My '07 Pacifica I purchased recently has Xenon HID headlamps. This is the first vehicle with this style of lighting that I've owned, so I have a few questions. How is reliability and maintenance with these? Any parts wear out over time and/or does the lighting output degrade with age? Do these work like traditional "bulbs" in when it burns out, you just replace with another? From what I understand they work along the same lines as a metal halide or sodium lamp, so I suspect there's a ballast or other electrical gizmos to make them work. Do these need periodic replacement?
How does the brightness compare to the more modern LED headlights available on new vehicles? Those [LEDs] can be pretty blinding when driving toward one, is the glare reduced or about the same with Xenon HID?
Early this morning was the first chance I had to do some night driving and I must say I'm extremely impressed. It's going to be difficult to go back to my other vehicles with "ordinary" headlamps after driving this one.
EDIT: One other thing--- The fog lights on this car are traditional halogens- the warm white color is several shades more yellow than the bright white of the OEM Xenon headlamps. Is there a bulb I can use in the halogen socket that will more closely resemble the color of the Xenon bulb? I don't want blue bulbs like the trash they sell on Ebay, just a nice bright white. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
How does the brightness compare to the more modern LED headlights available on new vehicles? Those [LEDs] can be pretty blinding when driving toward one, is the glare reduced or about the same with Xenon HID?
Early this morning was the first chance I had to do some night driving and I must say I'm extremely impressed. It's going to be difficult to go back to my other vehicles with "ordinary" headlamps after driving this one.
EDIT: One other thing--- The fog lights on this car are traditional halogens- the warm white color is several shades more yellow than the bright white of the OEM Xenon headlamps. Is there a bulb I can use in the halogen socket that will more closely resemble the color of the Xenon bulb? I don't want blue bulbs like the trash they sell on Ebay, just a nice bright white. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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