# HID Headlamp Life **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258 "2004-07-15T14:09:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/1 "2004-07-15T14:09:08Z")
Back in February I took delivery of a new car, a 2004 Prius. This card has HID headlamps. I’ve never had a car with these and I think they are great. OK, maybe not so great for oncomming drivers perhaps, but great from the drivers point of view. Now I’m wondering what lifespan I can expect from these units before they need to be replaced. It’s my understanding that they are basically a spark that creates the light. Any experiences to share? ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/2 "2004-07-15T18:00:03Z")
Nobody knows, eh? BTW, I looked at How Stuff Works and couldn’t get the page to come up. ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/3 "2004-07-15T18:18:59Z")
[These Guys](http://xenbeams.com/press.html) say: > [@](#): > > They also have been proven to provide at least double the service life of a halogen lamp – “The HID headlamps packaged in the 1999 GMC Envoy have been validated to over 4000 hours. They have been tested on vehicles in Alaska, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Detroit. They have been designed for the life of the vehicle: 10 years or 150,000 miles.” (General Motors HID headlamp engineer). They also say: > [@](#): > > The complete XenBeams kit costs $995.00 (plus 6% sales tax for Michigan customers). It includes a pair of HID headlamps (assembled), ballast mounting hardware, wiring harness (with fuses), and installation instructions. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/4 "2004-07-15T18:41:06Z")
> [@NutMagnet](#): > > [These Guys](http://xenbeams.com/press.html) say: > They also say: :eek: And I say a POX upon them! Maybe fine for the driver of the car so equipped. On low beam they are sitill brighter that standard head lights on high beam. The should be outlawed in the interest of safety! ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/5 "2004-07-15T21:31:25Z")
Thanks **NutMagnet** I guess I don’t need to start saving money for replacements yet. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/6 "2004-07-15T21:42:22Z")
One thing to keep in mind: most of the wear occurs when turning the light on and off. This is true for any lamp but even more severe for HID lamps. So if you turn it off often to “conserve” lamp life, it would have exactly the opposite effect. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/7 "2004-07-15T22:30:09Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > And I say a POX upon them! Maybe fine for the driver of the car so equipped. > > On low beam they are sitill brighter that standard head lights on high beam. > > The should be outlawed in the interest of safety! HID lights have a self-leveling mechanism. If it is working properly then there should be no problem. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/8 "2004-07-15T23:11:20Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > And I say a POX upon them! Maybe fine for the driver of the car so equipped. > > On low beam they are sitill brighter that standard head lights on high beam. > > The should be outlawed in the interest of safety! I’m told this was said about those new-fangled halogen lamps when they were introduced 30-40 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/9 "2004-07-16T01:02:53Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > HID lights have a self-leveling mechanism. If it is working properly then there should be no problem. Only some of them do. It isn’t required in the US, and a lot of cars over here don’t have it. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/10 "2004-07-16T01:21:25Z")
> [@Berkut](#): > > Only some of them do. It isn’t required in the US, and a lot of cars over here don’t have it. Well the Prius does have the system, so I guess I’m not the one that **spingears** is mad at! ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/11 "2004-07-16T01:57:16Z")
> [@Berkut](#): > > Only some of them do. It isn’t required in the US, and a lot of cars over here don’t have it. Gotta a cite for that? It was my understanding that the self leveling **was** required in the US ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/12 "2004-07-16T02:57:31Z")
Kinda hard to cite the non-existance of something, but I’ll give it a shot. Here is the link to the [US code of federal regulations, Title 49, subpart B, Sec. 571.108 Standard No. 108: Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.](http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/05dec20031700/edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2003/octqtr/49cfr571.108.htm) This document goes into agonizing detail about how discharge headlamps should be manually aimed (makes for great bedtime reading, let me tell you) it does not mention any requirements for automatic aiming or self-leveling that I could find. You might have better luck, knock yourself out. 🙂 Also, I found the following website, although I don’t know how old it is. It makes a reference to “the z8 roadster that was introduced last year”, so probably 2001 or so: [Link](http://www.smartmotorist.com/lig/lig.htm) > [@](#): > > European regulations require that the headlamp leveling of HID-equipped cars be linked to the suspension system of the car so the lamps don’t glare into oncoming traffic when the rear of the car is loaded down or the car is heading uphill. Xenon-equipped European vehicles imported to this country all have self-leveling systems. \*\*American regulations don’t require auto-leveling. \*\*It remains to be seen whether US automakers will install self-leveling systems if not required to by law ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/13 "2004-07-16T03:04:08Z")
Also, here is a link to a [Consumer Reports article](http://www.consumerreports.org/main/content/display_report.jsp?WebLogicSession=QPdEpk1lvuIUl8NqwLRZAL6b3poMEX2Qn0XX40lQGXp8fk4wVR4F%7C2828725601662135273/169937912/6/7005/7005/7002/7002/7005/-1%7C-4454577038384153285/169937909/6/7005/7005/7002/7002/7005/-1&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=400057&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=333153&bmUID=1089946790864) dated 4/03 which states > [@](#): > > We think NHTSA should take the following steps: > > Require better lighting straight ahead for all headlight low beams. > > **Adopt the European standard requiring HID headlights to be self-leveling.** > > Require a smoother, more gradual low-beam cutoff for HID and other headlights to address a key source of glare. > > Consider having carmakers chemically alter HID bulbs. Or use color-correcting lenses, which move an HID light’s white spectrum more toward yellow, like that of conventional halogen headlights. > > Better control foreground light levels for HID headlights. > > Reduce the maximum height of low-beam headlights on SUVs and pickups to make it more in line with the lights on lower passenger cars. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/14 "2004-07-16T03:15:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Consider having carmakers chemically alter HID bulbs. Or use color-correcting lenses, which move an HID light’s white spectrum more toward yellow, like that of conventional halogen headlights. Why do that? I thought white light was one of the HID lamp advantages. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/15 "2004-07-16T03:24:42Z")
They covered that in the article. Seems it’s a safety issue rather than a performance one. > [@](#): > > But our research and headlight tests of 41 vehicles–some with halogens, some with HIDs–show that HIDs do produce more glare, which is the temporary annoyance or blindness caused by bright light in your field of view. Dirty glasses or contact lenses can increase glare. Experts also say its effects become more noticeable after age 50. While HIDs’ blue hue is part of the glare problem, much of it lies in how their brighter light is distributed. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/16 "2004-07-16T04:03:28Z")
**Berkut** Thanks for the info, all of my HID experience is on European cars, where self leveling systems is standard. Silly me I assumed that it was a US standard also. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![jhinman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jhinman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jhinman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/17 "2004-07-16T04:39:46Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > Thanks **NutMagnet** I guess I don’t need to start saving money for replacements yet. I would’nt speeak so soon. Althought they don’t burn out I have read articles about them being stolen. Her is a link to some with a 2003 Maxima who had his HID lights stolen twice. [http://www.complaints.com/january2003/complaintoftheday.january30.19.htm](http://www.complaints.com/january2003/complaintoftheday.january30.19.htm) ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hid-headlamp-life/255258/18 "2004-07-16T13:14:54Z")
Good point **jhinman**! I think I remember something about that. But as there are few Prius in the USA compared to Maximas I’m not going to worry too much. Of course maybe the bulb units are all alike, in which case they might steal them for replacement parts!