Halogen Headlights For Cars

Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 04:34 pm

halogen headlights

Halogen headlights are not really a new technology, unlike HID (High Intensity Discharge), or Xenon lights, halogen headlights and LED headlights. Instead,halogen headlights are a refinement of a much older, already existing technology. Halogen headlights bulbs are a variant of the much more traditional incandescent light bulbs that have been around and used since the very early days of the electric light.

How Halogen Headlights Produce Light

In order to produce light in an incandescent bulb, an electrical current is applied to heat a filament in a glass bulb until it gets hot enough and glows. The halogen headlights bulb is either filled with an inert halogen gas to prevent the filament from oxidizing or it is evacuated (has a vacuum). The very first light bulbs, such as those developed by Thomas Edison, implemented a carbon filament. However, in 1906 the tungsten filament was introduced. The new filament produced a much brighter light and also lasted longer. Not surprisingly, around the same time frame, automobile makers began replacing acetylene lights on cars with electric lighting using incandescent halogen headlights bulbs.

For most of the 20^th century, the mainstay of auto lighting was the tungsten filament bulb. However, that bulb was not without its problems. During normal use, the tungsten filament in the bulb evaporates, and the hotter in temperature that he bulb operates the faster it evaporates. This means that the brighter that the light burned, the quicker it died. It was discovered that by using an inert gas such as argon, instead of a normal vacuum, would be able to prolong filament life. However, since the gas would also cool the temperature of the filament it would reduce its efficiency. Bulb blackening was yet another problem with the old tungsten filament bulbs. The tungsten filament would condense on the inside surface of the headlight bulb, as it evaporated. This blackened the surface of the bulb and therefore reduced the light output.

Instead of an inert gas like a traditional conventional light bulb, a halogen headlights bulb contain a halogen element such as bromine or iodine. The filament and the halogen gas combine to produce the halogen cycle, which is a chemical reaction that redeposits evaporated tungsten on the bulb’s filament. This prevents blackening, and also increases the life of the filament, thus prolonging the bulb’s useful life. A higher halogen headlights bulb operating temperature is required, however, for the reaction to take place. This is the reason why the halogen headlights bulb is made of fused quartz, which is a high melting point glass. This is why they are sometimes also known as quartz-halogen lights. Due to the fact that quartz is so strong, the gas pressure inside of the halogen headlights bulb can be increased, thereby reducing the rate of filament evaporation. This also allows the bulb to be operated at a much higher temperature without any significant reduction in it’s lifespan. Halogen headlights have more bulb clarity and a higher operating temperature which results in increased light output.

Halogen headlights also more efficient than conventional incandescent headlight bulbs. This is because they produce more light using the same amount of power. In Europe in 1962, the very first halogen headlight bulbs for cars were used. They became legal for use in the United States in 1978. Today, halogen headlights bulbs are most often used for both fog lights and headlights. This is because their increased light output expands driver visibility in inclement weather and darkness. Halogen headlights bulbs are available in varying degrees of color and brightness ranging from yellow to blue to bright white.

Best Halogen Headlights For Cars

How To Install Halogen Headlights

Today, the majority of cars on the road are equipped with halogen headlights. Just like any other type of light bulbs, halogen headlights will eventually burn out and need to be replaced. While you can certainly replace your headlight bulbs with OEM lights, you can also choose to upgrade to a higher intensity halogen headlights bulb. The benefits of doing so are that the headlight will emit a brighter light, thus making it easier for you to see at night while on the road. Installing halogen headlights take only a little bit of time and they are just as easy as installing the OEM headlights.

First, make sure that your car and your headlights are turned off. Open the hood on your car.

Remove the halogen headlight casing by utilizing a screwdriver to unscrew the bolts that hold it into place. Depending on the type of vehicle you have, not all screws may be easily visible and there may also be a bolt underneath your car. If so, you should use a jack to lift your vehicle and give yourself some extra room.

Next, remove the headlight bulb retainer from the casing by reaching your had behind it and twisting the halogen headlights retainer in a clock wise motion. Now you can disconnect the headlight bulb from the electrical unit by pressing downward on the plastic tab. Now you should wear a pair of gloves and unplug the old bulb.

Next up, insert the new halogen headlight bulb into place. Once in place, reassemble your headlight bulb retainer and also the headlight casing unit.

That’s all there is to replacing halogen headlights.

Be sure to check out our xenon vs halogen comparison.