OPERATION
The hazard warning push button is pressed down
to activate the hazard warning system, and pressed
down again to turn the system off. The switch pro-
vides a ground to the hazard warning sense input of
the instrument panel switch pod to control activation
of the hazard warning lamps.
HEADLAMP
DESCRIPTION
Quad headlamps are standard equipment on this
model. They are halogen headlamps, both low and
high beams.
This vehicle may be equipped with optional High
Intensity Discharge (HID) (Fig. 11) low beams.
The HID type lamp is used in place of the conven-
tional halogen low beam lamp. High beam lamps
remain the same halogen type.
HID lamps get their name from the intense white
light produced by the electrical discharge. The light
produced by the HID lamps appears as a white color
as opposed to the yellow color of the standard halo-
gen lamps.
HID lighting provides about three times the light
output of standard halogen lamps while using less
energy. The lamps are also designed to last 10 times
longer than standard halogen lamps.
OPERATION
To turn on the headlamps, turn the left end of the
Multi-Function Lever to the first detent for parking
lamp and instrument panel lamp operation. Turn to
the second detent for headlamp, park lamp and
instrument panel lamp operation.
High Intensity Discharge Headlamps (HID) rely on
an AC (alternating current) electrical charge to ignite
xenon gas contained in a sealed beam lamp. The HID
lamps are similar in operation to common vapor
filled street headlamps. Instead of using a filament
to produce light, the gas inside the lamp is ignited by
creating an arc between two electrodes.
The color of the light source is classified as its
color
temperature.
As
the
color
temperature
increases, the color of the light moves from yellow to
blue-white to white. The light produced by the HID
lamps appears as a white color as opposed to the yel-
low color of the standard (halogen) lamps. HID lamps
provide light as a higher color temperature than
standard halogen lamps.
For the color temperature of different lamp types,
refer to the COLOR TEMPERATURE table. As a
point of reference, typical sunlight at noon has a
color temperature of 4977° C (8990° F).
COLOR TEMPERATURE
LAMP
TEMPERATURE
INCANDESCENT LAMPS
2527° C (4580° F)
HALOGEN LAMPS
2927° C (5300° F)
HID LAMPS
3827° C (6920° F)
There are three components to each of the HID
headlamps:
• Ballast Module - The 12 volt Direct Current
(DC) power supplied by the low beam relay is con-
verted to Alternating Current (AC) power by the bal-
last module (Fig. 12). Each lamp requires its own
ballast module. The ballast converts and steps up the
low beam relay output to 800 volts AC, and supplies
the lamp assembly via a cable connected to the
igniter.
• Igniter - The igniter (Fig. 14) controls the volt-
age applied to the lamp electrodes. The igniter uses
the voltage supplied by the ballast module and
momentarily steps up the voltage to 25,000 volts to
start the lamp. Once ignited, it will reduce the volt-
age to 85 volts.
Fig. 11 HID SYSTEM COMPONENTS
1 - BALLAST MODULE
2 - LAMP
3 - LAMP IGNITER
CS
LAMPS/LIGHTING - EXTERIOR
8L - 11
HAZARD SWITCH (Continued)