What is the difference between halogen and xenon headlights

Related articles. Your guide to DIY car light installation. Read more. Please review and accept our Privacy Policy before signing up for the newsletter. Find My Part. Where to buy. About us. Select Language. Xenon vs. What are halogen headlights? How do they work? What are xenon HID headlights? The lights work in three steps: 1.

Energy efficiency Compared to xenon headlights, halogen lights require less energy to start up, but more energy to keep going. They also generate large amounts of heat, which is wasted energy.

As xenon lighting uses gas as its energy source, it needs less electricity to generate the light. Lifespan Xenon headlights last a lot longer than halogen ones — 2, to 2, hours for xenon headlights compared to to 1, for halogen. Cost In general halogen lights are cheaper than xenon headlights to produce, purchase, install and repair. Colour The colour generated also differs. Xenon headlights have a colour temperature of KK, which is a bright white-blue light similar to natural daylight and halogen headlights have a colour temperature of K, which is a warmer, yellow-white light.

However, xenon headlights are less effective in foggy weather conditions compared to halogen lights. Installation Installing halogen headlights is straightforward as they simply click into position. Xenon headlights require a ballast, which makes installation a little more complicated. Another great advantage to xenon headlights is their longevity.

For starters, HIDs have a much longer lifespan than halogen bulbs. By most accounts, HID headlights last at least 2, hours, and in some cases, they can last as long as 8, hours. Compared to the 1,hour peak life of halogens, HIDs keep lighting and lighting — to paraphrase a famous battery tagline. In fact, when two vehicles of the same make and model are placed side by side, the car with halogen lights could end by needing two or more replacements in the time it would take for the HID-equipped vehicle to need one new set of lights Mileage.

Despite the long list of pluses, there are a few disadvantages to choosing xenon headlights. For one, HIDs are expensive…or at least, they used to be. Due to their high price, HID headlights are most useful for people who normally drive at high frequencies after dark on most nights of the week. If you only make fleeting, twice or thrice-weekly usage of your vehicle, HID headlights are probably not worth the extra cost. Also, keep in mind that if not installed properly, xenon lights can inflict intense amounts of glare toward oncoming motorists, as well as through the rearview mirrors of cars ahead.

For this reason, aftermarket HID kits are illegal in certain states. Before you purchase HIDs, check the laws in your area. Furthermore, xenon headlights should only be purchased from a reputed source, and all installation work should be handled by a licensed specialist. Out of all the headlights on the market, the LED undergoes the most unusual process to generate light.

When an electron enters a low-energy hole, a photon is released. The process is also known as electroluminescence. The frequency at which this process occurs — thousands of times per second — is what produces LED light. Though the LED light made its first appearance in , it gained little market traction before the s.

The light emitted from an LED is approximately two millimeters wide. In terms of brightness and coverage, LED headlights cover stretches of ground ahead with an intensity of whiteness that rivals HIDs and surpasses halogens.

When driving up dark, twisty hills during graveyard hours, LED headlights will alert you to dangers in time enough to slow or stop your vehicle, such as when a deer or opossum crosses the road. The light within an LED bulb will instantly power on at its full brightness without flickering or any warm up time. In short, the HID vs. LED headlights debate favors the latter when it comes to brightness safety levels. LED lights are small in size, and this is convenient for automakers because it makes each unit lightweight and more easily applicable to various designs.

That means automakers are able to tailor LED lights to suit the designs of particular vehicle models. Due to the lack of drainage on the engine itself and the fuel usage such activity entails, LED headlights could even reward you with minor savings on fuel costs. Simply put, LEDs need more cooling to operate than do halogen and xenon headlights.

LED headlights, on the other hand, have a strange and somewhat troublesome relationship with heat. A closely related downside to the LED is the cooling system that accompanies the light.

Simply put, LED lights are difficult to fit into a car because the cooling system is meant to be placed in the engine bay. For the most part, this is a contradiction because the engine bay is the part of a vehicle where temperatures typically rise. When an LED headlight has been awkwardly retrofitted, the cooling system could face challenges trying to stay cool when the lights are on and the motor runs.

So, the choice of LED lights should factor in for your practical needs as a driver. Do you frequently drive at night, or rarely? Do you spend many hours per day in your car, even in times of rain, or do you seldom use your vehicle more than twice weekly?

If you spend 12 or more hours per week driving between the hours of pm and am, LED headlights could actually be the way to go due to their virtually unlimited lifespan.

One of the latest innovations in the headlight market is the laser light, which debuted in the early s and has been aggressively promoted by Audi and BMW in the European market. Out of all the headlight types, laser lights are the closest thing to prophesy fulfillment for the futuristic Sci-Fi of decades long past. Many people are curious as to whether laser lights will render LEDs outdated before they even have a chance to catch on in a major way. While lasers themselves are dangerous, actual lasers play just a small role in the luminescence of laser lights because they actually rely more on phosphor to create the light.

Looking at something like the Laser Headlight found in the BMW I8 — there are three blue lasers that fire through small mirrors, which point the energy onto a phosphour plate or lens. When interacting with lasers, phosphor generates white light. This light is relayed onto a reflector and out through the front of the headlight and then of course onto the road. Essentially, the light that beams from a laser light is created by phosphor- not the actual lasers. This makes the laser light safe for use on late night roads and highways.

Not yet legal in the US. In terms of brightness intensity, laser lights have the advantage in the LED vs. Laser lights can produce 1, times the intensity of LEDs, but consume only half as much power. Please review and accept our Privacy Policy before signing up for the newsletter.

Halogen vs. Xenon headlights. What are the differences? Message Regarding Your Privacy. I accept Submit Submit. What are halogen headlights? How do halogen headlights work? What are xenon headlights? How do xenon headlights work? A xenon lightbulb works in three steps: Ignition. A high voltage pulse is used to create a spark inside the lightbulb. This ionizes the xenon gas and creates a tunnel of current between the tungsten electrodes.

Initial heating. The arc is operated at high power and the temperature within the capsule rises quickly. The resistance between the electrodes drops. At which point the ballast registers the reduced resistance and switches to continuous operation. Continuous operation. The arc has now attained its stable shape and the produced light has attained its nominal value.

The ballast now supplies stable electrical power so the arc will not flicker. Light output Xenon headlights are more than twice as bright as halogen ones — lumens compared to lumens — which is why xenon headlights illuminate more of the road than halogen ones.