HID University




Top 10 most important things to look for when shopping for an HID conversion


There are 10 important things to carefully check before ordering HID lights for your car or truck. HID headlights will provide great performance and appearance as long as you do your homework before shopping.


(1) Compatibility with your vehicle


The first thing you need to check is whether the HID light will be compatible with your car or truck. You need to check the bulb type used for your vehicle's original headlights (high-beams, low-beams, high-and-low beams or fog lights).


(2) Ease of installation


You need to make sure that the hid conversion is truly plug-and-play. A lot of companies will claim their HID lights are plug-and-play but in reality they require a lot of modifications to the headlights and the wiring. Check the website carefully. If in doubt, ask the seller.


(3) Strong warranty


Check that the HID light is covered by a strong warranty against defects. Most companies will have some type of warranty, typically 6 months to 2 years. The high quality HID lights are covered by a much longer warranty. For example, HID Kit.net lights are covered by a 10-year warranty. Also make sure that ALL parts are covered, including the HID bulbs. These are the parts that most commonly go wrong.


In addition, check to see how to get warranty replacement. A lot of HID conversion retailers are located in China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. They require you to ship your HID lights across the world and pay for shipping both ways. Try to find a company with offices in the USA to save on shipping and get a speedy replacement. Communication will also be a lot easier.


(4) Free shipping


A lot of companies offer attractive low prices, but beware: They often charge high shipping fees. Make sure that you retailer offers FREE or low shipping rates. Always take into account the total cost of the HID conversion.


(5) Good Pricing


Prices vary wildly on the internet anywhere from $30 to $1400 for an HID conversion. Off course, you often get way you pay for. Cheap HID lights are just that: cheap HID lights. But do not overpay for an HID conversion. A reasonable price would be between $90-$200, depending on the features of the complete HID conversion.


(6) Fast shipping


Lots of companies will ship their lights directly from the manufacturer in Asia. Expect to get it in 6-8 weeks. Preferably, order from a retailer with offices and warehouses in America. Shipping will be much quicker and you won't have delays with customs.


(7) Customer service


Did you ever email a retailer and waited for ever for a response? Or received an email in broken english. Customer service is important. Make sure the retailer is professional, trustworthy and replies quickly to your inquiries. If you don't get an email reply within 24 hours, stay away.


(8) Digital Ballasts


The HID lighting technology has evolved quickly over the past years. A lot of manufacturers are still producing very old technology with reliability troubles. Your best bet is to look for the most modern, up-to-date technology you can find. The state-of-the-art right now is digital ballasts. The ballasts are much solid and reliable than the old clunky ballasts and offer solid state electronics for incredible reliability and durability.


(9) Reliable company


Unfortunately, there are a lot of "fly-by-night" companies on the internet. Make sure that you buy from a reputable company. Check their website, make sure the layout is professional, email them to see if their replies are professional. You will quickly get a feel for the company. Fly-by-nights might offer attractive pricing but will they ever ship the HID lights? Will they be there when you need warranty?


(10) 35W vs 55W


The final factor you need to check is whether you want 35W or 55W HID headlight. Off course 55W will produce more light but the HID conversion will also be a bit more expensive and the bulbs will not last as long. Check with your retailer to see if the kit you want to purchase is appropriate for you.


We hope the information above will help you in your shopping for HID lights for your vehicle.





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The Different Types of HID Lights Available: how to choose what is right for you?




(1) What color to chose?


For HID lights, color is described in terms of Kelvin (K). The higher the number, the more blueish purple it will be. Typical K colors that exist are 3000K (yellow), 4500K, 5000K, 6000K, 8000K, 10000K, 12000K. You can see a chart of the different colors at HID Lights.


The yellow HID kits are good for fog lights as the yellow light penetrates fog better. All other colors are good for headlights. It is a questions of personal taste. The most popular colors are 6000K and 8000K (blueish white).


The higher colors (above 10000K) give out less lighting power. The maximum lighting output is at around 4500K.


(2) What is HI/LO? bi-xenon?


This will depend on the type of vehicle you drive. For most vehicle, the headlights have 2 bulbs each: one for low beams and one for high beams. In this case, you will need one regular HID conversion for the low beams. If you also want your high-beams to be HID lights, you will need a second regular HID conversion.


On some other vehicles, the headlights have one bulb each. This bulb performs the function of both the high beam and low beam. In this case, if you want to keep the high beam and low beam functions, you will need to install a special HI/LO kit. The HI/LO HID kits have special bulbs that perform both high and low beam functions.


You can also install just a regular HID kit but in this case your high beams won't work anymore.


(3) 35W vs. 55W


You might have seen 35W and 55W HID lights advertised on websites. The 35W HID lights use 35W of power to produce HID light. The 55W use more power to produce more light. The ballasts are a bit different but the bulbs are the same. The 55W HID lights cost generally more than the 35W HID kits.


This is a question of personal choice. If you need maximum light output, if you drive on very dark roads, you will want to install a 55W HID kits for more lighting power.






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HID Kit 101: Basic explanations for HID conversion kits, Bulb size, color, K?




What does the color mean?


HID lights come in different colors. The color are described in terms of Kelvins (K). For example, 3000K, 4500K, 6000K, 8000K etc... You can see a chart of HID light colors.


How to find my bulb size for my car?


The easiest way is to check the actual bulb size in you car or truck right now. It is generally written on the base of the bulb. You can also check in the owner's manual or visit this link: http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProducts/AutomotiveLighting/LampReplacementGuide/default.htm


Should I get a HI/LO HID conversion?


This depends on your vehicle. If your vehicle has only one bulb per headlight, this means you will need a HI/LO HID conversion. Otherwise you just need a regular kit.


What color to chose?.


This is a matter of personal preference. The most light will be emitted by low K colors (4500K for example). Above this, the output decreases slightly.


Other colors can be used for tuner styles. More extreme colors will have a tendency to attract police attention so you may want to consider this before ordering an HID conversion above 8000K.






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Top 5 Benefits of installing HID Lights




1 - Last long


HID lights include special HID bulbs that have no filament (unlike halogen bulbs). This means they last up to 10 times longer than regular bulbs. That's 7500 hours versus 750 hours for regular bulbs.


2 - More light


HID lights produce 3 to 4 times more lights than regular headlights. This is 3400 lumens (35W) or 4800 lumens (55W) versus 900-1200 lumens for regular bulbs.


3 - Easy to install


Real plug-and-play kits can be installed in 15-30 minutes and require no modification to the electrical system of your vehicle.


4 - Use less power


Good quality 35W HID lights use only 35W of power versus 55W-65W for regular halogen bulbs. This means they run cooler and use less power from the vehicle's electrical system.


5 - Looks good/cool


HID lights look much better than regular bulbs because of the white/blue light that they produce. You can tell that a car or truck has HID light from far away. They give style and class to any vehicle they are installed on.