Frozen snow / ice blocked my headlights last night

[HaulingAss]

If it really is surface safe, this might work:

https://www.amazon.com/DuPont-Silicone-Lubricant-Value-Pack/dp/B077XVR1F4/

I've seen small improvements on other vehicles by waxing the headlights, but it's really just a marginal improvement, you will still encounter icing conditions and need to use manual removal. I doubt the silicone would do much better if conditions were conducive to icing.

If silicon lubricant worked, airlines could save millions on de-icing equipment. They go through huge tanks of de-icing solution every winter.

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[Lasttoy]

I couldn't see anything in rain. Heavy fog is worse. So I added 2 light bars.
So snow over headlights is going to be a problem in snow country.

 

[mjezzi]

I gotta tell y'all. I have 3 other ICE trucks. When we get a heavy wet snow, they all have the same issue as the CT. Yes, they all have LED lights. It's generally a problem in Fall and Spring. I cant tell you how many times I had to pull over and clean my head lights. It par for the course with LEDs. I can't tell you even how many times I pulled over to clean my windshield due to built up heavy snow.

i really appreciate this post. So you don’t think having the headlights recessed behind the bumper shelf is any worse than the other trucks you’ve driven?

 

[M0unt41nm4n]

i really appreciate this post. So you don’t think having the headlights recessed behind the bumper shelf is any worse than the other trucks you’ve driven?

It may be a bit worse due to it being recessed, but I am used to pulling over in super heavy snow and cleaning the headlights on my ICE trucks. It’s something I expect from LED headlights due to lack of heat. I just drove my CT in snow last Wednesday. It was more or less the same thing.

 

[Torque Guy]

I think there could be an aftermarket cover made to prevent the snow from getting trapped on that ledge. Maybe a small heating element would have to be built into it as well. I just went through my first snow storm last night and the same thing happened to me. Had to pull over about every half hour and clean the snow and slush that were blocking the lights

 

[HaulingAss]

I think there could be an aftermarket cover made to prevent the snow from getting trapped on that ledge. Maybe a small heating element would have to be built into it as well. I just went through my first snow storm last night and the same thing happened to me. Had to pull over about every half hour and clean the snow and slush that were blocking the lights

Is that the first time you've had to pull over every 30 minutes of driving in heavy snow at night in any vehicle? Because I've been doing that whenever I drive in such conditions at night for extended distances. But my normal drive in snow is only an hour, so it's never been a big deal to me.

I'm not sure why some people think this matters any more than any other vehicle. None are immune to it (and a little diffusion on the headlights can actually be a good thing when it's snowing that hard). It seems like a bunch of fake noise over nothing.

 

[juicebeast17]

What are the chances that this will become a recall for CT?

 

[Crissa]

What are the chances that this will become a recall for CT?

About zero.

It's just not considered a common use case - if there's snow enough to cover your vehicle, visibility is pretty bad already. If would be considered like offroading - something you can do, but not covered by NHTSA, who would say not to drive at all. This isn't just me saying it.

And it's not unique; many vehicles have inset lights and will face this problem, especially with LEDs being so efficient now a days.

Just like you need special tires to drive in snow, and special washer fluid ...now you're going to need some special defrosting kit on your lights. Either something heated, some goggles, and/or some accessory fog lights to keep going when the going gets 'go inside' bad.

It's no big deal. The vast majority of vehicles never even get winter tires. And heck, unlike say, almost every other vehicle, at least you have camp mode and can wait out the storm in the worst case.

-Crissa

 

[Torque Guy]

Is that the first time you've had to pull over every 30 minutes of driving in heavy snow at night in any vehicle? Because I've been doing that whenever I drive in such conditions at night for extended distances. But my normal drive in snow is only an hour, so it's never been a big deal to me.

Is that the first time you've had to pull over every 30 minutes of driving in heavy snow at night in any vehicle? Because I've been doing that whenever I drive in such conditions at night for extended distances. But my normal drive in snow is only an hour, so it's never been a big deal to me.

I'm not sure why some people think this matters any more than any other vehicle. None are immune to it (and a little diffusion on the headlights can actually be a good thing when it's snowing that hard). It seems like a bunch of fake noise over nothing.

Yeah buddy, we just like posting fake noise! Apparently you have not experienced these same conditions yet. As far as me, I've was in industrial sales and have driven pick up trucks(Chevy, Ford) all over three mid west states for the last 30 years. Usually putting about 50,000 miles a year on. So I know the differences. I don't do that anymore so that's one of the reasons I bought the Cyber truck, but your wrong. No other vehicle I had has a pocket and a ledge that can fill up with snow so quickly and block the headlights. I love my cybertruck I'm not on here trying to put it down but this is something that definitely needs addressed. I'm sure they're just now figuring it out being that these trucks are starting to roll out in the snowier states this winter.

 

[BannedByTMC]

I'm not sure why some people think this matters any more than any other vehicle.

In decades of Northeast driving It's never been a problem for me and I'd never consider it "normal" to have to pull over every 30 minutes to clear my headlights. It's quite obvious to all but the apologists that this is a poor design for snowy conditions and worse than many other vehicles. The low recessed lights with a shelf under them is going to catch snow more than most other vehicles. First principals physics one might say.

 

[MyOtherTruck]

Sure - if driving a garages vehicle from the start, and then you encounter snow you can wipe it away every 30mins. Done that bunch on myriad vehicles. But no one seems to understand the skiers life - where the truck sits in the lot during snowfall, and the shelf turns to ice while you ride all day. When you go to leave that shelf has become an unchippable ice block. The “defrost” mode dribbled melt down the hood on to that shelf area making it worse. Ice scrappers are difficult in that area. Now it’s 4pm, dark and cold and you are exhausted with a drive home in the dark. This is a real issue despite others dismissing it.

 

[Crissa]

In decades of Northeast driving It's never been a problem for me and I'd never consider it "normal" to have to pull over every 30 minutes to clear my headlights. It's quite obvious to all but the apologists that this is a poor design for snowy conditions and worse than many other vehicles. The low recessed lights with a shelf under them is going to catch snow more than most other vehicles. First principals physics one might say.

That's because there are different kinds of snow with different properties - and as been pointed out, full LED headlights haven't existed for 'decades'.

-Crissa

 

[Crissa]

Now it’s 4pm, dark and cold and you are exhausted with a drive home in the dark. This is a real issue despite others dismissing it.

Cover it while parked. Adding a thermal deicer there seems the best bet if you're using it in those conditions.

I don't see why this is a big deal. Just like you gotta watch out and not get snowbanked by the plow or caught in melt from the trees, and clear your doors of water so they don't freeze...

You're unhappy that you're not wasting heat in all the times there wasn't snow?

-Crissa

 

[FutureBoy]

Looks like we need Not A Flame Thrower and Cyberhammer with Cyberpick to ensure clean headlights in ice/slush.

I can just imagine driving by some CT on the side of the road stopped with the driver out front using the Not a Flame Thrower against the front of the truck. That would most certainly get a video taken and submitted to the socials. Probably would even hit the local news.

 

[BannedByTMC]

That's because there are different kinds of snow with different properties -

You don't say? Come on, stop making excuses for a design that will inherently catch more snow and ice than almost any other. They clearly did not consider this issue.

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