Operation - Chrysler Concorde 2004 Service Manual

LH
HEADLAMP (Continued)
Fig. 23 HID SYSTEM COMPONENTS
1 - IGNITER/LAMP ASSEMBLY W/WATER SHIELD
2 - BALLAST MODULE
3 - IGNITER/LAMP ASSEBLY CONNECTOR
4 - B+ AND B- SUPPLY TO BALLAST MODULE
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

HEADLAMP SYSTEM
The headlamp system will default to the head-
lamps ON position when the ignition switch is ON,
or when an open/short circuit failure occurs on the
headlamp switch input. The system will return to
normal operation when the open or short is repaired.
A fault will be reported by the BCM when a failure
occurs on the dimmer or headlamp switch input.
The dimmer system will default to Daytime Bright-
ness when an open or a short occurs on the dimmer
switch input.
The BCM will turn OFF the exterior lamps if they
are left ON with the ignition switch OFF for more
than ten minutes. This feature prevents the vehicle
battery from being discharged when the vehicle
lights have been left ON.
LAMPS/LIGHTING - EXTERIOR 8L - 17
AUTO HEADLAMP SYSTEM
Automatic headlamps are controlled by the Body
Control Module (BCM). With the headlamp switch in
the AUTO position (Automatic mode). The BCM will
control the headlamp, parking, side marker, tail and
instrumentation lamps based on ambient light levels.
Ambient light levels are monitored by the BCM using
the automatic temperature control system Sun Sen-
sor, located on the top of the instrument panel cover.
Ambient light readings are averaged to limit cycling
the lamps ON and OFF when passing through areas
with varying light levels. The automatic headlamps
will only function when the engine is running. When
the headlamp switch is in the AUTO position, the
Headlamp Time Delay system will function when the
ignition is switched OFF.
HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE HEADLAMPS - 300M
SPECIAL
High Intensity Discharge Headlamps (HID) rely on
an electrical charge to ignite xenon gas contained in
a sealed beam lamp. The HID lamps are similar in
operation to common vapor filled street (halogen)
lamps. 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.
increases, the color of the light moves from yellow to
white to blue-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
INCANDESCENT LAMPS
HALOGEN LAMPS
HID LAMPS
There are three components to each of the HID
headlamps (Fig. 23):
• 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. 24). Each lamp requires its own
ballast. 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.
As the color temperature
TEMPERATURE
2527° C (4580° F)
2927° C (5300° F)
3827° C (6920° F)