High Beams
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Instructor
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 162
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From: Lexington KY
High Beams
I had wondered when I read in the sales description of the car that both high and low beams used the HID lamps like the low beam in the C6. I was surprised because HID lamps take some time to come on and there is an elaborate sequence, handled by the ballast, to start them. This would make a problem with flash to pass.
I now have the 2014 service manuals and have spent hours learning about the car. One thing is that there are no high beam lamps, just a single HID lamp on each side, powered by the "Low Beam" fuses. I'd seen the "High Beam" fuses, but it turns out they power solenoids that drive shutters to cover the top of the projected light. I watched in my garage and flashed the high beams as the lights projected on a white wall. Doing this you can see what the shutter does.
Incidentally, HID lamps require several hundred volts to strike the arc, and current limiting, as they draw more current and the voltage comes down. The color changes during startup, and Chevy makes no guarantee the sides will match.
Over fifteen pounds of information... I have a lot more to read.
Dave
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From: Northern VA
"Ask Tadge" Producer
I'd seen the "High Beam" fuses, but it turns out they power solenoids that drive shutters to cover the top of the projected light.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,162
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From: Prosper, TX
Actually, technically, stand-alone HID high beams aren't legal in the US. Highs need to power on immediately in order to pass a certain FMVSS test, and HIDs can't do it. However, as you found out...
It's the same bi-Xenon lamp design that luxury and up-level sports car makers have been using for years. For instance: Caddy has them in the previous-gen CTS. Porsche has had them in their 911s for over a decade or more. They're a great idea and were sorely missing in the C6 when it came out. The C6's halogen high beams are garbage compared to what a good set of bi-Xenons can produce.
It's the same bi-Xenon lamp design that luxury and up-level sports car makers have been using for years. For instance: Caddy has them in the previous-gen CTS. Porsche has had them in their 911s for over a decade or more. They're a great idea and were sorely missing in the C6 when it came out. The C6's halogen high beams are garbage compared to what a good set of bi-Xenons can produce.
