Topic: LED lights are no good in freezing snow

[ktm525]

Has anyone drove at night in near freezing conditions while it is snowing? Pretty specific conditions but I did last night and it appears LED lights are near useless. They don't generate enough heat so the ice/snow mix just builds and freezes over the lenses. Ye olde halogen Ridgeline lights were fine. Plenty of drivers on pullouts and at the service stations trying to clear their lights. What manufacturer will offer electrically heated headlights first? An extra "cold weather" package. 

[Fobroader]

I keep an old Windex bottle full of windshield washer fluid for the headlights and front radar so the Lexus won't yell at me about how its blocked. I agree, they need a heater grid on those things.

[JohnnyMac]

Has anyone drove at night in near freezing conditions while it is snowing? Pretty specific conditions but I did last night and it appears LED lights are near useless. They don't generate enough heat so the ice/snow mix just builds and freezes over the lenses. Ye olde halogen Ridgeline lights were fine. Plenty of drivers on pullouts and at the service stations trying to clear their lights. What manufacturer will offer electrically heated headlights first? An extra "cold weather" package. 

One of the things that I missed from my Golf R was the head light washers.  I would call that the best of both worlds, where you have very good LED headlights and a way to clear them without even having to stop the car, just hit the wiper fluid on your windshield and it automatically does the same with the headlights.  It worked extremely good.  Mind you it's one more thing to break.

[ktm525]

The only headlight washers that really seemed to work for me was the old V70R ones with the spray and the wiper arms. This necessitated the use of glass lenses which created it's own problems. The LR4 dual washer sprays (fixed)  are not too bad and at least the Xenon gets hot enough to melt the ice. The Volvo XC60s sprayers are good as well but they have to pop out of the bumper on a little mechanism which looks like it could easily be iced over . The Ridgeline with halogens and a little rain-x stayed relatively clear on a 4 hour drive through driving sleet/snow.

You can see both the headlight and fog lights (thank god for those last night)  were able to melt themselves clear.

[marcus_go]

Mercedes use to have heated washer fluid tanks. They had a heater coil that circulated engine coolant into the washer fluid reservoir. It was a pretty good systems to keep headlamp lenses and the windshield clear in cold conditions.

[ktm525]

You can see the old style light washer/wiper worked very well in mucky conditions. The fog lights are a lost cause here.

[OliverD]

Mercedes use to have heated washer fluid tanks. They had a heater coil that circulated engine coolant into the washer fluid reservoir. It was a pretty good systems to keep headlamp lenses and the windshield clear in cold conditions.

I think a few cars still offer this feature.

[bridgecity]

The MDX has LEDs, haven't had any issues.  It does have washers that spray well but not sure they'd clear ice.  I may not have hit the right conditions.  Heavy fog in freezing conditions can really ice them over, as well as freezing rain.  Mix in a little road grime and then the lights can get dim. 

[ktm525]

The MDX has LEDs, haven't had any issues.  It does have washers that spray well but not sure they'd clear ice.  I may not have hit the right conditions.  Heavy fog in freezing conditions can really ice them over, as well as freezing rain.  Mix in a little road grime and then the lights can get dim.

Yeah it's pretty specific conditions that we don't often get. Cold enough to ice over on the car  but warm enough to melt off the road. Usually if it's snowing here it is colder here.

Bothe Volvos and the LR4 use heated washer nozzles. Not sure how much that helps.

[ktm525]

The LR3 fixed heated light washer. These are the best headlight combo I have ever used. Work in every condition and throws light exactly where it is needed. Land Rover "cheapened" out the LR4 design by making the light have less depth (design/air cd).

[bridgecity]

The MDX has LEDs, haven't had any issues.  It does have washers that spray well but not sure they'd clear ice.  I may not have hit the right conditions.  Heavy fog in freezing conditions can really ice them over, as well as freezing rain.  Mix in a little road grime and then the lights can get dim.

Yeah it's pretty specific conditions that we don't often get. Cold enough to ice over on the car  but warm enough to melt off the road. Usually if it's snowing here it is colder here.

Bothe Volvos and the LR4 use heated washer nozzles. Not sure how much that helps.

I remember one specific trip from Lloyd to S'toon, I was driving a Chevy 2500.  It was -30, no fog, but the windshield was freezing over from really fine mist.  It was almost like it was raining, but it was so cold.  Defroster couldn't keep up and people were pulling over to scrape the windshield. Brutal.

[Fobroader]

Yeah, driving to Brandon one year, had that -35 mist and the poor Jeeps defroster could barely keep up. That was bad as the Jeep actually had a good little furnace and never had that problem before or after.

[ktm525]

It sucks when you get those "special" conditions adding up to a trip from hell. Headlight issues are common here mostly running back and forth from the mountains after skiing in Dec/Jan/Feb. High speed salted highways with tons of spray and dark.  Once March hits there is more daylight.

Here is the fancier LR4 light (but less functional). Xenon main with a halogen high beam, adds a bunch of heat. Dual sprayer as well. I joke that the LR3/4 uses more washer fluid per 100 kms than a Corolla uses fuel..    The fog light is a high output halogen osram yellow. I much prefer the halogen light spectrum in adverse conditions. LED/Xenon is just too white.

[Fobroader]

The GX has headlight sprayers, but when its actual built up ice, fughetabouit, ze squirters, zey do nothing!!!

[ktm525]

The GX has headlight sprayers, but when its actual built up ice, fughetabouit, ze squirters, zey do nothing!!!

GX has led headlights?

[Fobroader]

The GX has headlight sprayers, but when its actual built up ice, fughetabouit, ze squirters, zey do nothing!!!

GX has led headlights?

Some sort of triple LED projectors

[ktm525]

The GX has headlight sprayers, but when its actual built up ice, fughetabouit, ze squirters, zey do nothing!!!

GX has led headlights?

Some sort of triple LED projectors

Ask the dealer if there is a halogen retrofit kit. 

[Fobroader]

  Sure, I'll get a tape deck and burgundy interior while I'm in there.

[marcus_go]

I thought some of these were pretty neat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-eFMn3wrko

[rrocket]

I drive any winter long with my LEDs.

Zero issues.