LED Headlights are dangerous in snow/ice storm

[ShadowsPapa]

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.

You are doing a direct comparison, same size, same shape - which is a far better way.
I'm comparing generically. The size and shape of the other lights is very different which has an impact that skews my references, I'm sure.

I don't "advocate" switching, but if the owners don't like the LED - the only other remedy is my farther up post - try a product, WD40, rain-x, whatever, or switch. But there's no perfect LED for these that's heated. I guess I say to those with the problems - it's out there, it's LED, try the products and if you don't like it still - then you either live with it and deal with it or switch.
I've had icing troubles - but then I have not tried the other options, so I'm still in the "I don't hate these lights" stage, I'll find a way to work with 'em.
I have other reasons I like LED - my PERCEPTION of the light is better due to my vision, LEDs don't fade out like others, including halogen, which over time lose more "lumenosity" than LED, There are enough things I like about them that outweigh the problems.
Perhaps my post immediately prior to your wasn't worded well or as I really intended to convey.

Your comparison is excellent - gotta be honest -any Jeep people should look at it give other things a try. It's a DIRECT comparison, shape and size, depth, all of it.

Sponsored

 

[Oscar Indy]

Oh yeah, when comparing to another vehicle I've never needed or really wanted to upgrade headlights. I had an old Silverado I just put Silverstar bulbs in when the old ones broke and it was plenty good enough. that was a 2001 pickup that had way better factory lights than my 2012 JKR had. Wife had a similar truck in the Yukon that the previous owner upgraded to HID. Those were awesome but dont react well to vibration. I replaced a lot of bulbs and ballasts on that thing when we were running it down dirt roads to the ranch a lot. The 7in round on the JK was terrible. the 9in from my limited experience isn't much better. I've only driven one in town for short burst but I could definitely tell the difference.

other rigs ive owned recently.
2015 F-150: Normal halogens. Loved them. Nice clean and clear. In the snow, they never really iced over unusable but I attribute that more to the design of them allowing the headwind to clear them as it landed.
2019 Tacoma OR: Meh they worked but had artifacts. A very common upgrade is to LEDs on this truck too. I never did it but that's cause it took a week for the newness to wear off and I hated that truck.
2016 Hyundai Santafe Ultimate: this one has the projector upgrade and is some pretty badass headlights. Maybe a bit better than the LED in the JT but as you saw earlier it will ice over as well.
2001 F250. This thing was a tow pig for the JKR it only ever drove with a load on. BUT one of the first things I had to do when I got it was un bro dozer the cheap chicom headlight "upgrade" the previous previous previous owner did. Once I put factory lights back in it and aimed them without a load on they were acceptable when loaded but crap when unloaded. That little bit of aim high never got me flashed but made them more useable.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I've had many vehicles with round recessed headlights - and in a snow and ice situation like today, they'd look pretty much like Oscar's Jeep photo. The wind, the snow, it all sucks the heat out almost as fast as it's produced.
I'll take these LEDs over the lights in any Javelin I've ever owned, and even some of my trucks in my younger years. I forget how bad things used to be! I have boxes of headlamps if anyone wants to really go backwards!
My Chevy, WJ and Barbara's Grand Cherokee - great lights, non-LED, but nice, good light, and not so bad with snow and ice - but it still happens, especially on the WJ - come take it out for a drive today and I bet you get ice build-up on 'em. I keep a scraper next to the seat........ not for the windshield.

It goes back to -
this is how they are.
The cool LED face is a known issue - it's been talked about around the world for years. Not just Jeep, either.
Recessed lights? It's a funnel. My hunch after seeing all here and elsewhere - it's gonna happen in some storms.
Fixes or solutions have been suggested. Try 'em. If you haven't tried the solutions, your free pass to complain has expired.
If you have tried the suggestions and still hate LED after trying those suggested solutions (WD40, Rain-X or the other sprays or products suggested), then you have two options -
replace the lights - or
trade the Jeep for a Colorado.
Any good attorney is going to walk you back out his door and chuckle after you leave (or before)

That poor horse...........

 

[Woga]

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 had a very similar experience back in Nov, and like you I think Jeep has a responsibility to address the issue. AlSo like yourself I felt that in paying a premium, expecting “better” performance wasn’t unreasonable. I got flamed and accused off poor research etc for saying so.

To be fair since then, in the depths of a cold Colorado winter with drier snow the problem has largely gone away. I added some halogen fog lights as well which help.

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/led-headlights-snow.23842/#post-388655

 

[RIPLER]

We finally had some snow here in Pittsburgh yesterday and I just experienced how dangerous it was driving while snow was falling. We were driving up to our townhome at a local ski resort about an hour away and I pulled over 3 times to clear the snow. Each time the fog lights were completely snowed over and the headlights had a coating of snow. I think the snow was reflecting the light upwards which brightened the snow directly in front of my hood making the road hard to see. I had LED lights on my last truck and never had this issue.

 

[Hoghead]

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 Halogen in my 2018 JL and will swap even for your LED's and even pay for the swap if you will come to Tennessee. I'm going to have to spend around $700.00 to get rid of my Junk Halogen lights...

 

[b-roc]

Since Europe has laws requiring that LED headlights include a heat source (have not verified myself but am taking the statements earlier in this thread as accurate), does anybody have the part number for our european market LED headlights? This seems better than the halogen option or the undersized JW Speakers option. ... Just a thought

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Since Europe has laws requiring that LED headlights include a heat source (have not verified myself but am taking the statements earlier in this thread as accurate), does anybody have the part number for our european market LED headlights? This seems better than the halogen option or the undersized JW Speakers option. ... Just a thought

Companies are coming out with heated LED for the JT - I think one already has, another is working on it - they say "soon".
That's the route I'd go as our headlights may be different in other ways than the European lights - these replacements will have to comply with U.S. laws in other ways.

 

[ThatStinging_Jeep]

If your life matter to you so much,these are a nice option from Jw speaker

 

[Flexin]

I hate to say it, but this should be a recall...

 

[FREEZE451]

I opted to order a set of round halogen auxiliary driving lights.

Kind of excited to have another reason to throw a set on.

Should work well in last ditch effort to combat the snow.

Should be able install them this weekend. Glad this thread popped up, was curious what others thought.

 

[Gatorized]

If your life matter to you so much,these are a nice option from Jw speaker

Is this available as an overlay for the headlights - would be a nice addition to 3M headlight protection film.

 

[ThatStinging_Jeep]

Is this available as an overlay for the headlights - would be a nice addition to 3M headlight protection film.

no......its in the headlight,so...........you gotta buy the headlights for it to come with that

 

[Mjolnir]

I hate to say it, but this should be a recall...

How so? LED headlights do not put out enough heat to melt snow, this is not just a JT thing or a Jeep thing. Snow building up inside of the headlight area due to the concave design of the grill...yea thats a Jeep thing.

 

[KurtP]

Company called Chasm makes transparent heater films and has done headlights before. There are enough JL's and JT's on the road for a company to justify making a plug and play heater kit for the factory LED's.

Get some folks together and hit them up.

Sponsored