What does HID mean?
HID is the abbreviation for High Intensity Discharge. HID lamps do not use a filament, instead the light is generated by an electrical arc inside of the capsule. In order to generate the arc, a high energy pulse is produced from the electronic ballast, this high energy pulse produces an electrical arc across the electrodes in the capsule and generates light. The best way to describe an HID headlight is to compare it to a more conventional halogen headlight. A halogen bulb consists of a wire filament surrounded by an inert gas. When electrical current is applied to the filament, it glows brightly to produce light. Contrast that with an HID bulb which has no filament, but instead consists of xenon gas, mercury, and metal halide salts. The xenon gas is ignited by an arc of high-voltage current and glows brightly. Also, the high voltage is supplied by a ballast, so in these respects it is like a fluorescent light. HID’s are original equipment generally found on luxury and exotic cars but a
