HID Accessory Relay Wiring Harness Explained!

A Wiring Harnesses primary function is to provide power directly from the vehicles battery to the HID system.  This allows an HID system to operate independently of the vehicles electrical system and provides a more constant power source.

Whats in an Accessory Wiring Harness?

An Accessory Wiring Harness is also referred to as a Relay Wiring Harness as it utilizes a simple automotive relay in its design.  A Wiring Harness utilizes a 30amp fuse protected power wire that directly connects to your positive terminal on the battery.  An Automotive Relay is used to pull signal from a source (Headlight connector) that triggers power to be drawn from the battery.  There are two sets of cables meant to provide power to an HID ballast.  There are also two separate ground wire terminals that need to be connected to the chassis to complete the electrical circuit.

What does a Wiring Harness fix?

An Accessory Wiring Harness is capable of fixing a variety of power related HID lighting issues i.e. intermittent on/off, flickering, delayed start, HID low light output, and uneven brightness.

Problem: Delayed Start
An HID Ballast requires more power to ignite on startup than during normal usage.  This initial power surge can sometimes be problematic for vehicles with weaker electrical systems that cannot provide the power needed.  The vehicles stock headlight connectors are not capable of providing 7-8 amps per headlight and as a result, only one HID turns on when the switch is turned on.  After about 20 seconds when the ballasts power consumption drops to 3.2 amps, you can quickly turn the lights off then back on and voila, both HID lights turn on.  This scenario happens all the time and is the direct result of insufficient power.

Solution:

An HID wiring harness with power supplied directly from the battery would eliminate this issue as it would be able to consume up to 30 amps through the batteries positive terminal to ignite both ballasts.

Problem: Flickering
An HID Ballast that is not getting sufficient power from a stock headlight connector will cycle on and off as it tries to ignite and power on.  This can also be a result of an inefficient ballast that is not able to convert the available power to properly ignite an HID system.

Solution:
An HID wiring harness will provide the power necessary to ignite even an inefficient ballast for flicker free HID lighting.

Problem: Dim/Dark Light Output:  
When a ballast is underperforming, light output can appear more blue and dimmer than it should be.  This is a result of the ballast not converting enough power to ignite the bulb at its optimal range.   A bulb that is 4300K connected to a ballast with a weak power source, can look like an 8000K blue color with substantially lower light output.

Solution:  
An HID Wiring harness will be able to provide more power to the ballast allowing the system to operate at 100%.  This however is not a guaranteed solution as a poor quality ballast will not output sufficient power no matter how much is being inputted.

Problem: Uneven Brightness
My passenger side is brighter than my driver side!  Power in not always delivered in equal amounts to each headlight, and depending on your vehicles wiring configuration, can have a negative impact on lighting performance when installing HIDs.  If one headlight has less resistance to the power source i.e. less bends or curves in the wiring, length of wiring, fuse panels bridging connections etc, it will receive power first leaving less for the second headlight to consume.  In this scenario, one headlight will end up brighter than the other.

Solution: An HID wiring harness will provide equal amounts of power to each HID Ballast allowing for even and consistent brightness between both headlights.

To Buy or Not to Buy?
An HID wiring harness for some vehicles is a safety and assurance item to prevent future problems, and for other vehicles is a necessary requirement to a successful HID installation.  We here at XenonSupply do our best to bundle packages together based on our research to make sure you have all the components necessary for a issue free installation.  Our general recommendation is to always use a harness where possible to help extend the life of your HID system.  Not only are you providing your HID ballasts with adequate power, you are protecting both your vehicle and HID system with the inline fuse that separates the systems.

XenonSupply HID Accessory Relay Wiring Harness

As always, if you have additional questions please let us know.

Cheers,
-Phil @ XS 

Bi-Xenon HID What!?  
A complete guide to Dual Filament Halogen Bulbs and Bi-Xenon HID Conversions

When it comes to converting halogen headlights to Xenon HID systems, nothing is more confusing than the Bi-Xenon HID Conversion.  The idea is not difficult to understand, but there is a lack of information available on the net explaining the bulb information in detail.

A Dual Filament bulb is nothing but a halogen bulb with two lighting filaments side by side (see fig 1.1).  When your low beam light is turned on, the light produced by the top filament reflects at a specific angle only illuminating the lower light path.  The high beam filament, because of its alternate position, reflects at a higher angle producing the high beam light path.  This allows the vehicle manufacturer to reduce the cost of making a headlight, by combining both low beam and high beam, traditionally in separate housings, into one with a single bulb (dual filament bulb that is). In order to convert this type of halogen bulb to HID, you must first understand Dual Filament Halogen Bulbs.  This should be simple considering there are only three types...right?

If your vehicle uses these types of bulbs, this information applies to you.

H4 (Also known as 9003,HB2)
9007 (Also known as 9004)
H13 (Also known as 9008)

Why so many names?
H4, 9007, and H13 are the most up-to-date versions of these bulb types, whereas the other bulb names are their previous generations.  Generational differences include changes in manufacturing standards, different materials used to produce the bulbs, improvements in optics/design, etc.

Each of these bulb types have four potential HID conversion bulb types.  Let's take the H4 bulb type, for example, and explain the four options.

H4-1 (Xenon Single Beam H4) This is the most simple of HID conversions, and also the most limiting.  This will upgrade only your low beam light to HID, leaving the high beam disabled.  This is also the cheapest and most common replcement HID bulb for an H4 Dual Filament bulb and also the worst one to select.  Not only do you lose high beam, you will likely have high beam warning lights on your dash as there are no wires running to your high beam circuit.

H4-2 (Xenon Low Beam, Halogen High Beam) This bulb should only be used in specific situations once you understand how it works.  This bulb adds a halogen bulb off center of the xenon low beam bulb in order to satisfy the high beam requirement.  High Beam light output of this smaller bulb is severely inadequate and should only be used to satisfy state and local vehicle safety inspections.  This is not a true Bi-Xenon HID system.

H4-3 (Switching High/Low) This is a true Bi-Xenon HID system.  The -3 variant uses an electromagnet to change the physical position of the HID bulb for the low beam as well as high beam.  This moving bulb adjusts the focal length and adjusts light output to a wide angle for high beam, and a tighter more focused light for low beam.  XenonSupply highly recommends the use of this type of Bi-Xenon bulb wherever possible and is the only Bi-Xenon bulb type sold and guaranteed to work.

H4-4 (Xenon High Xenon Low) This is the most expensive of HID Bi-Xenon bulb types and has largely been phased out due to its extremely high costs and unpopularity among users.  Two independent HID bulbs are placed side by side to produce the low beam and high beam light.  The problem with this design is that each bulb needs its own independent ballast.  In order to fully convert your low beam and high beam to HID with this type of kit, you need four HID ballasts, and wiring harnesses to ensure proper ignition to the HID system.

XenonSupply has always recommended and supported the -3 Bi-Xenon bulb type and uses an industry leading reconfigurable wiring harness for easy installation as well as troubleshooting with these systems.  Each HID kit or Pair of Bi-Xenon Bulbs sold come with an included reconfigurable wiring harness with quick disconnect connections. The reason for its reconfigurability is because not all vehicles are wired the same and each bulb type has its own wiring schematic.  With a XenonSupply made harness, you will be able to easily troubleshoot HID issues if any.

To check out what Bi-Xenon HID kits XenonSupply has to offer, hit the links below for more info.

H4-3 Bi-Xenon HID Conversion Kits	9007-3 BiXenon HID Conversion Kits	H13-3 Bi-Xenon HID Conversion Kits

If you purchased an HID kit from somewhere else and now you need a reconfigurable wiring harness for your -3 style HID bulbs, don't panic!  Our harness can be used with other HID kits as long as the connectors are compatible. Check out the link for more details on our selection of Bi-Xenon Wiring Harnesses

H13-3 Bi-Xenon Reconfigurable Wiring Harness
9007-3 Bi-Xenon Reconfigurable Wiring Harness
H4-3 Bi-Xenon Reconfigurable Wiring Harness

As always, if you have questions regarding this article, or need help finding the right HID kit for your vehicle, let us know at Help@XenonSupply.com, or give us a call toll free at 1-800-840-3240.

Cheers,

Phil @ XS

The difference between AC and DC Ballasts, and why it matters!
Very often we get asked if our XenonSuply Ballasts are AC or DC and what exactly makes them different.  To get a few things straight, XenonSupply only sells AC (Alternating Current) ballasts, period.  To give a short explanation, AC ballasts are more efficient, extend the life of an HID system up to two times that of a DC ballast and are more reliable.  Lets find out how!

So what's the difference?  
AC (Alternating Current) sends power through a circuit alternating between positive and negative voltages.  The number of times the signal alternates between positive and negative voltage in a given second is its hertz (Hz) value.  DC or Direct Current uses a constant steady positive voltage in a circuit.  An HID bulb requires power to flow from one metal electrode to another creating a spark inside your bulb.  The AC Ballast alternates the power sent to the electrodes because of its alternating current so the wear and tear on the bulbs' electrodes are even, because both sides are used for positive and negative voltage.  DC on the other hand, maintains positive voltage on one electrode throughout and wears down one electrode more than the other.  This increases the overall temperature since one side is always hotter and, due to this additional heat, erodes the electrode and the life of the bulb significantly.

Smoothed Direct Current (DC) Voltage Waveform	Triangular Alternating Current (AC) Voltage Waveform

Correct, a vehicle's power is supplied from the 12 volt battery which happens to be a DC power supply.  So why bother using an AC ballast that has to convert DC power into AC and then send AC power to the HID bulb?  Simply put, AC Ballasts, due to its alternating current flow, puts less strain on the HID bulb's inner components while producing the same/better light output. AC systems also benefit from lower operating temperatures as well as better long term color accuracy due to its decrease in bulb wear and tear.  The additional cost of converting DC to AC is well worth the price as you will save from an extended bulb life as well as an increase in lighting performance.

A quick tip on price!
An important point to note with AC vs. DC ballasts is the price point.  DC ballasts are very simple to manufacture because they do not need to convert DC to AC and thus, they are cheaper to manufacturer and sell for very low prices.  The downfall to the DC ballast is that oftentimes they burn out faster and you end up spending more time and more money under the hood replacing parts.  AC components on the other hand, require a DC to AC conversion inductor coil and a voltage regulator which is more expensive to manufacture.  You will often find eBay kits for around $35 dollars that are usually low quality DC kits. High-end Digital 35W AC Ballasts cannot even be produced at that dollar value, let alone sold for anything close to that price.

XenonSupply Premium CANBus 35W AC Digital Ballast

Generic 35W DC Analog HID Ballast

As you can see from the internal components shown in the DC vs. AC ballasts, AC ballasts use almost twice as many integrated circuits and electronic components to monitor, regulate, and power the HID system.  The additional capacitors are used to prevent flickering and smooth power output which helps stabilize a bulb and prolong its bulb life.  The internal relay prevents users from damaging the kit as they can sometimes be installed in reverse polarity shorting out the system and permanently damaging the kit.  The increased amount of Mosfet/voltage regulators allows for accurate power output which, in turn, provides optimal control over color output.  

*Green Circuit boards indicate an epoxy-glass compound used to protect the copper layer from corrosion and provides superior insulation unlike the DC ballasts' Bakelite circuit board. Bakelite is more brittle and prone to corrosion as well as cheaper to manufacture over Epoxy-Glass PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards).
 
*Our AC ballast units are shown prior to the standard Epoxy filling injected to stabilize components and reduce impact damage.

So now you know!
AC Ballasts are more reliable, less prone to overheating, cause less wear and tear on an HID bulb, and provide better long term color accuracy over a DC based HID system.  We can't tell you how many times customers call in asking for replacement parts on ballasts, bulbs, or both due to the short lifespan of other companies selling DC HID systems.  When you order your next HID kit (from XenonSupply of course!), make sure you select an AC based HID system (the only kind we sell), and know that you are purchasing a reliable and superior technology that will last.

Cheers,
Phil @ XS

Hey everyone!

Its about that time again to redesign and update the XenonSupply website with all the things we've learned from the past year.  We are moving to a new platform called Magento for our eCommerce shopping cart that will be more feature rich, present products with more clarity and detail, and provide better order and customer account management for all.

What does that really mean?  When you go to our site, you will find your products faster, have more information to make informed decisions, as well as the confidence to place your order knowing you are getting the right product the first time.  This will help save our customers time, money, and allows us to provide better customer support!

Out with the Old	In with the New!

So whats the blog for?

To keep you informed on the latest news, tips and tricks, install videos, and products!  We intend to provide product reviews on new technology we are actively testing in our labs to see whether or not customers will benefit from them as well as installation tips and tricks from the many HID, LED and other installs we have done.

This should be fun, stay tuned, bookmark, favorite, suscribe, like, whatever you can do to keep yourselves informed.

Cheers,
XS Team