Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Xenon Lights IS Now An Option

More car manufactures are starting to offer Xenon HID headlights as an option on mid range cars and standard equipment for the top of the line vehicles.. You will also find this product being offered as anafte rmarket item. So you may get a new car with a pair as standard equipment. However, if you have an older car you still have a choice. As you begin to hear more about them, some people are having questions before they decide to purchase this expensive option. Here are some of the questions and answers.

Do Xenon HID headlights produce more glare than halogen? Federal requirements are identical for both when it comes to glare.

Why are these headlights blue? The blue light is caused by the energy distribution produced inside of the bulb by the Xenon gases which are under high pressure. The output radiation of the bulb has a line spectrum with some of the peaks in the visible blue region. So all of the light produced by these headlights are not blue, but they still look blue.

Are all blue headlamps Xenon HID systems? No. Some people and manufactures try and inmate the blue color of a HID bulb by painting or coating a halogen bulb blue. A true Xenon bulb is not blue. The bluish color is a result of the high voltage arc and discharge of the Xenon gas within the bulb.

How do I know if my vehicle has a Xenon HID system? There are several things you can look for. First, a Xenon HID system has a brilliant bluish white appearance where a standard halogen system has a yellowish appearance. Second, the Xenon HID system will output much more light than the standard system. A third item to look for is a "flash" blue and a change of color when the Xenon HID system is first turned on. Lastly, look at the outer lens of your system. If you see "D1S", "D1R", "D2S" or "D2R" it should be a Xenon HID system. If you do not see one of these combinations then you do not have a Xenon HID system.

How do I know my HID system is legal? If it has one of the four markings in number 4 above, and it also has the letters "DOT" it should indicate compliance to the U.SL Department of Transportation regulations for Xenon headlamps.


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