How to Install Xenon Headlights

Automotive lighting has advanced in the last couple of years and xenon headlights are one of the most dramatic improvements. They basically churn out 3 times more light than ordinary halogen bulbs. Here are some easy and simple ways on how you can convert your old halogen headlight into a bright beam of xenon light.

Step 1: Purchase a Xenon Kit

To install the xenon headlights, you need a kit. Go to any car accessories store and purchase a xenon headlights kit. Most car shops nowadays have these in stock. They usually range from $80 – $300 depending on the brand or make. Be sure to purchase the correct bulb type for your car. Otherwise, they might not fit correctly in your headlights. Also, determine what color temperature of light you are after. This indicates the coolness or warmth of the color of the light emitted. Color temperatures range from 3000k – 12000k. It is a fact that the most optimal color temperature, that produces the most light, is at 4300k, so most car manufacturers would suggest getting that.

Step 2: Wire the Ballast

First, you have to wire the ballast. They should have wires already connected to them, ready to be connected to your existing system. Please make sure that you remove the battery cables first, to avoid electric shock and injury. You will see positive and negative points on your ballast. These will represent where the wires will go.

Step 3: Changing the Headlight bulbs

It’s now time to remove the old halogen bulbs and replace them with the xenon bulbs. Be sure that you do not come into contact with the bulbs of your xenon headlights. Carefully twist the old bulbs out of the headlight housing and take them off. Now attach the xenon bulbs to your ballast. There should be a wire with a bulb connector at the end where the bulb will go. Attach your new xenon bulbs here. After this, insert the xenon bulbs into the slot where the old halogen bulbs used to rest. Twist the bulb carefully, so it gets locked in place.

Step 4: Securing the Ballasts

Attach the ballasts in a dry and safe place within your engine bay. Some also opt to place these ballasts within the bumper, or under the headlight housing. They usually come with mounts or brackets, so you can properly secure them, and so they are not moving around in your engine compartment. In this case, if there is space, attach them to the sidewalls of the engine compartment and screw them on tightly. Replace the battery cables.

Step 5: Testing

It’s now time to test if your new set of xenon headlights is working. Simply turn on your headlight switch and go to the front of your car to see. Note that xenon lights fire up slowly and gradually increase in intensity. This is perfectly normal and should not be any cause for alarm. Check if both xenon headlights are working.