35w HID vs 55w?

[Huck]

Please forgive me if I don't explain this completely correctly, I'm still learning about HID kits and may not get all my tents or facts straight.

I've been doing a lot of reading on his kits and the like, and I keep coming across the following statement: 55w ballasts are better than 35w. The reason for this is that your electrical system is sending a constant amount of power to your lights, and 35w ballasts are basically 55w ballasts with a bigger resistor so that not all of the power goes through to the actual lights. This apparently results in more heat (from the greater resistance) and some companies have said that this is what causes some of the HID bulbs to flicker or cut out. They say that (and this is where I can't remember exactly, so I may not say it quite right) the headlight electrical circuit gets kinda spazzed out because of the extra resistance, do when we put an aftermarket bulb in, it will cut out or not stay on for long because the headlight circuit is shutting itself off to save itself.

The way I've read it, we have two options.
1. Use a 55w ballast and allow all the power that the car is sending through, resulting in brighter lights.
2. Use the stock 35w ballast, blocking some of the power and getting lighting that is not as bright.

Is this correct or have I missed something? And even if it's not correct, is it worth it (read: difficult?) to upgrade to a 55w ballast? I think I've seen them on retrofit for less than $300.


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