**retrofit Hid Damage?**
02-15-2007 | 07:05 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Sydney NSW Australia
MY04 w211 E500
**retrofit Hid Damage?**
hi..
anyone able to comment on voltage spikes and HIDs?
it's a fact that when hids start up, they require a massive amount of voltage which overtime will fry the factory wiring.
does anyone know if non-hid mercs have the same guage wiring as factory fitted hid models?
has anyone run a bypass to power right from the battery instead when installing an aftermarket kit?
thoughts would be appreciated.
anyone able to comment on voltage spikes and HIDs?
it's a fact that when hids start up, they require a massive amount of voltage which overtime will fry the factory wiring.
does anyone know if non-hid mercs have the same guage wiring as factory fitted hid models?
has anyone run a bypass to power right from the battery instead when installing an aftermarket kit?
thoughts would be appreciated.
02-15-2007 | 09:34 AM
#4
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,220
Likes: 10
From: Sydney, Australia
W203 slightly modified
The mounting frame and the internal wiring. The 50,000V side has to be the highest quality and that is impossible unless the internals are made for that car from scratch.
02-16-2007 | 12:31 AM
#5
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 339
Likes: 0
From: Michigan, USA
'05 E320 CDI, '07 VW Touareg V10 TDI, 2007 Porsche GT3
"it's a fact that when hids start up, they require a massive amount of voltage which overtime will fry the factory wiring."
This sounds like it's purely urban myth:
First, the available voltage in a circuit of any kind is determined by the power supply, nominally 13.8v in a "12v" car. No device downstream from the power supply can create a "voltage spike", and the HIDs can never receive any greater voltage than is available at the battery/alternator, i.e.,13.8v.
Now you may have mistakenly said "voltage" instead of "current", which theoretically could be the case - Except that HIDs consume less power than Halogens. No doubt there's a brief current surge at startup, but if it's not enough to open fuses/circuit breakers that protect the circuit, it's virtually impossible that it could damage the factory wiring over time.
Years ago, I foolishly installed 100W high beam bulbs in my VW. After a couple of weeks of being puzzled by the low light output, I measured the voltage at the bulbs. It was 11.1v. The factory wiring was too small to support the amperage draw of the big bulbs, so I had to go to a relay system with heavier-gauge wire for the lights to work properly. But even this abuse did no damage to the original wiring.
Good luck.
This sounds like it's purely urban myth:
First, the available voltage in a circuit of any kind is determined by the power supply, nominally 13.8v in a "12v" car. No device downstream from the power supply can create a "voltage spike", and the HIDs can never receive any greater voltage than is available at the battery/alternator, i.e.,13.8v.
Now you may have mistakenly said "voltage" instead of "current", which theoretically could be the case - Except that HIDs consume less power than Halogens. No doubt there's a brief current surge at startup, but if it's not enough to open fuses/circuit breakers that protect the circuit, it's virtually impossible that it could damage the factory wiring over time.
Years ago, I foolishly installed 100W high beam bulbs in my VW. After a couple of weeks of being puzzled by the low light output, I measured the voltage at the bulbs. It was 11.1v. The factory wiring was too small to support the amperage draw of the big bulbs, so I had to go to a relay system with heavier-gauge wire for the lights to work properly. But even this abuse did no damage to the original wiring.
Good luck.
