blackhawksfan81

The manual says something about not turning the HID headlights on/off frequently in a short period of time.

Why in the world did the engineers make the headlight selector switch go from off->auto->parking lights->on ?!

In my garage, the auto lights will always come on. If I want to leave them on, I have to switch through the parking lights to the on position (turning them off then right back on). Otherwise, I can leave them off to prevent a bunch of short cycles everytime I pull into my garage or drive under a bridge. Basically the auto headlights are useless unless I just forget about the recommendation in the book. I've already set them to their lowest sensitivity, too.

What about the high beams? Does that count as a frequent on/off cycle? I have no idea how HIDs work or why cycling them would shorten their life other than the high currents flowing through the circuits.

Thoughts?

g37guy01

I had the exact same question, I can't believe you asked it. lol.

I've gotten into the habit of keeping the headlights in the off position. Basically I only move the headlight switch when the ignition is off. It kind of defeats the use of the auto switch.

In addition, I can't believe the engineers designed the system to turn on the hids when the headlight stalk is flicked. So now I don't use that "feature" either, except if the lights are on already.

One should be able to turn on the parking lights without first flicking the hids on. This is the most poorly designed feature of the car, right behind the cup holders. But unlike the cup holders that is a minor annoyance, flicking the headlight stalk can appear to contribute to a lower life on the hid bulb.

blackhawksfan81

Ha, glad I'm not the only one.

I'm curious how the high beams work and whether flashing them on/off frequently contributes to shortened lifespan. I don't really use them as passing lights, just if someone else forgot their headlights. And if I see a highway speedtrap during the daytime, I usually flash my brights a few times to warn others.

Edit: so my real question, are the high beams also xenon gas or do they add halogen bulbs for those? I've only had the car a few weeks so I'm still learning about it.

g37guy01

Flicking the headlight stalk to activate the high-beams will also activate the hids. I did this in my darkened garage so I am positive of the answer. Whether or not it contributes to lower bulb life is anyones guess. I would first say we would have to define what 'normal' bulb life is, and then what 'lower' bulb life is.

If the bulb after frequent abuse lasts 3 years, I don't care. but if it lasts three months with abuse...that's another story entirely.