Re: Headlight low beam is out on my 2000 K1200LT, any suggestions where to buy NEW ONE ?
NCCCC1 said:
Is this "H7" light from Wal-Mart what you'd call an "HID" bulb. If not, then do you know a number or location to get them as replacements for an LT high and lo beams? Greg.
The designations H1, H7 etc refer to the configuration of the lamp(bulb) itself. Some are longer than others, they have different bases (different diameter, pin configurations etc).
HID is a type of lighting system that uses bulbs that are similar in configuration to the H7's, H1's, etc but are of a different internal construction. They look similar to regular tungsten or halogen lamps but they differ in a couple of functional aspects.
The "normal" bulbs that you can buy at WalMart and other stores have 12V applied to the lamp. This the voltage supplied by the battery. HID lights use a transformer and electronic circuitry to convert the battery voltage to 15,000 or 20,000 volts. Yep THOUSANDS of volts. This is then applied to the HID lamp which causes the gas(xenon) inside the lamp to glow VERY BRIGHTLY. There are other components in an HID system such as an ignitor which is used to start the gases in the bulb glowing but this is the basics.
If your lighting system does not have an ignitor and a transformer then it is not an HID system and you are getting significantly less light output. Obviously you can't interchange bulbs between systems. A halogen lamp would probably glow really brightly for a small fraction if a second when you apply 20,000 volts to it. POOF!
The HID systems are,without question, worth the price if admission. You can get a very acceptable system for less than $40 usd.
I hope this helps.
Loren
