Anyone know how to protect LED lights in Snow storm?

Jmos

Jmos

Member
In snowstorms, my LED headlights (OEM) gather snow, and I cannot see.

I'm looking for solutions.

Thank you.
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Get heated led headlights, turn your lights on thst are on the bumper as you have in the picture or buy old school lights that produce heat.
 
To be fair, snow will build up even on the halogen lights.

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That said, RainX on the lenses will help and de-icing sprays will as well.
 
To be fair and honest, it isn't the type of bulb in the headlight, it's the design.

With the headlight being sunken in, it's a natural collector.

The old style CJ headlight were in front of the grill area, they would ice up around the edge but the center would be clear from the air moving the frozen material away.

If someone made a headlight cover/protector that bubbled out away from grill it would help.

Or, as has been said, heater strips applied to headlight and wired to headlight circuit.
 
kevman65 said:
To be fair and honest, it isn't the type of bulb in the headlight, it's the design.

With the headlight being sunken in, it's a natural collector.

The old style CJ headlight were in front of the grill area, they would ice up around the edge but the center would be clear from the air moving the frozen material away.

If someone made a headlight cover/protector that bubbled out away from grill it would help.

Or, as has been said, heater strips applied to headlight and wired to headlight circuit.
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I'd have to agree with the design being the problem.

I couldn't get myself to downgrade to 7" lights and I really don't like a lot of the 9" LED replacements out there but the heated ones do work. I ran a set of Truck-Lite heated LED's and they did a pretty good job of keeping even Sierra Cement off of them.

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But again, I wouldn't trade my factory LEDs just to keep the snow off my headlights the few times a year that I could really use them.
 
CalSgt said:
Simple... Don't drive while it's snowing and you'll quit having that problem 😬

I just pull over every so often and wipe them with my hand if my headlights start to seem dim.
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LOL - that's what I've been doing or at least, whenever I feel like I'm not seeing as much light as I would prefer.
 
wayoflife said:
I'd have to agree with the design being the problem.

I couldn't get myself to downgrade to 7" lights and I really don't like a lot of the 9" LED replacements out there but the heated ones do work. I ran a set of Truck-Lite heated LED's and they did a pretty good job of keeping even Sierra Cement off of them.

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But again, I wouldn't trade my factory LEDs just to keep the snow off my headlights the few times a year that I could really use them.
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Snow in the Sierras IS a different animal!! -- just check-out the Rail-Road museum in Sacramento sometime to see why this is true; not just anecdotal.
 
CalSgt said:
Simple... Don't drive while it's snowing and you'll quit having that problem 😬

I just pull over every so often and wipe them with my hand if my headlights start to seem dim.
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I ask because the 3x this happened to me this year... I was already over-landing, and the snow storms hit us. (Seattle, to Yosemite, and back, and the road to Winthrop, WA)

This also meant that the roads were not (yet) plowed clear -- and it was a real concern that if I were to "just pull over..." I could not do so in a safe spot -- side of the road was not a good spot to be in if someone lost control, didn't see us, or otherwise -- and I was concerned about getting stuck as well, as the blanket of snow made it hard to judge the edge of the road, or surface under the snow -- PLUS... the storm itself, and concentrating on the road, made it difficult to simultaneously focus on the road / other-drivers, and look for a safe spot to just pull over...

Was not that simple.

We did pull over at the next exit to check, and clean.
 
I’ve had a similar experience driving Brute from WA to NorCal or NV…fortunately my amber Baja Designs fogs are fairly bright and allowed me to see well enough until I stopped for gas and wiped the headlights
 
wayoflife said:
As in, problem solved (y)
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I've learned some other views and experiences here -- very helpful.

Hoping to fine a solution that would not require stopping -- but that might be a foolish judgement -- just not always easy to find a safe place to stop, and equally less safe to keep staying on the road; plus, challenging to look for a spot while looking at the road -- even when just looking to get off-of it!!!
That's been my conflict.
Looking to improve my safety margins -- for myself and those I'm sharing the road with as well.

I'll give the Morimoto Super7s a try.
Brighter, hotter, and slightly vented.
I'll know more by next season of severe weather...

...and I'll have to study other on-the-road strategies for acceptable places to pull over

Much appreciated, as always.
J.
 
My headlights froze over 3 times in a 150 miles drive. Same with the windshield. Had to pull off the highway 3 times to clean both. Very frustrating.
 
DanB said:
My headlights froze over 3 times in a 150 miles drive. Same with the windshield. Had to pull off the highway 3 times to clean both. Very frustrating.
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I wonder how well windshield antifreeze (e.g. -20 or -30 degrees stuff) would work if applied with a spray bottle? Some cars come with headlight sprayers.
 
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