Forgive me if i am being stupid.
Seen these on eBay,
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/XENON-HEADLIG...1QQihZ002QQcategoryZ72235QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I thought u needed a HID kit to run Xenon bulbs?
If i just fit these will i just melt my wires?
I have a Clio Extreme, 55 plate.
Also, could someone please define the scale for me, H1? H4? H7? which is brighter etc???:rasp:
There is a problem in using the term "xenon bulbs" because that term can refer to two completely different types of bulbs. It confuses people. It tricks people.
There are "quartz halogen" bulbs where the light is produced by running electricity through a tungsten filament in an atmosphere consisting of a non-reactive halogen gas inside a quartz envelope. That halogen gas can be xenon. Quartz halogen bulbs can run the filament at higher temperatures, and so produce more light per watt and whiter light than the older style "tungsten filament" bulbs that are in your tail and brake lights and turn indicators.
And there are "high intensity discharge" (HID) bulbs where the light is produced by a high voltage discharge (spark) in xenon gas. HID bulbs are even more efficient, and because they don't have a filament to burn out and break, just an electrode to erode, they last a lot longer. But they cost a lot more because of their construction, and the need for a high voltage source, called a "ballast".
Those bulbs being advertised on eBay are NOT HID bulbs. They are quartz halogen bulbs.
And H1, H2, H3, H4, H7, etc, don't indicate the power output, they indicate a fitting type that they plug into. H4 for example means a dual filament globe - one for high beam, one for low beam - wereas H7 is a single filament globe for cars with separate high and low beam reflectors. You have to get the H-type for the headlights in your car. Clios have headlights with a H7 fitting.
The standard quartz halogen bulb is 55 watt these days. There are some higher output ones, but they are mostly illegal for road use and they often have a shorter life. They also can cause problems with wiring. In my last car (a Nissan) I fitted 130/90 watt (130 watt high beam, 90 watt low beam) H4s AFTER I checked that the wiring would take it and the fuses wouldn't blow and that the extra heat wouldn't damage the socket the globe plugged into or the headlight reflector. They were great, except for the glare back off large reflective signs.
Real HID globes only use about 30-35 watts - less than a quartz halogen globe - and they put out more light - about as much as a 100 watt quartz halogen globe would. And they last a lot longer. But they cost a fortune.
