Snow clogging headlamps/headlights

[CrazyOldMan]

How about heated ‘rests’ for the windshield wipers so that they don’t ice over?

I cracked my windshield by turning the front defrost onto high fan and high heat- my go to move for keeping the wipers and the windshield ice free. SNAP- The air gets too hot frankly. My son noticed that, but I didn’t think that it would be hot enough to light off the windshield.

I think a lot of us suspect that the front vent and rapid temp changes are causing a crack right there on the lower edge center. The number of anecdotes of that exact same situation you describe just seems quite high. Mercedes has that Magic Vision Control option, which includes the heated reservoir, nozzles and blades - something like that would certainly also help for a winter option, if they didn’t want to do a heated windshield.

 

[MileHigh]

I think a lot of us suspect that the front vent and rapid temp changes are causing a crack right there on the lower edge center. The number of anecdotes of that exact same situation you describe just seems quite high. Mercedes has that Magic Vision Control option, which includes the heated reservoir, nozzles and blades - something like that would certainly also help for a winter option, if they didn’t want to do a heated windshield.

For a second, I thought that option was $99,000….

While we were talking about the windshield wipers, it drives me nuts that you use them for the windshield fluid option and it clears the screen and then like 20 seconds later does one more wipe just to make sure that the windshield gets streaked again instantly

 

[CrazyOldMan]

For a second, I thought that option was $99,000….

While we were talking about the windshield wipers, it drives me nuts that you use them for the windshield fluid option and it clears the screen and then like 20 seconds later does one more wipe just to make sure that the windshield gets streaked again instantly

Wow, that would be one hell of a feature at $99k. No, just looking at future options for the wife

 

[CRH]

For a second, I thought that option was $99,000….

While we were talking about the windshield wipers, it drives me nuts that you use them for the windshield fluid option and it clears the screen and then like 20 seconds later does one more wipe just to make sure that the windshield gets streaked again instantly

I've not had a new car for years that doesn't do the extra swipe of the wipers just when you don't need it to. I found a quick wipe yourself as soon as it stops cancells out the additional swipe of the wipers.

 

[CRH]

Can we not add a piece of clear plastic over the lights, as has been done with the various grills/light protectors? Snow won't build up in the light bowl area. If necessary it could be angled to encourage snow to slide off. Not sure on any legality, just a simple solution

 

[CRH]

You could even cable tie temporary clear plastic if you have these already

 

[AWo]

Is that picture the right way around?

AWo

 

[CRH]

Is that picture the right way around?

AWo

no, i'm a technical genius

 

[AWo]

Ok.

Otherwise the light seems to be mounted the wrong way around.

AWo

 

[CRH]

Ok.

Otherwise the light seems to be mounted the wrong way around.

AWo

I knew someone clever would spot it

 

[CRH]

Ok.

Otherwise the light seems to be mounted the wrong way around.

AWo

As someone cleverer than me, how do my ideas stand?

 

[AWo]

Once a customer came to me with a MAN L2000 truck. It had a custom bumper with 7" LED lights mounted. One was ok, the other was mounted wit a 90 degree turn. By a workshop, not by teh customer. As this is normally prevented by the PAR56 standard mounting system, which has coded system with three asymetric cams, that top is always top. They grinded the cams away on that one headlight.....so...the knew what they are doing, didn't they?

After mounting the Nolden lights...

BTW, the former lights were a very good example of low qualitiy. They were three years old...The polycarbonte was already yellowed, the housing was degraded.
The pair was 300 Euro.

AWo

 

[CRH]

Once a customer came to me with a MAN L2000 truck. It had a custom bumper with 7" LED lights mounted. One was ok, the other was mounted wit a 90 degree turn. By a workshop, not by teh customer. As this is normally prevented by the PAR56 standard mounting system, which has coded system with three asymetric cams, that top is always top. They grinded the cams away on that one headlight.....so...the knew what they are doing, didn't they?

After mounting the Nolden lights...

View attachment 7920645

BTW, the former lights were a very good example of low qualitiy. They were three years old...The polycarbonte was already yellowed, the housing was degraded.
The pair was 300 Euro.

View attachment 7920646
AWo

I don't get why we went down this cr@py plastic path, I do really, but it's not great for the long-term.
A bit of new cheap plastic each winter over the lights that can be thrown when cloudy shouldn't be a costly idea to stop the snow build up. We already have 4 screw holes to attach?

 

[AWo]

I don't get why we went down this cr@py plastic path, I do really, but it's not great for the long-term.
A bit of new cheap plastic each winter over the lights that can be thrown when cloudy shouldn't be a costly idea to stop the snow build up. We already have 4 screw holes to attach?

Yes, I also like glass...but the weight (CO2), the cost....
The reason why caps, shields etc. are not allowed is that the photometric properties get altered which can led to lights output degradation and blinding of others. The homologation of a light always ends at its glass.

AWo

 

[CRH]

Yes, I also like glass...but the weight (CO2), the cost....
The reason why caps, shields etc. are not allowed is that the photometric properties get altered which can led to lights output degradation and blinding of others. The homologation of a light always ends at its glass.

AWo

I had a feeling that was the issue, I just knew someone could explain it properly, thank you

 

[MileHigh]

I remember working in a hardware store and we had headlights- in true Blues Brothers fashion- both kinds, round and rectangular. Maybe there were rectangular hi and regular?

As a side note, I was on my paper route, in a dark misting morning, when I saw the first cars with conforming headlights. It was under a street light, shimmering with rain drop lets, and with those headlights and its ‘aero’ shape, it looked like it was from another planet. I thought it was a Ford Thunderbird, but that was an 87, I think it might have been a 85 Lincoln MkVII, but that isn’t as aero as the T-bird.

Incadinks stayed hot enough to melt ice. The current ones don’t- too energy efficient.

Are there standard heated windshield wipers? Keeping the blade hot on a surface would help, but keeping that hinge point and the ‘stiffeners’ ice free to keep it conforming to the windshield would be nice.

 

[CRH]

Yes, I also like glass...but the weight (CO2), the cost....
The reason why caps, shields etc. are not allowed is that the photometric properties get altered which can led to lights output degradation and blinding of others. The homologation of a light always ends at its glass.

AWo

I've thought about my plastic shield further.
Acrylic is high UV resistant and allows 92% of visible light to pass compared to 90% of glass, you can also request anti reflective.
Couple of sheets for less than £10. You could buy extras to replace when you get a scratch as that will cause light issues. It would probably need to.ne mounted in a frame.to keep flat before attaching via the 4 screw holes we have.
There is then the option on the overhead control panel to lower the headlights if needed to stop any glare.
As this is so simple to attach it could be used as a quick short-term solution during periods of snow and removed once it was not needed. I would have thought it would be very unlikely to be caught using something like this during periods of snow in most countries. In the UK it would probably never get noticed except maybe an MOT.

There are also special acrylics used to create less distortion if it was something that was of concern on initial trial.

 

[AWo]

Acrylic is not used for front lights, except smaller ones like DRL or turning, as it doesn't withstand impacts. Polycarbonate does, but it is not the best choice for light, as it tends to degrade. But polycarbonate of high quality abd a goid UV protection coating will keep the glass clear over many years. We see the first Nolden lights now in service for over 15 years and still 100% clear, no degradation.

Regardless of what you write about your sheets....it is not allowed. You do not have to convince me, you have to convince the officials. But maybe you have a chat with a light engineer before...

AWo

 

[CRH]

Acrylic is not used for front lights, except smaller ones like DRL or turning, as it doesn't withstand impacts. Polycarbonate does, but it is not the best choice for light, as it tends to degrade. But polycarbonate of high quality abd a goid UV protection coating will keep the glass clear over many years. We see the first Nolden lights now in service for over 15 years and still 100% clear, no degradation.

Regardless of what you write about your sheets....it is not allowed. You do not have to convince me, you have to convince the officials. But maybe you have a chat with a light engineer before...

AWo

I'm not trying to convince anyone, I did think about Polycarbonate but it's not as good for clarity and does scratch easily. I know it's what's used on lights but they are homoligated for correct use. I am just trying to come up with a short term solution that's cheap that we could possibly use until a proper solution has been produced. This is a DIY method that wouldn't be excessive in cost.
With regards to convincing officials, you would just remove once period of snow is finished. The chances of being caught i Scotland where this is more of a problem in UK, the chances of seeing the police is extremely remote let alone them even noticing as you drive past.

Polycarbonate would also work in the same vein as temporary use and not getting caught by authorities. I do thi think dipping the lights as though you have weight in the back would be a good move.

 

[Blackwolf]

In the UK it is highly unlikely that anyone would even notice that you'd fitted a protector in front of the lights, even at MoT test time there is nothing presently in the tester's manual (as far as I am aware) that says check for something in front of the lights. Cars regularly pass the MoT with regulatory non-compliances that are not specifically included in the test.

Given that you'd only need them temporarily when either there was a reasonable expectation of snow or it was actually snowing, I think it is unlikely that this approach would be a problem (and in the UK if it is snowing the 'authorities' have better things to be dealing with than a sensible lighting countermeasure - they're more likely to give you grief for having snow-caked lights).