How do I know if my headlight is halogen LED or HID?

The best way to find out what style of headlights you have in your car is to call a dealership and give them your vehicles VIN number and they will tell you exactly what you have. But if the VIN is not handy here are some ways to tell the difference in headlight styles.
Headlights are considered Halogen, LED, or HID by their low beam bulb, so if you have an LED running light, that doesn’t necessarily mean your headlight is LED. Halogen or conventional headlights will not have any modules, computers or ballasts, just the wire harness from the car straight to the bulb. LED and HID headlights however are very different but can look very similar because they both have modules and computers controlling them. Both are becoming the headlight manufacturers favorite choice for headlights, fog lights and even tail lights. The easiest way to tell for most headlights requires a quick glance at the back housing of the lamp. If there are no caps or access points to the low beam bulb it’s safe to say you have an led assembly. Some BMW’s have access to the LED low and high beam but you cannot simply remove them and they also have a cooling fan on the back so you might not even know there is a LED in front of it. LED’s do not look like bulbs and are almost always sealed and non-serviceable. HID headlights are identified by the bulb and the igniter wire. The bulb will have a metal wrapped wire going from the ballast to the bulb or wires running to a box on the back of the bulb.

What is HID?

High Intensity Discharge, also commonly referred to as xenon. Instead of a filament in the bulb producing light there are 2 electrodes inside a capsule of gas that arc together creating the light. This system is so commonly referred to as xenon because many of the auto lighting companies use the gas xenon inside the bulb. Since the release of hid xenon bulbs many companies have started using other gasses like metal halide, mercury and sodium vapor. The Hid system usually lasts 3-5 times longer than the conventional halogen systems and also produces less heat with a brighter/more reflective output than halogen which makes it a popular choice for many headlight companies. HID is much more costly than halogen and must be controlled by a ballast and sometimes an igniter to ignite the bulb which adds even more to the cost. The ballast is most important when the vehicle lights are turned on. The ballast takes the average 12 volts from the car and ramps it up to a very high amount, some get upwards of 20,000 volts when it ignites the bulb. Once the bulb is up to operating temperature(usually a few seconds) the ballast will quickly lower the voltage and will stay there, around 85 volts, until the bulb is shut off.

What is the colored tube on my HID bulb?

This tube really has no use other than identification. The green or brown tube is a temperature resistant ceramic used to identify the Kelvin rating of the bulb. Kelvin is a very complex measuring system used for heat related to light. Basically telling you what color a specific heat will produce. If the tube is cracked or part of it is missing the bulb will still work just like normal and will not affect it’s function. If your tube is white, blue or any color other than green or brown it is an aftermarket bulb and they typically run a lot hotter than the OEM built bulbs.

Can I put HID lights in my halogen headlight?

Yes and no. HID systems have come a long way since they first came out, becoming more efficient and cheaper than when they first became popular. You can buy aftermarket kits from companies to make them work and fit and usually work just fine. But buyer beware, some are cheaply made and require you to drill holes in your headlight assembly for installation and by doing so you are almost guaranteed to get moisture inside the housing and will result in wire harness and bulb failure. Not to mention causing the light to appear dimmer because the moisture will reflect and block the light that is being reflected onto the road.

What is AFS?

Adaptive Front-Lighting System. The car takes the information given from the steering and speed of the vehicle to project the light from the headlights around a bend or corner in the road to allow the driver to see ahead of where they are turning.
-What is the difference in AFS and Auto Leveling
AFS moves the projector eye side to side and Auto Leveling moves the projector eye up and down.

How do I get rid of the moisture in my headlight?

There is no solution to this problem other than to take the entire assembly apart and clean out all of the moisture and heat treat it to dry out the plastic. This is not something we would suggest unless you are a trained professional. No you can not drill holes in the housing as it lets just as much water in as out and no a hair dryer will not work either. We have seen some very creative ideas from people trying to get rid of the moisture. Your best option is to buy a new or used OEM assembly that is A grade Insurance Quality or even brand new.