Blue Xenon Bulbs: A Guide to Upgrading your Headlight Bulbs

We have all been there, driving along the motorwaygive the impression of a blue xenon light.
at night when suddenly you see a vehicle approachingIt is possible to get a similar HID blue xenon light
in your rear view mirror with intensely blue xenoneffect, even if your vehicle does not have HID
headlights that seem to stand out from all the otherxenon bulbs fitted as standard, by replacing your
cars around you. Once the vehicle has passed youexisting halogen headlight bulbs with the latest
by, you may find that it was the latest Range Rover,upgrade blue xenon bulbs. Importantly these upgrade
BMW or Mercedes, but is there a way to get thatheadlight bulbs are a direct replacement for your
same blue xenon bulbs look for your own headlights?standard halogen bulbs and so can be fitted without
The light you see from the headlights of thesemodifications or cutting wires.
prestige cars are generated by HID xenon bulbs, theWhilst there is a wide range of upgrade blue xenon
HID stands for High Intensity Discharge and it meansbulbs on the market today, ECE regulations limit the
that these xenon bulbs operate on a differentmaximum level of blue tint, so you will find that the
principle to normal halogen headlight bulbs. Instead ofamount of blue light emitted by street legal upgrade
using a metal coil filament to create light the HIDbulbs is very similar. Typical examples of street legal
Xenon bulbs use a very high voltage spark to igniteblue xenon bulbs include Osram Cool Blue, Philips Blue
the xenon gas inside the bulb to create a much moreVision and Ring Extreme Blue.
intense and powerful light.For vehicles not limited by street legal products, like
Although HID xenon bulbs generate a more intenserally cars and off-road vehicles, there are much
light, the blue colour that you see as they loom updarker high wattage blue xenon bulbs, like Ring
behind you is not necessarily due to the bulbs havingSportz Blue, which will really ensure that your vehicle
a blue xenon tint. Often the colours you will seestands out from the crowd. It is important to
emitted from HID lights is due to refraction. If youremember however that the darker the blue xenon
can remember back to your school days, you maytint, the hotter the bulb will get which will shorten the
have seen a science experiment whereby a whitebulbs overall lifespan.
light is split into to different colours by passingSo there you are, fitting blue xenon bulbs will not only
through a glass pyramid. The same principle occursmake your headlights look more stylish, you will also
with HID xenon lights, normally the xenon bulbs emitfind that they help to reflect and illuminate road
a white light but as the light is refracted around themarkings more clearly with a much crisper and more
metallic reflector and glass lens it changes colour tointense light.