![]() This process allows them to emit bright, far-reaching white light at around 6000K with less heat than their halogen alternatives. HID headlights work by sending a high-voltage electric current between two tungsten electrodes housed inside a quartz tube filled with xenon gas. Xenon headlights are a kind of HID (high-intensity discharge) light. Halogen headlights are easy to identify, shining a small amount of yellow light in a color temperature of around 3200K on the road directly in front of the vehicle. Halogen headlights produce a significant amount of heat, and it is vitally important to exercise caution when handling them-even a small amount of skin contact on the bulb during replacement can affect their performance. Similar to incandescent lights, halogens use a heated tungsten filament to produce light, except the filament is encased in a bubble of halogen gas to improve performance and longevity. So which type of headlight is best for your car, and what are the differences between them? Halogenĭating back to the mid-1960s, halogen headlights were some of the earliest automotive headlights, and they are still used in the majority of cars today. While color and light quality are the most visible characteristics of these lights, there are still many more pros and cons worth considering before making a purchasing decision. With older cars, you may not have much choice in the matter but with newer cars, you probably have a few options, namely halogen, xenon (HID), or LED headlights. Even after you’ve finally found the bulb you need, perhaps using our site's nifty bulb finder feature, you still need to choose the appropriate technology. The Editorial department is independent of ’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.Replacing your vehicle’s headlights can be a painstaking process. ![]() In line with ’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. However, only LEDs have earned good ratings.Ĭars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. Some halogens have been rated acceptable (the second-highest), and some LED headlights as marginal (second-lowest) and even poor. IIHS says LEDs generally perform better in its tests, but the organization has rated some halogen headlights higher than some LEDs. Headlights rated poor (the lowest) light 220 feet or less. IIHS says that on a straight road, low-beam headlights rated good (the top rating) illuminate the right side of the road at least 325 feet. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates headlights based on the distance that they illuminate the road as a vehicle travels straight and on curves. Whether the light comes from a halogen or high-intensity-discharge bulb or LEDs, the design of the headlight assembly and the reflectors - the parts that shine the light down the road - also affects performance, along with how well the headlights are aimed. The downside is that they are more expensive than halogens or high-intensity-discharge headlights, which typically use xenon gas. LEDs also typically don’t burn out like incandescent bulbs, though they do dim over time.īecause LEDs are smaller than bulb-type lights, they allow more design freedom with headlights and other vehicle lights. LEDs operate about 90% more efficiently than incandescent bulbs, and because they generate less heat, that helps them last much longer than other types of lights. With LEDs, an electric current passes through a semiconductor (or diode) to produce light that is brighter and generates less heat. Halogen bulbs are brighter than regular incandescent bulbs and tend to last longer. They differ from regular incandescent bulbs in that they have a dose of halogen gas instead of argon gas. When electric current passes through the filament, it heats up and generates light. Here’s how they’re different: Halogens are incandescent lights that have a tungsten filament inside a bulb. Halogen headlights were the standard for the auto industry for years because they were cheap to manufacture and simple to replace, but now LEDs are outshining them. What’s more, a lot of people think they look cool. LEDs appeal to automakers and consumers for several reasons: They’re brighter than halogen headlights and often cast a wider pattern, plus they use less energy, last longer and have a much whiter color than halogens, which typically are yellowish. View all 2020 Hyundai Palisade models for sale near 60606
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