Will upgrading my headlight bulbs damage my headlights?

Here at PB HQ, one of the most common questions asked by you lovely lot is, 'will upgrading my headlight bulbs damage my headlights?' The short answer is: no. The longer, slightly more entertaining answer is: we've put together this handy blog post to help you get to grips with upgrading your headlight bulbs and why it is safe to do so. 

Will upgrade bulbs generate more heat?

This is the most common misconception. Many people notice that the upgrades produce more light than standard bulbs, meaning that they'll run at a higher wattage and therefore produce more heat. The worry is that this heat could potentially melt your headlights or pose a safety risk.

However, this is not the case. Standard and upgrade bulbs usually run at the same wattage, and so there won't be any extra heat produced. Halogen bulbs produce more light by mixing the halogen gas inside the bulb with xenon gas, which gives the upgrades their powerful beam. Xenon HIDs produce a brighter light due to the optimised position of the light tube inside the bulb itself, which produces an increased light output on the road.

The rise of fake xenon HIDs

As you may or may not be aware, there is an ever-increasing number of fake xenon HID bulbs on the market, especially on sites such as eBay. It's tricky to work out not only which companies sell these counterfeit xenon bulbs, but also the differences between real and fake bulbs when they are side-by-side.

Fitting fake xenon HIDs in your car can be damaging for your headlights, as they aren't manufactured to OEM quality standards as the Philips and OSRAM bulbs are. This may cause these bulbs to fail more quickly. What's more worrying about these fakes is that they may have an electrical fault which could damage your headlights. We've heard of some cases where the headlights have set on fire, causing serious damage to your car and putting your own safety at risk.

We would always recommend buying Xenon HIDs from a trusted supplier to protect yourself and your car. Philips have introduced a Certificate of Authenticity, which can be found on the box of each of their xenon bulbs. OSRAM's Approved Partner Programme highlights the brands that are endorsed by OSRAM to sell 100% genuine bulbs. When you shop at PowerBulbs you can purchase with confidence, as we are both part of OSRAM's Approved Partner Programme and only sell Philips xenon HID bulbs that feature the Certificate of Authenticity.

Learn more about counterfeit Xenon HIDs here.

How about fitting HIDs onto my halogen car?

If you're after a xenon effect with a halogen bulb, we have a great range of styling halogens which will give a crisp. white light.

Shop styling halogen bulbs here.

We also sell HID Conversion Kits, which will convert your factory-fitted halogen headlights into xenon HID. The kits contains a xenon bulb and a ballast that has been specially designed to fit into a headlamp unit that usually only takes halogen bulbs. Please note that xenon HID kits are not road legal.

Shop HID Conversion Kits here.
 

So, will upgrading my headlight bulbs damage my headlights?

If you stick to genuine bulbs that are the right fitting and technology for your vehicle, you will have no problems whatsoever. You can purchase from us and be safe in the knowledge that our upgrade bulbs are manufactured to OEM quality standards and are 100% genuine.