SNOW & LED HEADLIGHT issues

[Alan SOBX]

I don’t get snow where I live but I get heavy rain. Rain-X is fantastic. I haven’t driven in heavy rain with my Jeep but, in my company car (Chevy Equinox), the rain beads up and blows off the windshield. I never use wipers.

Something to try might be to Rain-X the entire headlight area. I will keep the snow from finding any little microgroove to hang on and should aid in it blowing out pretty well. My theory may not hold but it is a $4 fix that also will work on your windshield if I am not incorrect.

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[ShadowsPapa]

I don’t get snow where I live but I get heavy rain. Rain-X is fantastic. I haven’t driven in heavy rain with my Jeep but, in my company car (Chevy Equinox), the rain beads up and blows off the windshield. I never use wipers.

Something to try might be to Rain-X the entire headlight area. I will keep the snow from finding any little microgroove to hang on and should aid in it blowing out pretty well. My theory may not hold but it is a $4 fix that also will work on your windshield if I am not incorrect.

That's been suggested for years, some of us have tried it - and found it really didn't matter.
I've also used RainX for years on windshields and it's ok on the Jeeps but I got something better from our dealer and can't believe how easily BUGS even come off with it.
RainX - once you get over a couple inches an hour type rains, it doesn't matter, but since we used to before the drought dug in really hard, get rains that were less dramatic, I use it, especially on my cars because they only have 2 speed wipers at best (although one has the optional mist setting) - the old wipers just aren't that great but on a windshield that slants back, it's works great.
But not on my headlights - didn't matter a lick. The problem is - the snow is trapped in there by high pressure air. It can't just blow off across the light. It's still going to build up. So nothing like Pam or RainX can actually help. Snow is being shot back into the lights, nowhere for it to go - RainX makes things "slick" to water, but can't prevent freezing or collecting in a funnel on its side.
You'll find a dozen or so "use RainX" posts here over the years. Meh, tried it, no effect.

 

[Blade1668]

The halogen headlights will also ice up they don't put out enough heat to melt snow or ice.

Note left headlight. It's iced almost over. I had to clean them off a few times that night. Well the grill is too, damn that was cold. ???

 

[Alan SOBX]

That's been suggested for years, some of us have tried it - and found it really didn't matter.
I've also used RainX for years on windshields and it's ok on the Jeeps but I got something better from our dealer and can't believe how easily BUGS even come off with it.
RainX - once you get over a couple inches an hour type rains, it doesn't matter, but since we used to before the drought dug in really hard, get rains that were less dramatic, I use it, especially on my cars because they only have 2 speed wipers at best (although one has the optional mist setting) - the old wipers just aren't that great but on a windshield that slants back, it's works great.
But not on my headlights - didn't matter a lick. The problem is - the snow is trapped in there by high pressure air. It can't just blow off across the light. It's still going to build up. So nothing like Pam or RainX can actually help. Snow is being shot back into the lights, nowhere for it to go - RainX makes things "slick" to water, but can't prevent freezing or collecting in a funnel on its side.
You'll find a dozen or so "use RainX" posts here over the years. Meh, tried it, no effect.

Good to know and I appreciate the insight. Rain-X has been fantastic for my company cars even in heavy lower Alabama rainstorms. I would guess that a Jeep’s less aerodynamic shape would lower effectiveness on windshields. My company cars have had covers flush with the frame so it worked there well too. Again, a Jeep isn’t the same.

I appreciate your experience and advice. I am retiring in four weeks and don’t really plan to drive in bad weather and definitely not in snow since I live at the beach. Sounds like I can save some time on the Rain-X thing too since it does require some buffing scrub to get it working right without the fogging look.

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[ShadowsPapa]

Good to know and I appreciate the insight. Rain-X has been fantastic for my company cars even in heavy lower Alabama rainstorms. I would guess that a Jeep’s less aerodynamic shape would lower effectiveness on windshields. My company cars have had covers flush with the frame so it worked there well too. Again, a Jeep isn’t the same.

I appreciate your experience and advice. I am retiring in four weeks and don’t really plan to drive in bad weather and definitely not in snow since I live at the beach. Sounds like I can save some time on the Rain-X thing too since it does require some buffing scrub to get it working right without the fogging look.

#RespectToYou

I started using RainX before it was a huge thing years ago - like mentioned, my classic cars, like the 70 Javelin I had - wipers were 2 speeds, slow and not much faster. The windshields do slope back quite a bit on Javelins, so I still use RainX on my 73 - the wiper switch is sort of wonky and a rare beast that's not easy to change if you do find a new one in someone's Kenosha stash. Rain hits, any speed at all in those cars you can watch the water bead up, and scoot up to the top and over the car. The SX4 isn't quite as sloped but it works well on that one, too. I find it makes the most difference on new glass with an extremely smooth surface. Any pitting or sandblasting just interferes with how it works. It's like polishing or shining up a rough surface - you don't get the full effect. So on windshields with a lot of age, the effects of driving for years, pitting and sandblasting (where it sparkles a bit when the sun is just right) it's not quite as good.
It doesn't work nearly as well on my Jeeps as it has my cars - slope is everything and when the wind is bunching up like Wily Coyote running head-first into the side of a cliff, it can't have the same effect. It works, but it's not nearly as effective on a Jeep as a car. Still worth it, though, IMO.
But RainX depends on, relies on, wind blowing the liquid rain across or up the windshield or the weight of the combining drops of rain causing them to fall to the bottom when driving slowly. RainX changes the surface of the glass so water beads and blows off or drops down.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The halogen headlights will also ice up they don't put out enough heat to melt snow or ice.

Note left headlight. It's iced almost over. I had to clean them off a few times that night. Well the grill is too, damn that was cold. ???

I've been known to have to grab a plastic scraper and get out and scrape ice off the headlights of Grand Cherokees - sometimes the deck is just plain stacked against you. In that case it was icing and sticking to anything and everything. I was afraid the radio antenna was going to bust off the ice was making it at least 4 or 5 times thicker than original.
Freezing fog is also a thing around here - a mist so very fine it's a horrible transmitter of light.

 

[Alan SOBX]

I started using RainX before it was a huge thing years ago - like mentioned, my classic cars, like the 70 Javelin I had - wipers were 2 speeds, slow and not much faster. The windshields do slope back quite a bit on Javelins, so I still use RainX on my 73 - the wiper switch is sort of wonky and a rare beast that's not easy to change if you do find a new one in someone's Kenosha stash. Rain hits, any speed at all in those cars you can watch the water bead up, and scoot up to the top and over the car. The SX4 isn't quite as sloped but it works well on that one, too. I find it makes the most difference on new glass with an extremely smooth surface. Any pitting or sandblasting just interferes with how it works. It's like polishing or shining up a rough surface - you don't get the full effect. So on windshields with a lot of age, the effects of driving for years, pitting and sandblasting (where it sparkles a bit when the sun is just right) it's not quite as good.
It doesn't work nearly as well on my Jeeps as it has my cars - slope is everything and when the wind is bunching up like Wily Coyote running head-first into the side of a cliff, it can't have the same effect. It works, but it's not nearly as effective on a Jeep as a car. Still worth it, though, IMO.
But RainX depends on, relies on, wind blowing the liquid rain across or up the windshield or the weight of the combining drops of rain causing them to fall to the bottom when driving slowly. RainX changes the surface of the glass so water beads and blows off or drops down.

Makes total sense. I lived in Alabama in the 90s and covered the lower part of the state as part of my sales territory where it is either not raining or absolutely pouring. Rain-X saved me there because, like you said, the windshield wiper couldn’t keep up. It did blow over so I was wondering about a Jeep. I only drive when I want to now and the only time I was in a downpour was when I was driving on sand on an island only accessible by ferry and my hard top was an hour drive and an hour ferry ride away. Rain-X would not have helped. LOL. What actually did was my Shibumi, a product out of North Carolina made of parachute material that blows to block sun on the beach but (necessity is the mother of invention) worked great in a thunderstorm.

Thanks again for your experience. I will use Rain-X on my Jeep but likely just for easy cleaning bug splats apparently.

 

[WilldWilly]

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[snowbear]

We are relocating to New England soon, so we'll see how it goes. I have halogens but I am considering swapping to LEDs and have thought about placing a pair of auxiliary low beams (halogen) on the bumper; not much different than what is run with a snow plow.

 

[ORACLE Terry]

Here's a solution that might work well for those affected by the super cold. We have a multifunction headlight built for the cold. Whether you're battling the frigid temperatures of North America or Northern Europe, the multifunction heated LED headlight is designed to withstand the harshest environments. Built specifically for extreme cold weather, this headlight offers unmatched durability and performance. It’s the ideal solution for snowplows, trucks, or any vehicle operating in challenging winter conditions. One of the standout features is its advanced de-icing technology, which prevents snow and ice from building up on the light, ensuring that you have clear, consistent illumination no matter the weather. This means you won’t have to worry about dim or obstructed lighting while out in the elements—the heated feature ensures your headlights stay clear, providing optimal visibility when it matters most.

Check it out here:

 

[Gvsukids]

Here's a solution that

Check it out here:

That doesn't fit so well in our circular headlight housing.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

That doesn't fit so well in our circular headlight housing.

i think he was aimed at those thinking of putting on bumper-mounted solutions, like we have on our snow plows, auxiliary headlights "just in case".
I really wish I had opted for the LED headlights for my snow plow, but those were like 500 more than the halogens. Guess it doesn't matter a lot since you don't want to drive a JT on the highway with a snow plow mounted - it will run hot and kill the HVAC.

 

[ORACLE Terry]

That doesn't fit so well in our circular headlight housing.

You can mount to the bumper. We have a set on the back bumper of our LMTV!!!

 

[Supazuk]

After having a Mini Countryman ALL4 S with head light washer nozzles and how awesome they work, I have been toying with setting somthing similar on my JT

 

[ALT2870]

My Volvo has headlight wipers and washer nozzles. People love to make fun of it or say how cute but then once they realize how they do in the Winter they say it's genius. I personally love them and wish it was a more common thing.

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