What Benefits Does an HID Conversion Kit Offer Over Halogen?

The HID conversion kit consists of a high intensity discharge (HID) conversion kit for car and motorcycle headlamps. These specialty aftermarket auto parts kits are designed for simple and quick installation, which can be completed by almost any person with limited mechanical prowess and basic tools. According to a Wikipedia.org article, these headlamps work by using tungsten electrodes and an internal gas lamp to create an arc of energy that heats up special metal salts, which then are converted into plasma, and which illuminate the highly candescent glow of the headlamps. As compared to the more commonly used halogen headlamps, HID bulbs are about two to three times as bright, depending upon what Kelvin temperature that the bulbs are rated for. For example, a 55 watt halogen bulb is capable of emitting light measured at 700lm, whereas a less powerful 35 watt HID bulb is capable of emitting light measured at about 2700lm, telling of how the HID bulb utilizes less power to emit nearly four times the light as a halogen bulb. This leads to the primary question at hand, and the very thesis of this article: What benefits does the HID blub have to offer over the halogen bulb of yesteryear?

Brighter Light 

The bright intensity is easily at the top of the list here. When comparing the light rating, as previously demonstrated above, HID bulbs are capable of generating three to four times the light as a halogen bulb. HID bulbs can range in colors, too, which are rated by the individual Kelvin temperature of each bulb. The standard HID bulb, for example, is rated at about 4300k, whereas aftermarket ones that come in different colors can be rated as high as 12000k. The different intensities of the Kelvin temperature will indicate what color the light being emitted is, as the light will change in color at different temperatures without requiring a colored headlamp lens cap to exude colored light beams (halogen). On a related note, HID lights actually emit light that is far closer to natural daylight than halogen headlamps, which means that you can see more of the road at night, and be able to see it in a closer temperature to actual daytime light. This also means that more cars are able to see your car, and ultimately equates to safer travels for you and for the other cars near you on the road. 

Other Advantages

The HID conversion kit offers a few other advantages that you should not overlook, either. For one, they are longer lasting because they utilize diodes as opposed to filaments (halogen) to emit light. Diodes last nearly ten times as long as filaments do, and usually can last the lifetime of the vehicle. Secondarily, HID lights use far less power, about 35 watts as compared to 55 watts, thus saving you money on new batteries. Considering that HID kits are competitively priced these days – the average kit costs about the price of replacing your headlamps with halogen twice ($100) – the kit actually pays itself off in about four years, as compared to the replacement cost savings over halogen. 

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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