HID Conversion Kit FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. What is HID?

HID stands for High Intensity Discharge. HIDs use a high voltage charge of electricity from the ballast to arc between two electrodes inside a bulb full of different gases (similar to neon and florescent lighting). The gases are excited by this arc of electricity and then discharge an extremely intense light. HIDs give off a much larger amount of light then standard halogen bulbs or even high wattage halogen bulbs. HIDs can have a light output as high as 4 times that of halogen bulbs! Please refer to the picture for an example of an HID Conversion Kit.

2. What is the Kelvin Scale and Color Temperature Scale?

The Kelvin Scale or Color Temperature Scale has nothing to do with heat. The Kelvin or Color Temperature of an HID bulb has to do with the color output of the bulb. The lower the Kelvin or Color Temperature the more yellow/white an HID bulb will be. For example a 3000K bulb will be very yellow in color. Great for fog lights and foul weather use. A Kelvin or Color Temperature of 4300 is white in appearance with very little to no yellow color. It is the color of most HID bulbs in high end cars like BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Acura, Infinity, etc. Above 4300K the colors begin to get blue. 6000k HID bulbs have a white/light blue color. As the Kelvin number rises further, 8000K, 10,000K, 15,000K the bulbs have a deeper and deeper blue color that begins to cross into purple. Above 15,000K the bulbs become darker purple. 4300K tends to be the brightest and whitest color for HID bulbs. As you go up the scale, the trade off for more color is slightly less light. Even though you loose some light even the 30,000K HID bulbs still have more then double the light output of halogen bulbs. Please refer to the picture at the top of the page.

3. How long will my HID bulbs last?

HID bulbs last around 5000 hours. To put that into perspective that is 208 days of continual 24 hours a day use. Halogen bulbs last between 150 and 500 hours. In real every day use, since most people only drive for a few minutes to an hour a few times a week with their lights on, the average user should get about 5 to 8 years of use out of them before they should need replacement. Most people have to change a headlight bulb with about a year to a year and a half.

4. Are HID Conversion Kits easy to install? Most of the kits are very easy to install. They just plug into your stock harness and you need to mount the Ballasts. The HID bulbs go in just like your halogen bulbs. Bi-Xenon kits require slightly more wiring (a wire needs to be hooked up to the battery and another to ground) in order to accommodate the extra power the kit needs to switch the bulbs into “high beam mode”. Bi-Xenon kits are not necessary but do allow for the use of high beams in the H4 (9003), H13 (9008), 9004, and 9007 applications.

5. How much power will the HID Conversion Kit use?

Our HID Conversion Kits use ballasts that draw 35 watts of power. The majority of the halogen bulbs out there draw at least 55 watts. The HID Conversion Kit does draw slightly more power at start up but it is usually not higher then 55 watts for more then 2 seconds.

6. Are HID Conversion Kits DOT approved?

The only HIDs that are DOT approved are the ones that come factory installed on new vehicles. There are no HID conversion kits that are DOT approved. Therefore HID conversion kits are for off road, racing and show car use.

7. Will in need to adjust the aim on my headlights after installing HIDs?

Depending on your vehicle, you may need to lower the aim of your headlights as HIDs produce far more light then standard bulbs. You should mark a line on a wall at the top of where your stock bulbs light up the wall from 10 to 20 feet away. Then install your HID conversion kit and see where the light is. If it is above the line you drew on the wall you will need to lower your headlight aim. Most, if not all car owner’s manuals have the directions for aiming your headlights. Be polite to fellow drivers and lower the headlight aim if needed.

8. How come your kits have the same shape and look of other cheaper kits?

We asked the same question! In order to keep costs down and to keep HID parts compatible across the board, companies purchase case castings from the same casting companies. Thus many cases look the same but the electronics and designs inside can be very different! High quality digital components make the difference in our kits and result in a dependable, high performance, waterproof and shock resistant product. Also many HID bulbs also look the same, but the blend of gases and quality of glass that make up the bulbs result in better color and zero ultra violet radiation that could damage your cars headlight lenses. How many other brands tell you that?