Can someone explain HID bulbs to me?

HID's run at high voltages, in addition to the HID bulbs- you need a ballast and step-up transformer for each bulb.
The HID bulbs don't plug in to your existing wiring harness- the ballast/transformer plugs in where your old bulbs plug in- then the HID bulbs plug into the ballast/transformer output leads.

 

If you take the H11 connector off your wires you'd be left with bare leads as seen in the first pic.

Generic kits came that way so the leads could go in the vehicle's corresponding connector no matter what the bulb type. Definitely not as nice as getting a kit with connectors specific to your oem bulb type.

 

Yes, you would simply insert the leads into the oem connector, but you would need to ensure you have proper polarity, then you would need to somehow weatherproof the connections.

You can buy the connector shells and slip the bare leads into them. Several online sites sell the connector shells, both male and female for the various types. Of course, you would be looking for an H8/H11 type connector.

 

As mentioned above, the bare leads can be plugged into the OEM connector, it just won't have a shell around it.

Or, you can purchase an H11 connector shell from a website like this:
Automotive Car Truck Light Bulb Connectors Sockets Wiring Harnesses Receptacles

Scroll down till you see the empty connector shells.


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Those go to the "original" H11 connector that you unplugged from your halogen headlight bulb.

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Unless you mount your ballast right next to your headlight, you won't be able to plug the OEM connector to the ballast. That's why the HID bulbs have connectors that can be plugged into the OEM connector and pass that signal/current along to another connector to the ballast.

Think about it. Some ballasts have the connector you want to plug into the OEM connector built right into the ballast housing. That would be very difficult to plug into a short OEM headlight harness.


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Yes, you got it now.

If you look closely at the picture in your post above, notice there are only two wires going to the HID bulb. Those come from the small connectors. The two H11 connectors are connected together by the red and black wires that pass through the rubber shield. So yes, you can plug the OEM connector directly into the ballast, and leave those two H11 connectors unused. Or use the connectors to extend the voltage/signal from the OEM connector to the ballast for easier placement and mounting of your ballasts.

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As I posted earlier, you can buy that H11 connector shell and slip those bare leads into it, making it a complete H11 connector. Just a few dollars, if it's a kit you really want, don't let the bare connectors hold you back.

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Here you go.

 

Same exact concept, except the green circled connector isn't there, just the bare spades.
Honestly, I haven't seen a bare spade bulb in years.

All that's on there is a shell that locks the spades into the connector. Otherwise you put the spades in the female H11 connector and wrap it in e-tape... any reputable kit should have a connector.

You can buy H11 male socket shells that the spades will click into, but again, you shouldn't have to worry about it.

 

Putting the connectors on those bare leads are easy, just push in from the back of the connector till they lock in.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if some distributors stock only the bare lead bulbs and boxes of connectors, then slip the appropriate connector on prior to shipping the order out.

 

That is incredibly likely for some vendors.
I know the last set of bulbs I got were sealed and the box stated the bulb type and temp.


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