Forget about heated headlights - we need heated wiper blades

[chorky]

Good ol Facebook and its mind reading logarithms.

I was just thinking to myself today, as the wipers froze up on my TJ, that, man oh man would it be nice to have better heat on the windshield to melt ice off of blades. I thought about suggesting it in that thread jeep cares started.

But then I saw this.
https://gatekeeperoffroad.com/colle...eated-wiper-blades-with-installation-brackets

And! They make em for the JT too.
https://gatekeeperoffroad.com/colle...eated-wiper-blades-with-installation-brackets

Pretty awesome, and also crazy expensive, so I will pass. But, it begs the question, why are heated headlights for LED's not a factory standard... And why is there not a strip of heating element on the front glass of Jeep's like there is on the rear glass to melt ice. Some vehicles like Honda, Lexus, and a few others have a heating element strip in the glass where the wipers sit, specifically to melt ice.

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[OHJeeper]

What about heating the washer fluid?

https://www.autoaccessoriesgarage.com/Winter-Accessories/AlphaTherm-Windshield-Washer-Heater

 

[chorky]

Thats pretty cool. I wonder how well it works.

 

[JamesWyatt]

I've had a Land Rover with heated windshield before, and it was the best thing ever when driving in winter precipitation. No more running the heater on high straight to the windshield and still have ice start building inward from the edges. I'd gladly pay for a heated windshield option on the JT.

 

[chorky]

I've had a Land Rover with heated windshield before, and it was the best thing ever when driving in winter precipitation. No more running the heater on high straight to the windshield and still have ice start building inward from the edges. I'd gladly pay for a heated windshield option on the JT.

It's one of those things where I just scratch my head and ask....why. Why not, on every vehicle. I mean at least 50% of the nation deals with snow in the winter, or freezing rain. And if they can justify the cost of putting the radio antenna in the glass, why can't they add a strip of heating element for it as well, just like the back glass. I mean, visibility is a pretty critical safety issue that everyone deals with.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Some vehicles like Honda, Lexus, and a few others have a heating element strip in the glass where the wipers sit, specifically to melt ice.

This right here. Would be HUGE around here! We often have ice, freezing rain, rain turning to freezing rain turning to wet snow then dry snow all in one storm, and then there's freezing fog.
A bit of heating element in the lower part to keep the wiper blades at least above freezing.
I'd buy that option.

What about heating the washer fluid?

https://www.autoaccessoriesgarage.com/Winter-Accessories/AlphaTherm-Windshield-Washer-Heater

Warmed fluid would be cold the instant it hit the air and windshield, especially when moving.
Then I wonder.........
Warm fluid on a cold windshield, wonder how that works.



And if it's boiling hot, it will turn to steam and snow/ice instantly.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...-science-experiment-mpemba-effect/1003474001/

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It's one of those things where I just scratch my head and ask....why. Why not, on every vehicle. I mean at least 50% of the nation deals with snow in the winter, or freezing rain. And if they can justify the cost of putting the radio antenna in the glass, why can't they add a strip of heating element for it as well, just like the back glass. I mean, visibility is a pretty critical safety issue that everyone deals with.

Seriously, go add that as a serious suggestion at least for an option for some of us. Texans, Floridians, some Californians, or AZ and NM won't give a rip, but the rest of us would.

 

[BourbonRunner]

It's one of those things where I just scratch my head and ask....why. Why not, on every vehicle. I mean at least 50% of the nation deals with snow in the winter, or freezing rain. And if they can justify the cost of putting the radio antenna in the glass, why can't they add a strip of heating element for it as well, just like the back glass. I mean, visibility is a pretty critical safety issue that everyone deals with.

No kidding. Make it a part of the cold weather package. My BMW has heated nozzles and a strip under where the wiper rests and it is the best thing ever.

@OP: the reason why the LED lights are heated is because the LEDs don't generate enough heat to keep themselves clean in the nasty stuff.

 

[JamesWyatt]

It's one of those things where I just scratch my head and ask....why. Why not, on every vehicle. I mean at least 50% of the nation deals with snow in the winter, or freezing rain. And if they can justify the cost of putting the radio antenna in the glass, why can't they add a strip of heating element for it as well, just like the back glass. I mean, visibility is a pretty critical safety issue that everyone deals with.

Yup, it's a huge safety feature. Even in places that don't see a lot of snow, they can get freezing rain and sleet. And crazy thought – people that live in the Deep South still travel north in their Jeeps in the winter ? Only takes once for it to save your life to be worth it.

The only caveat is heated front windscreens can give you a false sense of confidence in bad winter conditions, much like using Rain-X type products in a downpour can let you drive too fast because you can see perfectly even without turning on the wipers.

As for cost, it wasn't too bad. I even had it replaced once due to a rock chip-turned-crack, and the replacement cost wasn't too much more than the standard windshield. I think that's because not all of the cost of the heated option is in the windshield itself, some of it's in the wiring, switches, etc.

Every single time winter precipitation hits my windshield, I still think of that Land Rover!

 

[fourfa]

Called a 'heated wiper park area' or HWP. Safelite has a guide. There are kits out there containing repair fluid for breaks in rear window heating elements, just paint that on under the wipers, piggyback it on the rear defrost circuit... How hard could it be?

 

[BourbonRunner]

A bit of heating element in the lower part to keep the wiper blades at least above freezing.
I'd buy that option.


Warmed fluid would be cold the instant it hit the air and windshield, especially when moving.
Then I wonder.........
Warm fluid on a cold windshield, wonder how that works.



And if it's boiling hot, it will turn to steam and snow/ice instantly.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...-science-experiment-mpemba-effect/1003474001/

My BMW has both. My MB had them, too. The nozzle has a heater embedded into it that warms the fluid enough to keep the area in front of the nozzle clean. That's all. And there's a strip under the windshield that the blades rest on to keep that keeps them somewhat clean.

 

[JamesWyatt]

As for heated LEDs, they should be standard on the JL/JTs.

I don't see the point of ordering factory LEDs if you live where you get a lot of snow. Sure, you can get out and brush them off every few miles, but 1) who wants to do that?, 2) not all roads are safe to pull over on, and 3) not all roads even have a shoulder where you can pull over at all. LEDs for me are too bright when they hit the snow and reflect back at me anyway.

Thankfully coming out of the pandemic shortages, I got my JT with cold weather package and a lot of options but no LED lights. I can get a heated set of Oracles or JW Speakers if I want LEDs. But honestly, I feel like with LEDs I'm essentially blind past the sharp cutoff. At least with the halogens I can squint and halfway see things further down the road. Oh, and when I hit the brights, I'm not blinded by every reflective roadside sign I pass.

 

[chorky]

Seriously, go add that as a serious suggestion at least for an option for some of us. Texans, Floridians, some Californians, or AZ and NM won't give a rip, but the rest of us would.

I definitely did! I think a few other folks should say the same thing too. I mean seriously.....it's a Jeep. Made for driving through bad conditions - it's a no brainer.....

No kidding. Make it a part of the cold weather package. My BMW has heated nozzles and a strip under where the wiper rests and it is the best thing ever.

@OP: the reason why the LED lights are heated is because the LEDs don't generate enough heat to keep themselves clean in the nasty stuff.

Yeah no doubt I have seen a few folks with major issues. Fortunately I haven't had any myself yet but I would just dim down my BajaDesigns XL80's and use those as they get plenty hot. But a couple years ago I replaced the headlights in the TJ, which were total garbage, with LED's. I chose Trucklite (who I guess got bought out) as they were the only ones at the time with a heat element in the lens. I really don't get why this is an engineering overlook.
https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...QYxuPiTWpmx82K0_nrzshtZ258xcaOQRoCBF4QAvD_BwE

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The only caveat is heated front windscreens can give you a false sense of confidence in bad winter conditions, much like using Rain-X type products in a downpour can let you drive too fast because you can see perfectly even without turning on the wipers.

Not me. Man, I just want to see.
i've been driving in this stuff for too many years and have been through too many things to get stupid or go too fast for extreme rain or slick conditions.
I just want visibility to make even the slower speed even safter.
Doesn't matter how slow or careful you are if you can't see that it wasn't really an exit in that storm............ I've watched people on the interstate driving only 40-45 in a bad snow, believing they knew where that exit was - it sure looks like an exit, only to drive straight off into a ditch.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I definitely did! I think a few other folks should say the same thing too. I mean seriously.....it's a Jeep. Made for driving through bad conditions - it's a no brainer.....




Yeah no doubt I have seen a few folks with major issues. Fortunately I haven't had any myself yet but I would just dim down my BajaDesigns XL80's and use those as they get plenty hot. But a couple years ago I replaced the headlights in the TJ, which were total garbage, with LED's. I chose Trucklite (who I guess got bought out) as they were the only ones at the time with a heat element in the lens. I really don't get why this is an engineering overlook.
https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...QYxuPiTWpmx82K0_nrzshtZ258xcaOQRoCBF4QAvD_BwE

You must have done that about the same time I was typing go for it!
It would sure be a nice addition and one I'd pay for. I have a Jeep because I believe Jeeps can get me through - but I'd sure like to see where I was going!

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