Road chemical on camera lenses

[FutureBoy]

So here in the PNW we recently have been getting snow about 1-3 times a year. Right now I'm on day 3 of snow where the temperatures have been below freezing even at the high. Plus this is an area with lots of hills (some rather steep) and we have a lot of drivers who either came from areas that never had snow or are native and have tended to just hole up at home for each snow storm so they don't really know how to drive in snow effectively.

In order to cope with these conditions, most of the cities in the area have both snow plows and sand/chemical trucks to try and increase the traction on main streets and steeper hills.

So, I've been driving around these last couple of days and getting lots of chemical residue on my windows. For my front windshield, I just use the wipers and windshield fluid periodically to keep things relatively clean and visible. But I also have a rear camera for backing up. And that is completely unusable unless I get out to wipe off the lense each time I want to back up.

Which gets me wondering. With all the cameras that Tesla has on its vehicles, how do we keep them clean enough to be able to use FSD in these kinds of conditions? If the wipers clean off the front-facing camera windshield area that is a start. But what about all the side/rearview cameras? Is there some automatic cleaning mechanism for those?

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[John K]

how do we keep them clean enough to be able to use FSD in these kinds of conditions?

Snarky, unhelpful answer.

 

[Crissa]

Tesla cameras are mostly behind the glass.

Chemical residue? Like salt or oily deicer?

-Crissa

 

[FutureBoy]

Tesla cameras are mostly behind the glass.

Chemical residue? Like salt or oily deicer?

-Crissa

Most of the chemical around here dries into a white film pretty quickly so I'd say it is something akin to road salt. But with the ecological emphasis around here for keeping chemicals out of our waterways, I'm guessing it is not actual rock salt.

Well, well, well. Turns out that King County (where I live) has the following FAQ answers online.

21. Does King County pre-treat the roads with anti-icer to prevent ice from forming?
Yes, crews pre-treat county roads with anti-icer when the conditions are right. The surface must be dry and the pavement temperature must be between 20 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit for anti-icer to work. If the road is wet, the anti-icer substance would dilute too fast and fail to work. If the road is too cold, the anti-icer solution won’t stick to the roadway.

22. What is anti-icer made of?
King County uses an anti-icer solution called “calcium chloride with boost.” The calcium chloride is salt; “boost” is a solution made of bio-solids such as egg whites and beet juice which helps reduce corrosion on infrastructure.

The calcium chloride (salt) adheres to the surface helping prevent ice from forming. Salt and water can cause rust on metal vehicles and equipment. Boost provides a chemical reaction that prevents rust from forming when the anti-icer solution comes into contact with vehicles and snow-removal gear.

23. Is anti-icer the same as de-icer?
No. Anti-icer is applied to bare, dry roads. De-icer is applied to roads that have compacted snow and ice on the surface. De-icing uses large amounts of chemicals. King County does not use de-icer on our roads.

24. What does King County do to treat ice that has already formed?
County crews spread salt, sand or a mix of salt and sand over plowed and unplowed roadways to help make slick surfaces less slippery.

Dry salt is most effective after the snow has accumulated about an inch and the temperature is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If the temperature is below 20 degrees, crews use a mixture of pre-wetted salt and sand to break up ice and increase traction. Pre-wetted salt and sand sticks to cold, icy surfaces better and jump-starts the ice melting process.

 

[FutureBoy]

Snarky, unhelpful answer.

LOL. But I have been wondering if I'm going to have to get out every 5 miles or so to clean the camera glass.

 

[uff_da]

In their current form FSD won't be an option in bad weather conditions like heavy slushy snow/blizzard. I know the type you are talking about. I have had times the windshield wipers couldn't keep the windshield clear and you have to pull over and keep clearing it.

Until they come up with a mechanical or laser lens cleaner, I think we will have to wait for more moderate weather conditions to use FSD. My take is, they are focusing on getting it to work well for moderate conditions, and will worry about making the more challenging use cases more convenient over time (crawl, walk, run). Just more reason for me to question my life decisions living in a frozen tundra....

 

[John K]

I do not have personal experience, have you tried products such as rain-x.

 

[charliemagpie]

Baby wipe ?

They will even clean bird shiiii

 

[FutureBoy]

I do not have personal experience, have you tried products such as rain-x.

I’ve used Rain-X on windshield previously but not on camera lenses.

 

[FutureBoy]

Baby wipe ?

They will even clean bird shiiii

Getting them clean by hand is not the issue. They need to stay clean while driving.

Something like lasers or wipers are more like what is needed.

 

[John K]

Not the lenses, the glass covering the lenses. ?? If you try, I am curious on your results.

 

[FutureBoy]

Not the lenses, the glass covering the lenses. ?? If you try, I am curious on your results.

The only camera I have at the moment is a rear view camera on a Toyota Sienna. Last time I cleaned it the feel was of a convex glass so I’m thinking the actual lense. Either way though, there is a glass surface that needs regular cleaning. On Tesla vehicles, I get that most of the cameras are behind glass. Either way though a surface needs cleaning. I doubt Tesla would put little wiper blades over all the camera areas though.

If I had glass over the camera I might try rainx though I was not really a fan of it on my windshield.

 

[HaulingAss]

So here in the PNW we recently have been getting snow about 1-3 times a year. Right now I'm on day 3 of snow where the temperatures have been below freezing even at the high. Plus this is an area with lots of hills (some rather steep) and we have a lot of drivers who either came from areas that never had snow or are native and have tended to just hole up at home for each snow storm so they don't really know how to drive in snow effectively.

In order to cope with these conditions, most of the cities in the area have both snow plows and sand/chemical trucks to try and increase the traction on main streets and steeper hills.

So, I've been driving around these last couple of days and getting lots of chemical residue on my windows. For my front windshield, I just use the wipers and windshield fluid periodically to keep things relatively clean and visible. But I also have a rear camera for backing up. And that is completely unusable unless I get out to wipe off the lense each time I want to back up.

Which gets me wondering. With all the cameras that Tesla has on its vehicles, how do we keep them clean enough to be able to use FSD in these kinds of conditions? If the wipers clean off the front-facing camera windshield area that is a start. But what about all the side/rearview cameras? Is there some automatic cleaning mechanism for those?

The only cameras I've noticed becoming fouled regularly is back-up camera. But that doesn't appear to impact the performance of FSD at all, even when it's totally obscured by solid snow. But, yeah, you can't use the camera for backing up if it's fouled so I keep a small microfiber cloth in the driver door panel that I use to clean the rear lens. All it takes is one light swipe on the little lens, once the snow and slush is wiped away.

I use the same cloth to wipe the side lenses if I notice any buildup but they stay pretty clean most of the time and, of course, the front three cameras are kept clean with the wiper blades and windshield sprayer.

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

Tesla cameras are mostly behind the glass.

Chemical residue? Like salt or oily deicer?

-Crissa

Only 'real' camera lenses are exposed to the elements. All cell phone and automobile cameras are, like @Crissa mentions, behind something much more robust to the elements. We were driving in Lake tahoe last week and I had to clear my rearview camera every time i got close to it, when I remembered. Luckily most of the important CT cameras will be higher than that but they will have to be cleaned.

 

[Cyberman]

Heated camera lens upgrade?

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