Today the most fashionable type of automotive optics are xenon headlights. They are more advanced than vacuum, halogen and gas-filled lamps. But they attracted motorists with an unusual glow that makes any car beautiful and a little mysterious. Xenon 6000K gives a light blueness to the light of head optics and fog lamps, and, therefore, a special showiness to any car, xenon 6000K.
Xenon bulbs
Xenon lamps in car headlights are selected according to several indicators.
The first of these is the glow temperature, which, according to the International System of Units of Measurement, is measured in Kelvin (K).
Manufacturers of xenon lamps are many. The range is usually represented by four types of color temperatures: 4300K, 5000K, 6000K and 8000K. Sometimes there is also 3000K, which is used only in fog lights because of the poisonous yellow color.
The 8000K lamp shines in blue with a purple tint, 5000K - pure white, and between them is 6000K xenon,which is described as "cool white with a hint of blue".
A xenon lamp is a device that consists of a bulb with gas, electrodes with high-voltage wires and a base. The bulbs themselves are produced by large factories, but they are engaged in the manufacture and soldering of socles at many smaller enterprises in accordance with certain standards.
H, D and HB series plinths are used in the automotive industry:
- H1, H3, H4, H7, H8, H9, H10, H11, H27(880 / 881) - the most versatile;
- D1S, D1R, D2C, D2R, D4S, which are installed only for lamps with a glow of 4300K; - HB2 (9004), HB3 (9005), HB4 (9006), HB5 (9007), the first and last of which are rare, the second is installed in the high beam, the third - in fog lights.
Xenon ignition blocks
The ignition unit is a starting device for burning a xenon lamp. It serves to transform the low voltage of the battery into a short-term pulse of 23 thousand volts, at which the ignition of the lamp begins.
Different generations of these devices differ in technical level, performance options and characteristics.
The supply voltage can be 12, 24 or 36 volts, power - 35 and 55 (50) Watts.
In an ordinary car, the voltage of electrical networks is 12 volts. Therefore, standard xenon ignition blocks are also used, only for 12 V.
Universal blocks for the voltage range from 9 to 32 V are much more expensive and are installed on trucks.
ForThe quality of the glow of a xenon lamp is of primary importance to the power of the device.
Xenon lamp glow temperature
The maximum light output of xenon lamps is achieved at a temperature of 4300K, with a further increase in temperature, the brightness decreases. The 6000K xenon lamp is less bright, but motorists are attracted by its bright cold color with a slight bluish tint.
Only xenon 4300K is installed in standard factory optics. In addition to high light output, it has a pleasant color and less attracts the attention of road users, the light of these lamps is clearly visible on wet pavement.
In winter it is better to use xenon 6000K. Reviews confirm this. On a snowy road or dry pavement, such lighting provides better visibility. But in rainy weather, such lamps noticeably lose.
6000K xenon lamp sockets
If the car owner has a desire to install xenon 6000K with a D series base, then you need to understand that such lamps can only be Chinese of the appropriate quality. In addition, Chinese lamps do not work with factory ignition units, so conventional devices with adapters are installed instead of standard ones, which does not add reliability. Do not be surprised that reviews of such lamps are far from always positive, the main advantage in them is the price.
Xenon H7 6000K is installed in the dipped headlights. Lamps of this glow are produced with an H1 base forinstallations are mainly in high beam, H4 - both in high beam and in low beam. Xenon 6000K can be found even with very rare bases H10, H11 for Japanese cars and H27 for Koreans, they are installed in foglights.
Xenon electrical power
The standard power supplied to the lamp is 35 watts. The xenon ignition unit 55 W (50 W) is equipped with components with specific conductive properties, due to which the price of such a device is higher. Otherwise, ignition blocks of different capacities do not differ in anything and are installed in exactly the same way.
But the same lamps themselves also work in different modes. The service life of xenon with a more powerful unit is almost a quarter less due to the forced mode of operation.
And another significant difference concerns the color of the glow, it becomes more yellow. Therefore, high power xenon is usually installed in fog lights.
How does xenon 6000K shine in this case? Like a 5000K lamp - white light without blueness.
Xenon fog lights
So, xenon 6000K is installed in fog lights with a 55 W ignition unit. The base is most often H27 or H11. Such lamps are placed in Korean and Japanese cars. European car owners prefer standard lamps with a glow temperature of 4300K and normal power, however, they also have H3 socles.
Foglights with xenon shine brighter when compared with halogen ones, the area of the illuminated route increases, the illumination of the roadand the right side of the road, that is, the risk of flying into a ditch on a turn, jumping into the oncoming lane or falling into a deep puddle is reduced.
The downside of xenon fog lights, drivers consider only the need to wash low-lying headlights more often so as not to blind oncoming people.
Sometimes in the reviews there are complaints about the poor performance of xenon in fog lights, but experts believe that the problem is too thin standard wiring and advise replacing it. In the case when such headlights are installed additionally, you need to pay special attention to the cross section of the wires.
Dipped headlights
If the optics in the headlights are combined, then the lamp, as a rule, has an H4 base. If the light is divided into near and far, then a lamp with a large base is installed on the near one, for example, xenon 6000K H7. After all, the quality of the most used dipped beam affects traffic safety, and manufacturers leave more space for it in the headlight.
When installing xenon, especially with a power of 55 W, a good adjustment of the luminous flux is necessary so as not to blind oncoming drivers.
When choosing the color of the lamp, there are no special restrictions or preferences, colors like 4300K, 5000K and 6000K are suitable. How the road illumination differs with a 6000K xenon lamp, the photo below shows clearly.
It is only worth noting, and many reviews mention this, that the picture looks like this only with high-quality products from well-known manufacturers. Many of the fakes that exist today can just be determined by the spectrumglow.
High beam headlights
Not everyone agrees with the installation of xenon lamps on high beams. In addition to the high cost, arguments are made that frequent flashing leads to the fact that xenon quickly fails.
But if you often drive at night, especially on difficult terrain with a lot of turns, on mountain roads, or drive through small towns, then a powerful high beam can help in correctly assessing the traffic situation.
The main high beam sockets are H1 for European and HB3 for Japanese cars. The choice of color characteristics is influenced only by the aesthetic preferences of the owner. Xenon 6000K is available with both bases, although many drivers agree that a lamp with such a glow for high beams has no practical value, this is just an ornament.
Xenon on domestic cars
When installing xenon lamps, it is imperative to install a headlight washer and an automatic headlight range adjustment. Only in this case is there a guarantee that the powerful luminous flux will not blind the drivers of oncoming vehicles.
Therefore, you can easily replace regular xenon 4300K on foreign-made cars with a nicer 6000K.
The situation with domestic cars is much more complicated. There are no problems only when installing xenon on cars of the VAZ 2010 family and on the Lada Priore, in which there are separate optics with a lens in the low beam. And only on"Prior" can be installed on the low beam xenon 6000K H7.
As for the earlier VAZ models, GAZ family cars, Volga and Zaporozhye Tavriy and Slavut, the installation of high-quality xenon equipment on them results in a serious undertaking with significant costs with grinding and glass replacement. Domestic craftsmen can, of course, do everything, but do not forget about road safety, the observance of which is called upon to be monitored by the state traffic inspectorate. And the bluish glow of even pseudo-xenon lamps attracts the well-deserved attention of her inspectors.
Summing up, we can say that xenon 6000K can be installed on cars, but mainly for beauty. Such lamps can be useful only in areas with long snowy winters. And the rest…. Well-known European car manufacturers know what they are doing by installing xenon with a glow temperature of 4300K.
