Sunday, November 7, 2010

HID (High Intensity Discharge) Headlights - More Efficient Than Halogen?

Most cars (except your Porshes' and BMW's) use a Halogen gas base or Advanced Incandesent headlighting system (much like the common light bulb) which has been around for years. For the last fifteen years or so, we've all seen those cars with the "Intense" Blue Headlights driving around leaving us to think to ourselves "Wow, those look pretty cool.....wish I had a set of those on my car".Well, those lights you're talking about are "High Intensity Discharge" Lights. A lighting system that's only been around for about two decades or so.
It's really quite interesting. HID lights are the most efficient lighting sources available today. They create up to one-third less heat and last up to 24 times longer than incandescent or Halogen gas based light sources. HID is a technology that requires an electrical charge to ignite an arc between two electrodes and in turn ignite xenon gas that is contained in a sealed bulb.
In the beginning there were some drawbacks to HID lighting systems. Despite their advantages, these lights did have some special considerations. Like fluorescents, they needed special ballasts. They had a warm-up time of three to seven minutes, and a restrike time (the delay between off and back on again) of five to ten minutes. With new developements over the past two decades (i.e. special controllers and Xenon Gas), HID Light sources are the most energy efficient on the market today.
Here are the three types of HID lights:

High-Pressure Sodium Lights - These lights are the most efficient and economical of the commonly used high intensity discharge (HID) lights. Because of their warm golden light and limited color rendering, they are most suitable for outdoor situations. They are most frequently used as security and outdoor lighting, or in indoor areas, such as warehouses, where color rendering is unimportant.
Mercury Vapor Lights - These lights are most frequently used outside for parking and security lighting. The lights have a white or blue-white light and limited color rendition. These are the least efficient of the HID lights (slightly less than fluorescents) and should be replaced with more efficient metal halide or high-pressure sodium lights where possible.

Metal Halide Lights - Metal halide lights provide the best rendering of all HID lights. They can be used for merchandise display, entry lighting, or in any situation where color rendition is important, and are frequently used for indoor security and sports lighting.

It's really amazing the way technology changes things. So far the most powerful and efficient light source on the market today. And thanks to mass production, energy standards, and conversion kits made by reliable companies, the prices of HID headlights are going down so even your teenagers second hand used car will look "cool" while driving down the street.

Tips On Selecting Your Custom Car Cover

If you take extended trips away from home, one of your concerns is the care and protection of your car while away. Unless it is garaged, it is subject to damaging rays from the sun, bug splatter, bird droppings, falling branches, nicks, scrapes, and more. Upon returning from your trip the damage is evident and not easily reversed. You can prevent problems in the first place by installing a custom fit car cover to protect your investment. Not all car covers are created equal, so here are some things you should consider before making your purchase.

Car covers are basically all the same, right? Absolutely not! There are car covers which are anything from what is essentially a loose fitting tarp to those like the BMW car cover  which are custom designed for the particular make and model of the car. A loose fitting car cover can actually cause more problems than it can help as unwelcome moisture, debris, and harmful UV rays will still be able to get in.

When shopping for a car cover consider what it does other than cover your car. Questions to ask include:

Does it protect from harmful UV rays? If you live in an intense sun area, such as Florida, you need a car cover offering the maximum protection from the sun.

How durable is the material? Will it rip if exposed to ice and snow?


Will it resist or completely repel rain?

Can it withstand intense heat or intense cold?

Will the product resist dust? Some car covers prevent even the finest dust from accumulating.

Does the car cover have extra layers to protect from dings? This is important to have if you leave your car in a public lot!

In addition, you will want to know if there is a lengthy warranty included, what colors are available, and what are the return policies, if any.

Yes, you can even remove and clean some car covers yourself. Those made of super weave material can actually be placed in a washing machine and cleaned using cold to warm water, regular laundry detergent -- without bleach, and dried on your dryer's permanent press cycle. In all cases make sure you strictly follow manufacturer specifications for the proper care of the car cover you purchase.

So, whether it is a Ford car cover you are buying or one for a Kia, Lexus, or Range Rover you can protect your car's exterior and interior by selecting a custom car cover that is right for your vehicle.