Discharge Headlight Description (If Equipped)

Discharge Headlight Description (If Equipped)

Discharge headlight provides more brightness and consumes less electricity as compared with the conventional halogen headlight. It consists of a ballast (1), igniter (2) and discharge headlight bulb (3).







Ballast

Ballast makes the voltage from the battery rise and converts the current from DC to AC. It also outputs high voltage to the igniter when the headlight is turned on and supplies to discharge headlight bulb with necessary voltage for continuous lighting while it is lit.

Igniter

Igniter generates high voltage needed to turn on the discharge headlight. It is charged with high voltage raised by the ballast and it applies voltage pulse as high as about 20,000 V to the tungsten electrode in the discharge headlight bulb. After the discharge headlights light up, the ballast supplies voltage to bulbs.

Discharge headlight bulb

Discharge headlight bulb is used for the low beam. It does not have a filament but xenon gas (1), mercury (3) and metal iodide (2) sealed in it. It lights up when its tungsten electrodes (4) apply high voltage to these contents.







Fail-safe function of discharge headlight

As the ballast has a fail-safe function which stops supply of the voltage to the igniter when it detects any of the following condition.
- Igniter is not connected to discharge headlight bulb.
- Igniter connector is not connected to ballast.
- Ballast detects a short or open in the circuit between discharge headlight bulb and ballast.