Driving During Snowfall: Snow Packing onto Headlights and Fogs Solution?

Recently drove during a good snowfall in town and on the highway. My fogs (Diode Dynamics SS3 Ambers) and my main headlights output and pattern seemed to diminish as snow got packed onto the lens.(the snow was a sticky slushy/wet kind)

no matter how good your lights are, it won’t matter if there’s a layer of packed snow that grows on them while driving at speeds during a heavy snowfall...

Any solution to mitigate snow getting packed onto the lens??

ditch lights had a 2 inch layer of snow covering the lens as well after getting home

 

I've heard cooking spray stops snow from sticking. Very temporary I'm sure, I've never tried it but could be worth some research

 

Maybe try ceramic coating the lens?

 

Usually don’t have a problem with regular halogen headlights, they create enough heat to melt snow and ice off.

 

If you are running LEDs, the problem is the LED. They don't get hot enough to melt the snow off the lens. A downside to LED headlights and fog lights.

This is a problem for OTR truckers running LED trailer lights. The snow mist off the tires collects on the taillights, then the lights become blacked out making the trailer hard to see.

 

Are they the SS3 sports or the pros? Ive read that the higher power of the pros makes them run warmer making them better for use in icing conditions.

 

If you are running replacement LEDs in your headlights, switch back to halogen which are higher performing anyway. Use the Philips H9 swap for max output and lens heat.

If you are running the SS3 Sports upgrade to the Pros which should be hot enough to prevent icing. For extreme heat, go with the new Max. It runs hot enough to boil water.

 

If you want a good project you can also do this
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/retrofit-headlight-washer-jet-on-tacoma.608877/

 

Never had this problem in Alaska.... But I was running 100W lightforces and KC's...

I'm sure you could get some thin heater wires, hot glue (on edges) them in a zig zag pattern on your foglight lenses and make a resistor circuit to run a few watts through them on a switch. Shouldn't affect visibility, but don't do this to your headlights.

Or wrap heat tape around the outside edge of the lights.

 

Park your truck in front of your local drinking establishment put it in park turn off the lights get out lock it walk inside sit by the fire & order a hot toddy.......problem solved

 

consumer (read, cheap) LED's do not put off enough heat, to keep the lens clear of snow/ice. just another reason to stop running LED's in lamps, that were not designed for them. with no or low focal points, they may look brighter to ONCOMING TRAFFIC BUT, IT ACTUALLY LESSENS THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT AVAILABLE TO SHINE DOWN THE ROAD FOR THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS.
ski

 

I've never had that issue in 25 years of driving in Chicago winters but may some Rain X on them would help. I've had my sensor for cruise get blocked a time or two but headlights were fine and I have Hikari LEDs.

 

I have the OEM LED headlights and Fog lights on my Taco and ran into this problem last spring when I was driving in a snowstorm. It also covered the radar sensor and gave me an error message. In my case I stopped and wiped the lenses about half-way through my drive and they were fine, though by the time I got to my destination snow was starting to build-up again. I may try the cooking spray idea if I drive in snow again this season.

 

They are sports. That makes sense I could see how they are better in that way as wel

 

I’ll try the ceramic spray idea and maybe a rain x coat. I want to see how I can fix

 

Yes, this is a problem when driving in a snowstorm. Always has been, probably always will be. Best solution: Don't drive around in a snowstorm. Next best solution: Stop occasionally and clear the snow off.

Otherwise, JEFFRPM has it right.

 

Driving through eastern Montana and western North Dakota last month in bone-chillingly cold and snowy conditions for an annual pheasant hunt in ND, my truck developed a thick layer of ice around all lights, front and rear, wheel wells, lower body panels, and, horror of horrors, the BSM sensors were covered and that system went inactive. There must have been more than 100 lbs. of ice on my truck. The ice was too thick for a conventional handheld scraper.

What to do? My guns are a little too valuable for use as ice-breakers, so . . .? I was lucky to be carrying an old oak axe handle that had broken off at the head and the axe handle was stout enough for breaking through the ice. It took about 20 minutes to club off the worst of the ice without damaging the truck. I have a rubber mallet that probably would have worked as well, but it was at home.

Sometimes you just can't anticipate the adversity you'll encounter and the "tool" you'll need to address it.

 

Huh? This is the 5th winter and never had this issue with regular OEM headlights here in NH . Maybe my reading comprehension is lacking

 

Pretty high pucker factor beating on the truck with an axe handle.

Did you have a water source? If you can get the water between the ice and the surface, it will break the ice free.

 

Ceramic coating and Halogen or HID bulbs that generate heat.