LED Headlights are dangerous in snow/ice storm

[glady8or]

I have a 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon with the LED headlights. Last night I drove home in a snow and ice storm. The headlights got packed with snow/ice since LEDs do not produce enough heat to melt the snow and ice like the old halogen and HID bulbs can.

The snow and ice buildup is horrible, dangerous, and potentially life threatening. I had to pull off and clear snow and ice from the lights multiple times. I was doing this during a dark and stormy night. There is a danger in pulling off and clearing the headlights, you can get hit by a car especially in a dark storm.

There is also a danger of not being seen or not seeing something in the dark. In either case there is the potential to cause an accident.

FCA needs to address this. In fact the DOT should not allow the use of the unheated LED headlights on the road.

Someone adds a heater to the light fixture. The heater could be on a thermostat that triggers the heat to come on at a specific temperature uh as 37 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, add a button to the controls like the windshield and side mirror defrost.

I think FCA, and the other manufactures with unheated LED headlights, should have to conduct a recall of all of them and either fit them with a heating element or replace the head lamp with a halogen or HID version at no cost to the owners.

As for myself, I obviously paid a premium to have the LED lights. Now I am purchasing the halogen version, spending about $300. And I will pull the LED and install the Halogen lights. I am rather annoyed that I paid for a premium LED headlight that cannot be used during any storm with frozen precipitation. And now, I am paying again to fix this negligent design flaw.

LED lights are dangerous just for the sheer fact that they are blinding to opposing drivers. Should be banned and return to traditional halogens.

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[glady8or]

Halogen lights are more dangerous than LEDs under most conditions because they do not illuminate the road or potential hazards nearly as well.

So it's a trade-off, but halogens are not necessarily safer over the life of your ownership.

I do agree that the LEDs should have a heating element.

LED's pose a serious threat to opposing drivers. they are blinding under normal conditions. I can not look straight ahead at night most of the time because of the blinding LEDs.

 

[Turkeyfarmer]

I have a 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon with the LED headlights. Last night I drove home in a snow and ice storm. The headlights got packed with snow/ice since LEDs do not produce enough heat to melt the snow and ice like the old halogen and HID bulbs can.

The snow and ice buildup is horrible, dangerous, and potentially life threatening. I had to pull off and clear snow and ice from the lights multiple times. I was doing this during a dark and stormy night. There is a danger in pulling off and clearing the headlights, you can get hit by a car especially in a dark storm.

There is also a danger of not being seen or not seeing something in the dark. In either case there is the potential to cause an accident.

FCA needs to address this. In fact the DOT should not allow the use of the unheated LED headlights on the road.





Someone adds a heater to the light fixture. The heater could be on a thermostat that triggers the heat to come on at a specific temperature uh as 37 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, add a button to the controls like the windshield and side mirror defrost.

I think FCA, and the other manufactures with unheated LED headlights, should have to conduct a recall of all of them and either fit them with a heating element or replace the head lamp with a halogen or HID version at no cost to the owners.

As for myself, I obviously paid a premium to have the LED lights. Now I am purchasing the halogen version, spending about $300. And I will pull the LED and install the Halogen lights. I am rather annoyed that I paid for a premium LED headlight that cannot be used during any storm with frozen precipitation. And now, I am paying again to fix this negligent design flaw.

I have a 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon with the LED headlights. Last night I drove home in a snow and ice storm. The headlights got packed with snow/ice since LEDs do not produce enough heat to melt the snow and ice like the old halogen and HID bulbs can.

The snow and ice buildup is horrible, dangerous, and potentially life threatening. I had to pull off and clear snow and ice from the lights multiple times. I was doing this during a dark and stormy night. There is a danger in pulling off and clearing the headlights, you can get hit by a car especially in a dark storm.

There is also a danger of not being seen or not seeing something in the dark. In either case there is the potential to cause an accident.

FCA needs to address this. In fact the DOT should not allow the use of the unheated LED headlights on the road.

Someone adds a heater to the light fixture. The heater could be on a thermostat that triggers the heat to come on at a specific temperature uh as 37 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, add a button to the controls like the windshield and side mirror defrost.

I think FCA, and the other manufactures with unheated LED headlights, should have to conduct a recall of all of them and either fit them with a heating element or replace the head lamp with a halogen or HID version at no cost to the owners.

As for myself, I obviously paid a premium to have the LED lights. Now I am purchasing the halogen version, spending about $300. And I will pull the LED and install the Halogen lights. I am rather annoyed that I paid for a premium LED headlight that cannot be used during any storm with frozen precipitation. And now, I am paying again to fix this negligent design flaw.

 

[Turkeyfarmer]

https://www.mckees37.com/headlight-coating.html#

 

[Oscar Indy]

Oh no my Hyundai with projector is super dangerous. Off to the Hyundai forums to complain.

 

[Factoid]

After all, everyone likes Debbie Boone, right???

 

[Oscar Indy]

After all, everyone likes Debbie Boone, right???

Hahah....
Or a little more modern... And terrible.

 

[LongTimeListener]

If this is a constant problem or worry for some folks, adding halogen aux lights doesn't sound like a bad idea. I can't imagine you'd get pulled over for running them in a snowstorm, even if they were technically illegal.

 

[LongTimeListener]

It's also funny how this exact discussion recurs across the car internet.

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1206896

 

[Oscar Indy]

It's also funny how this exact discussion recurs across the car internet.

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1206896

It's only an issue if you are unaware of it happening. Some of us have been driving jeeps jeeps before we had liscenses and know that no matter what type of emitter the flat faced sunken lights on the grill will collect snow if it's heavy and wet. So we rainx our head lights or stop and clean them every time the output diminishes. It's not a big deal.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

What's a Debbie Boone?

The ice storm wasn't as bad as I expected and was partially over by the time I got out and back. The windshield iced as expected on the right but I know a glove laid on the defrost vent in the middle would solve that. Actually it was no worse than most other vehicles I've driven - so not sure what others are seeing there for defrost and ICE storms.

As far as the headlights - when I got to the dealership, and then again when I got home this AM - my headlights looked about like Oscar's example. Eh, about half to 2/3 ice, I wiped off with my fingers. Can't say it really bothered seeing today. I've had worse on other modern vehicles where the lens or outer clear plastic cover is a distance from the heat source (a WJ is an example there - I've had them ice up really bad)

A full review, reading this thread and others here, and further experiences with mine would suggest this summary for my part -

As far as FCA is concerned -
you can complain, you got a survey in the mail. Tell them.
BUT - no threats or thoughts of a suite - you'll just get their people to react with hackles raised.
Further - LED lights are an OPTION. They could simply say "then order halogens" or whatever. It's not new nor unknown.
So if you have not ordered a Jeep yet and are concerned - the other headlights are fine, they are very good, get 'em instead. If you have already bought - there may be forum members who want LED but couldn't or didn't get them and may trade with you. ASK. What's the worst that would happen?
IF LED was the ONLY option - you might have some sort of leverage - but it's an option that costs - so, you won't get anything yelling or threatening them.

Solutions? Expensive - convert back to halogen or some other system. Cheap - try the products and suggestions from other members - from the basic good old standby - WD40, or the (IMO, better) Rain-X, or other products suggested here by members.
The EU has been ahead of the USA for many decades in automotive lighting........ it must be an issue or they wouldn't have laws and rules related to LED headlights. We'll get there eventually - either the OEM or the after-market. But for now - we're on our own.

As the dust settles and I run this truck more and more and have better chances to compare - I realize these things and more -
I am the one that said I wanted LED. It was a choice.
Good or bad, it was my choice. I know LED lights - I've dealt with them for years - dash conversions, other lights in cars, house, my shop is almost all LED lighting I installed myself. I personally can't blame Jeep, FCA, or anyone else. They should come up with a solution, it's doable - but it ain't here yet and even Kia and BMW have complaints - so it's not a Jeep only thing. I can work to solve it.

I have to really think back hard to all of my other cars - and about the only ones I've not had real snow and ice build-up on are those with the sealed beam headlights - round or rectangular. and even at that, the Javelin headlamps are round and recessed in a sort of cone and they sit back a good couple of inches and now that I think of it, they also got covered in a really heavy wet snow storm. I guess I didn't recall that at first.
My other Jeeps - the Cherokee, Grand Cherokees, the WJ I have now - the lenses DO get iced over but being slanted they don't collect snow. Ice IS still an issue with them, but snow, not so much.

That's my summary.

It's known, it's not Jeep only (although the wet snow could be worse with the recessed lights), there are solutions, and members have stepped forward to offer suggestions, advice, products to try, etc.

Otherwise, where's WhatExit or Oscar with the dead horse image?

 

[Oscar Indy]

another option if you wanna spend an exorbitant amount of money is to pester JW speaker till they make a JL version of their heated line.
https://www.jwspeaker.com/smartheat-heated-led-lights/

 

[Tim]

This thread is hilarious. LED headlights are not what's dangerous in snow and ice storms. Its the snow and ice that are dangerous.

Even more hilarious is the "solution" to this "problem" being to replace the LEDs with halogens. So let me get this straight. Some are advocating that it is better to drive with far less effective lighting 99% of the time so that 1% of the time their lights might not ice up? That's brilliant!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

For some halogens aren't really any worse than LED - in fact, my Silverado lighting actually did as well if not better than the JT LED - my wife's GC lights are fine, can easily see whatever needs to be seen.
I find the LED whiter, a bit better, but not "night and day" WOW this is mega-great better.
Far less effective lighting?
Light, like a lot of other things, is seen differently by different people. You'll find if you look that there's more than one or two that will like high-end halogens and don't care about LED. I see people choosing halogen and projectors over LED quite a bit out there. Maybe not in THIS forum, but it's not a settled thing that LED is "far more effective" out there.

Not sure where the :"far less effective" comes from - I've compared directly, and although I like the LED - if I was forced to switch back because suddenly they weren't supported or legal or for whatever reason, I'd not kick and holler about it. I find the halogens in my car are almost as good - but then other drivers complain because there's not a great sharp cut-off point. The JT STOCK LED isn't the best out there. Nice, better than the other options on a JEEP, but not the very best.

 

[Oscar Indy]

For some halogens aren't really any worse than LED - .

Is this your first JK JL or JT?
If so the halogens are notoriously terrible in these modern wranglers. I tried every combo in my JK and LED is the best one to be had and there is a reason its a factory option now because people complained about them A LOT. The led actually landed in the JK as a factory option due to complaints.
I personally tried
KC h4 conversion. (worked okay not much better than stock for 300 bucks)
led bulbs. (good but the factory deflector blocked the high beam so it was lows only. Better than the kc h4 kit and only 100 bucks
Trucklites. (weird artifact patterns and required euro spec adjusters to aim correctly. for 500 bucks I expected better.
JW speakers. ( these were awesome and for the price they had better be.
KC LED / Peterson 701 (KC just rebranded a very popular headlight for semi-trucks in the Peterson. This was my favorite headlight and the one I left on the Jeep for the next 60k miles before selling. at 395 it was the best upgrade I had ever done to my Jeep. I even took the 20in light bar off the grill as it was unneeded anymore. )

ALL OF THESE suck compared to the factory JT LEDs. Cleaner and brighter. No goofy artifacts or odd shadows caused by the reflector. If I had to stop every mile and wipe them clean I would still take the LED over anything halogen ever again. I live in northern Utah. Our annual snow fall here is over 60in and some areas see over 400 annually. I've lived in Montana and Alaska too and would NEVER go back to halogens because of a little snow accumulation. Especially when heavy wet snow will collect on the halogens too. again recessed headlights, not the emitter is the issue.

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