HID

📖 YOUCANIC Automotive Glossary

HID (High-Intensity Discharge) headlights, also called xenon headlights, produce light by creating an electrical arc between two electrodes inside a gas-filled quartz bulb. HID bulbs produce approximately 3,000 lumens compared to 1,400 lumens from standard halogen bulbs, with a whiter color temperature (4,000-6,000K vs. 3,200K for halogen) that more closely matches daylight for improved visibility. HID systems require a ballast (high-voltage igniter providing 25,000V startup pulse then regulating to 85V operation) and typically include automatic headlight leveling and washers to prevent glare to oncoming traffic.

HID problems include flickering (aging bulb or ballast), one side not lighting (bulb or ballast failure), color shift (pink or green tint indicates bulb end-of-life), and slow warm-up to full brightness (normal for first 15-30 seconds). HID ballast DTCs appear in the headlight or BCM module. The YOUCANIC UCAN-II reads lighting module codes. When replacing HID bulbs, handle them with gloves — fingerprint oils create hot spots that cause premature failure.