At present, the headlights equipped in the car mainly include halogen lamps and xenon lamps (the ordinary incandescent lamps will be eliminated and will not be discussed). These two lamps are actually beneficial and disadvantageous. We have to treat them differently. Where are they different?

Halogen lamp

Since the 1970s, halogen lamps have been applied to the body. Its principle of illumination is very similar to that of ordinary incandescent lamps. It is illuminated by the spiral tungsten filament in the tube, and the intensity of its illumination is limited by the melting point of the tungsten filament. . In general, to increase the brightness of a halogen lamp, not only the resistance of the tungsten wire but also the melting point of the tungsten wire must be increased. The tungsten filament of a halogen lamp has a higher melting point than an ordinary incandescent lamp, so it is brighter than an incandescent lamp.

Xenon lamp

The English abbreviation for Xenon lamp is HID gas discharge lamp, and the principle of illumination is completely different from the halogen lamp and incandescent lamp described above. It has no filament, and it uses high-voltage positive and negative electric stimulation to stimulate the radon in the bulb to react with rare metals to illuminate. In normal times, we see that the small glass bulb in the xenon lamp is the source of the xenon lamp. Full of helium and a small amount of rare metals. Due to the high technical content of xenon lamps, they are also more expensive in terms of price.

The difference between xenon lamp and halogen lamp

Xenon lamps are illuminated by high-voltage arc discharge, so xenon lamps need to be equipped with an additional electronically controlled starter outside the bulb, commonly known as a ballast, because the xenon lamp requires a starting voltage of 23,000 volts, while a normal halogen lamp requires only 12 Volt working voltage. As a separate component outside the bulb, the ballast has an important impact on the reliability of the entire xenon lamp. In addition, as a high-voltage electrical device, the ballast is also very important for its own safety.

Although the xenon lamp has a long life, since it does not work independently, the quality of the ballast is directly related to the life of the whole system. The inferior ballasts sold on the market not only cannot guarantee the same life as the Xenon bulbs, but also generate strong electromagnetic interference during work, which affects the work of the radio inside the car. Although Xenon bulbs are rarely bad, they are filled with high-pressure helium gas of up to 6 atmospheres and a certain amount of mercury and metal halides. If a burst or leak not only pollutes the environment, it may also hurt and injure the car.

Why do a lot of modified xenon lights look very dazzling at night, so that drivers on the road can't see the road at all? Although the curved mirror used in general halogen lamps can be installed with a simple modification, the focus is changed. It is difficult to produce a clear cut-off line of the original halogen lamp after the modification, and some of the light is scattered to an angle that should not be illuminated. . Some of the original Xenon lamps of high-end cars are specially designed according to the characteristics of Xenon lamps. Although they look bright, they are not glaring, which ensures high brightness and does not affect the normal driving of other drivers on the road.

In addition, since the brightness of the two sources of the xenon lamp and the halogen lamp is different, the mirror using the halogen lamp causes the light reflected by the xenon lamp to be partially over-bright. Partially strong light, on the one hand, may interfere with the driver of the oncoming car to judge the road condition. On the other hand, the contrast between the light and dark at different positions on the front road surface may be too large, which may affect the normal judgment of the driver on the road surface. In Europe, it is also required to install a headlight cleaning device for the xenon lamp to prevent the dust and dirt on the lampshade from scattering, which affects the driver's line of sight.

Xiaobian said two sentences: Xenon lights and halogen lights have advantages and disadvantages, and owners can choose according to personal habits. Every day, the car equipment network will release practical information about car-car maintenance. Everyone is welcome to pay attention!