Phoenix AutoBulbs is an experienced and leading retailer of automotive Xenon HID products, and we have designed this Guide to help explain all the points you should be looking for before you purchase a HID Xenon Conversion kit.
Once you have converted to Xenon HID lights you will never want to go back, however with so many different companies offering a variety of conversion kits, deciding which one to buy can be quite confusing. Unfortunately many of these kits on the market at the moment are poor quality imports made from cheap components, which will not last very long.
Phoenix AutoBulbs supplies only the Highest Quality Xenon HID Conversion kits, backed up with an 18 month warranty, after sales service and a full selection of replacement parts and bulbs.
WHAT ARE XENON HID LIGHTS?
Xenon HID lights are the latest generation in automotive lighting. They first appeared several years ago on Prestige cars like Audi, BMW and Mercedes, and it is easy to spot a car at night fitted HID Xenons as they produce the crisp powerful white light which seem to have a blue hue around them. It is now possible to fit Xenon lights to vehicles that originally had the old style Halogen Headlight bulbs by using a Xenon HID Conversion Kit.
HOW DO XENON HID LIGHTS WORK?
Unlike standard Halogen bulbs which work by passing an electrical current through a metal filament which in turn heats up the halogen gas within the bulb, HID Xenon Lights work by using a high voltage spark to ignite a Xenon gas within the glass bulb. The ballast unit generates a high voltage current (around 20,000 volts) which arcs between two electrodes, this spark activates the Xenon gas, which in turn activates the metal halide within the bulb, once the gas has been activated the ballast output stabilises at 85 volts. This method creates a bulb that lasts up to ten times longer and draws considerably less power (around 35W) than a standard halogen bulb
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF XENON LIGHTS?
Quite simply once you have driven at night with HID xenon lights you will not want to go back. HID Xenons provide 300% more light than a standard halogen bulb, producing a beam of white light that closely resembles natural daylight, allowing the driver to see the road and potential hazards earlier and more clearly. These bulbs will also last 10 times longer (around 3000 hours) and draw considerably less power than a standard halogen bulb.
ARE XENON HID CONVERSION KITS THE SAME AS XENON UPGRADE BULBS?
No, Xenon HID Conversion Kits work on a completely different principle to Xenon Upgrade Bulbs. Xenon Upgrade Bulbs have a metal filament just like halogen bulbs, however by improving the quality of the filament and adding xenon gas to the halogen the bulb can produce a light up to 90% brighter than standard halogen bulbs. Whilst these bulbs will never match the light output of a Xenon HID Conversion kit they are very quick and easy to install and will cost considerably less than a full Xenon HID Conversion kits.
Follow this link to see our full range of Xenon Upgrade Bulbs.
WHAT IS IN THE XENON HID CONVERSION KIT?
All of the kits come with ballasts, xenon bulbs, wiring, connectors, fixing plate, a full 18 month warranty and easy to understand instructions - basically everything you need, except a few basic tools, to install the HID Xenon Kit.
CAN I INSTALL HID XENON ON ALL MY LIGHTS?
Because Xenon HID lights ignite instantly and draw only a very low current they are perfect for dipped beam, main beam and fog lights, in fact we have found that many customers will upgrade their fog lights after upgrading their headlights because HID Xenons will make standard fog lights appear a dull yellow colour in comparison.
DO I NEED SPECIAL BULB HOLDERS
The following vehicles will require a special bulb holder to allow the wires from the HID bulb to pass through, this will ensure you will receive a professional and neat installation without the need for any special modifications.
- BMW E46 3 Series
- BMW E39 5 Series
- BMW E60 5 Series
- Honda Civic Type S and R 2004 onwards
- Mercedes All Models 2002 onwards
- Saab 9-3
- Vauxhall Vectra 2003 onwards
- Volkswagen Golf 2005 onwards
- Volkswagen Touran 2005 onwards
Please follow this link to see our full range of HID Xenon Bulb Holders.
ARE THEY EASY TO FIT?
Yes, all our kits are plug and play, meaning that there is no soldering or need to cut any wires, this also means you can quickly revert your lights back to the old halogen bulbs should you need to. Whilst our kits and their instructions are extremely easy to install and follow, we recommend that if you are unsure or unfamiliar with auto electrics it is advisable to get the kit installed by a qualified auto electrical mechanic.
WHAT DOES THE 4500K, 6000K, 8000K MEAN?
The 'K' stands for Kelvin which is used to measure the bulbs colour temperature.
The colour for various temperatures is as follows:
4500K - White light with a tinge of yellow
6000K - Pure white light
8000K - White light with a tinge of blue
10000K and higher - White light with an increasing tinge of purple
Standard Xenon lights are restricted to 4300K by EU law, and it is for this reason that we strongly recommend customers buy the 4000k or 6000k kits. Whilst we do sell kits in higher colour temperature ranges, up to 10000K, we do not normally recommend them, as these lights will stand out considerably on the road.
WHAT DOES 35W AND 55W MEAN?
The 'W' stands for wattage, which is a measurement of how powerful the light output from the kit is. Phoenix AutoBulbs only sell kits rated at 35W as we have found from our own experience that 55W kits are far too bright to be used safely on the road.
ARE THEY STREET LEGAL?
Unfortunately this has become quite a grey area. The current law states that all cars fitted by the MANUFACTURER with Xenon Headlights must have a self-levelling system and a headlight washer unit - to prevent the lights dazzling oncoming traffic. However this law does not specify AFTERMARKET kits like those sold by Phoenix AutoBulbs. Because the law is still unclear in this area we sell all of our kits as Off-Road and Show Use Only; however we know that all our kits will pass an MOT, and can be quickly reverted back to standard halogen bulbs if required.
WHICH KIT SHOULD I FIT ON MY CAR?
If your vehicle was built after 2002 and is from one of the manufacturers listed below, or if you simply want the best HID Conversion Kit for your car, we would recommend the KAIXEN HID Xenon Conversion Kit.
- Audi - Saab
- BMW - Skoda
- Jaguar - Seat
- Land Rover - Vauxhall
- Mercedes - Volkswagen
- Porsche - Volvo
- Peugeot
The Kaixen kit is quite simply one of the best HID Xenon Conversion Kits on the market today, it is fully compatible with ALL vehicles and contains the latest HID electronics to ensure it works with all modern vehicle electronics meaning you will not get spurious bulb failure warnings, interference or intermittent bulb flicker.
Click on this link to see the Full Range of KAIXEN HID Conversion Kits.
If your vehicle was built before 2002, or was built after 2002 and is not made by one of the manufacturers listed above, then we would recommend the IGNITION HID Xenon Conversion Kit. The Ignition kit provides excellent quality components and superb reliability at an extremely competitive price, whilst completely transforming the appearance of your vehicle at night and significantly improving visibility when driving at night.
Click on this link to see the Full Range of IGNITION HID Conversion Kits.
DO YOU CHARGE EXTRA FOR DELIVERY AND POSTAL INSURANCE
No, all our Xenon HID Conversion Kits are covered by Phoenix AutoBulbs Free postage policy, they are sent Royal Mail Special Next Day Delivery and for added piece of mind are insured to their full value, at no extra charge.
MY QUESTION IS NOT LISTED ABOVE
If you have any further questions or would like to discuss your HID Xenon Conversion kit options further please contact our helpful sales team at sales@phoenixautobulbs.co.uk or call on 01702 312 838.
