lasting headlamps for cars that could handle the vibrations. But then again, these cars were only traveling at the pace of a brisk jog. It's fair to say that when it came to lights, most drivers were still in the dark. Later, technology advances included gas-burning lanterns and kerosene lamps, similar to the ones Coleman still makes for camping. Throttle Body: What is it and what does it do?īack when the first cars were just hitting the road, headlights were pretty rudimentary, and comprised a candle inside a glass housing.
Starter Motor: What is it and what does it do?.Batteries: How to choose the correct one.If you're interested in converting to HID lights, you can shop online to upgrade the brightness, appearance, and durability of your headlights. We back up all of our products with extended warranties. Oracle Lighting has a reputation for building high-quality lighting products that are on the cutting edge of innovation. HID lights often require a conversion kit, but they can be installed on most car models in 30 to 60 minutes, even by people with limited experience. One advantage of halogen lights is that they fit in virtually every vehicle and are easy to change. With HID bulbs, drivers can create a customized look with choices, including pale yellow, white, blue, and even violet. Halogen lights typically come in either white or yellow. However, it's worth noting that HID bulbs may take a few minutes to reach full brightness. The average HID light produces about 3,000 lumens, compared with 1,400 lumens for halogen bulbs (lumens measure how bright lightbulbs are). More illumination means a safer experience on the road, especially in dark areas and during inclement weather. HID lights have a much larger light spread than halogen lights, which improves visibility in a driver's peripheral vision. Also, halogen lights need to be replaced about twice as often as HID lights, which creates additional cost and waste. HID lights don't require as much energy as halogen lights and put less of a strain on the car battery if the headlights are on while the engine is turned off. The xenon gas in HID lights allows them to last for 2,000 to 3,000 hours of use. The average halogen light lasts for 500 to 1,000 hours because their filament will eventually break down. With HID lights, electrodes charge the xenon gas inside the bulb to create illumination. The gas heats up and illuminates the bulb. Halogen lights consist of a tungsten filament and halogen gas. Here are the key distinctions between halogen and HID headlights. Though halogen lights come standard on almost every vehicle, many drivers choose to upgrade to HID (high-intensity discharge) lights. New headlights can dramatically improve the appearance and performance of a car, truck, or SUV.