The Speed of Light

Sylvania and Ultra Performance Make the Switch to HID Simple

They're easy to spot: a brilliant, blue-white light that stands out at night. Until now, only the owners of German luxury vehicles were lucky enough to enjoy the improved illumination of High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting systems. Sure, you can get brighter, blue-colored bulbs for your truck that resemble HID lights, but nothing looks and performs quite like an HID headlight system.

So what makes HID that much better than conventional halogen headlight systems? First off, HID lighting offers nearly three times the illumination power at 65 percent of the energy used to power halogen bulbs. Secondly, the HID system offers a whiter light for improved down-the-road and peripheral vision. Why? Because an HID bulb generates light by creating an electrical discharge between two electrodes within an arc tube. The arc tube is sealed in a glass jacket to filter ultraviolet emissions, and the system uses a state-of-the-art electronic ballast to ignite and sustain the arc.

In comparison, most halogen bulbs put out an average of 700-1,000 lumens (light output), while an HID system will generate anywhere from 2,600 to 3,200 lumens. And while a typical halogen bulb lasts anywhere from 320 to 1,000 hours, an HID bulb typically last as long as 3,000 hours.

Until now, most HID conversions involved acquiring the systems and figuring out how to wire it into the existing headlight system. Most of these lights use a separate ballast/transformer setup for even more wiring fun. However, Sylvania, a name synonymous with household lighting systems, has developed one of the easiest HID conversions available for late-model GM trucks.

Dubbed the Xenarc High Intensity Driving (HID) system, the conversion offers the simplicity of a plug-and-play install for GM pickups and SUVs. It also offers a conversion for Ford F-series pickups and even has both round and rectangular sealed-beam replacement applications.

The beauty of the GM system is that it's self-contained, complete with an entire headlight assembly, the ballast, and a mounting bracket that attaches the unit to the back of the headlight assembly. The stylish assembly simply replaces the stock headlight capsule. Plug and play. That simple.

To prove the point, were we invited to Ultra Performance in Tucson, Arizona, to see just how easy it is to make the jump to HID lighting. The install was truly an R&R operation, with the most difficult part of the operation being the removal of the grille to access the headlight; both Sylvania and Ultra Performance recommend re-aiming the new headlights after the install.

While the conversion is not cheap, it does give your vehicle state-of-the-art illumination and puts you in a league with those snooty German luxury vehicles.