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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ttocs" data-source="post: 1217983" data-attributes="member: 11896">Brushed up on some reading as its been a while and I cold not remember the numbers.  Saying its significant is kind of true.  When it initially strikes the arc the current demand is significantly larger then when it settles down it its constant current rate.  When you first turn it on on a 35 watt kit can spice as high as 15 amps for the first few secs(less then 15).  Now 15 amps is certainly significant when you compare it too the constant current rate that I calculated above(that was right just simple math/algebra) of  less then 3 amps ams, no one can debate that since it is over 5x's as hight.   Now when I do search too see/remind me what the headlight fuse current rating I find the fuse box schematic.  The headlight fuse is one of the big maxi fuses under the hood by the battery, rated at 50 amps.  so while the initial charging  current is "significantly higher" then the rating once the ballast warms up.  But with 35 amps difference(sure only slightly > 3x as much) between what the halogen bulb/fuse ratingNow we should also remember that all the calculations we did were for only one bulb/ballast when in the real world a lot of these numbers would be x2 for two lights.  In that case our idle current would be <6 amps and the max current while charging could be as high as 30 amps so in that case it all stil works out as 5x's the idle current.With all that into account then it means we have 20 amps of extra current that the new HIDs are not using often(charging time would be really low for the ballast) before the stock fuse or wire ratings are an issue.  once the initial arc is done and it returns to its idle current then we have 44 amps of extra current to worry about. All the stock switches/wiring is made  to handle 50 amps of power so a relay isn't needed to make sure it gets the power it needs.</blockquote>