Project "Melt Snow" - Snow / Ice Buildup on Headlights & Bumper Solution (DIY Writeup)

[HaulingAss]

"The Cybertruck's air suspension system utilizes nitrogen to pressurize the air reservoir, meaning when you need to adjust the suspension height, the system is filled with nitrogen gas instead of standard air, providing more consistent pressure and improved performance across various conditions. "

That could explain why the Cybertruck's air suspension outperforms the R1T's air suspension (and the GMC air suspensions). I love the speed at which you can change ride heights.

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[Jack27]

You really have no idea .The whole of Canada snows for 4-5 months a year and many parts of the US. Do you want us all to pull over when its snowing like you suggested before or dont drive .

Perhaps you should focus your thoughts on how to keep a car cold when its hot in Sant Cruz .

Maybe she takes trips to the snow? or maybe she just had an opinion? I mean what did your parents and grandparents and grand grand parents do ? Figured it out and kept truckin! If you were truly that concerned you would buy some heated head lights to mount under the stock headlight for a couple hundred bucks. You no like I didn’t like the tires so I bought my own?
https://www.raneystruckparts.com/4-...pZuLzlTMic0n5Be3hevAqSnbLvaI3Z_0aAtJ7EALw_wcB

40% + of the US population lives in States with 12" or more of snow / year, according to ChatGPT

This is a real issue, especially in sticky snow. Other vehicles have this issue too.

It has to be 57.6 % of higher or they don’t care

 

[Crissa]

You really have no idea .The whole of Canada snows for 4-5 months a year and many parts of the US. Do you want us all to pull over when its snowing like you suggested before or dont drive .

Perhaps you should focus your thoughts on how to keep a car cold when its hot in Sant Cruz .

Well, A) NHTSA doesn't cover Canada.
B) Canada doesn't require headlight defrosters but several provinces do require snow tires.

Do you even understand what you're arguing about? Is this just trying to pretend I made an argument that it's safe to drive in sticking snow encrusting your vehicle?

Because I said the opposite.

-Crissa

 

[bosshog]

I will need some testers! Will definitely hit you up. Please DM me so I can find you easIly when I am ready to ship. I agree with everyone about the sentiment of “we shouldn’t be having to figure this out….” It’s worse than most vehicles with similar problems due to the enormous “shelf” that sits in front of the headlights. Great for catching the all the snow……

How is this coming along?

Do you have any ideas on installing a headlight washer to spray the snow build up and or with dirty lights .
The front camera washer is pretty close to the headlights ? connecting 2 headlight sprayers to the front camera washer using same motor . Also ease of using it .

 

[MyOtherTruck]

(Video + photo). Welp, I love my CT for 97% of the time. But I have all but given up on it as a winter vehicle. For the last week, my tailgate, tonneau and my frunk are all frozen shut. I tried a hammer and chisel but I its just too risky if I missed and hit the lights or scratch my 3m wrap

The worst part is the ice on the lights. I can not drive at night way too often. When snow melts, it accumulates on the lights. Or I defrost my truck, the streams melt down to the bumper and build an ice dam. The other evening I had some one signal my lights aren't on :-( (they were, just covered in ice)

I'm taking unusual steps to keep my lights clear - but a short drive to the market in 10degrees (f) and Im just an eager beaver creating a ice dam.

I love how the truck drives, FSD is so good. My truck bricked once and stranded me, it makes so many squeaks etc, but Im good with it. But I am really bummed out about the lights being covered in snow and ice all the time.

(here come the fair weather folks to tell me to just "wipe it off " ")

 

[bosshog]

I agree . We havent had the usual amount of snow so I haven’t run into the issue but looking at the pics you posted it’s definitely a big problem . The problem occurs when you stop the car and then get water run off which then ices up … no way you can prevent that . So it’s not simply as had been posted before :: just wipe it off …

 

[BannedByTMC]

Obviously you aren't understanding the benefits provided by a protective coating of ice over your lights and the extra security of a frozen shut frunk.

 

[mark555055c]

are you sure the heated wire isn’t contributing to this issue?

I don’t get how you have so much melting and refreezing like this as the frunk is not heated.

We are peak winter here in the north east. We just had 14” of snow in my area and my vehicle is parked outside, and I have nothing like what you show on your CT, and I barely brush off my CT.

 

[MyOtherTruck]

are you sure the heated wire isn’t the cause of this issue?

I don’t get how you have so much melting and refreezing like this as the frunk is not heated.

We are peak winter here in the north east. We just had 14” of snow in my area and my vehicle is parked outside, and I have nothing like what you show on your CT, and I barely brush off my CT.

Hi Mark - Glad you are having better luck in CT (the state, not the truck . I know they got the storm Sunday this week, alot of east coast hit hard. (great for the ski mountains!!). In Vermont, we are getting snow every other day it seems which might be the difference from an occasional storm.

I take the truck to the ski resort and park it all day. It snows an inch or two often. Sometimes the sun melts the snow on the windshield, sometimes when I preheat the interior, the snow on the windshield slides down onto the hood. It keeps the windshield totally free of snow and ice - but that snow and ice trickles down over my hood and down the face and build up on the little ledge. I think I am experiencing that problem. Almost as if I need to avoid thawing the windshield, which is heated up from the interior to avoid the melt quick freezing on the no-heated ledge. The defrost is amazing btw!

But, I get it - I might be the edgecase living in a cold snowy state. But that edge design is a major and dangerous design flaw. Eager to find a fix of some sort.

Here's my G covered and part of the road to my house!

Cheers guys,

 

[mark555055c]

Hi Mark - Glad you are having better luck in CT (the state, not the truck . I know they got the storm Sunday this week, alot of east coast hit hard. (great for the ski mountains!!). In Vermont, we are getting snow every other day it seems which might be the difference from an occasional storm.

I take the truck to the ski resort and park it all day. It snows an inch or two often. Sometimes the sun melts the snow on the windshield, sometimes when I preheat the interior, the snow on the windshield slides down onto the hood. It keeps the windshield totally free of snow and ice - but that snow and ice trickles down over my hood and down the face and build up on the little ledge. I think I am experiencing that problem. Almost as if I need to avoid thawing the windshield, which is heated up from the interior to avoid the melt quick freezing on the no-heated ledge. The defrost is amazing btw!

But, I get it - I might be the edgecase living in a cold snowy state. But that edge design is a major and dangerous design flaw. Eager to find a fix of some sort.

Here's my G covered and part of the road to my house!

Cheers guys,

Looks frosty, lol

 

[MyOtherTruck]

Looks frosty, lol

If anything else, it's a great test to see how a solid 3m wrap job stands up to the winter months!

 

[koolio]

Hi Mark - Glad you are having better luck in CT (the state, not the truck . I know they got the storm Sunday this week, alot of east coast hit hard. (great for the ski mountains!!). In Vermont, we are getting snow every other day it seems which might be the difference from an occasional storm.

I take the truck to the ski resort and park it all day. It snows an inch or two often. Sometimes the sun melts the snow on the windshield, sometimes when I preheat the interior, the snow on the windshield slides down onto the hood. It keeps the windshield totally free of snow and ice - but that snow and ice trickles down over my hood and down the face and build up on the little ledge. I think I am experiencing that problem. Almost as if I need to avoid thawing the windshield, which is heated up from the interior to avoid the melt quick freezing on the no-heated ledge. The defrost is amazing btw!

When I saw your pics and read your earlier post, this was exactly what I was wondering: defrosting the vehicle and the melted snow is dripping down over the head lights. Still, not a good situation / design but maybe there's a way to reduce the amount of ice by not defrosting for as long.

I'm in the Boston area and haven't had any issues with the snow (mine is garaged) but I also haven't driven for long distances when there's that wet sticky snow...

 

[BannedByTMC]

Almost as if I need to avoid thawing the windshield, which is heated up from the interior to avoid the melt quick freezing on the no-heated ledge.

When it's cold and the snow is fluffy it brushes off easily so if there was no ice when you parked it avoiding using defrost and brushing it off first is probably the answer. Also when driving turn off defrost a bit before reaching your destination so the windshield is cold when you park and new snow won't melt and freeze on it.

 

[MyOtherTruck]

When it's cold and the snow is fluffy it brushes off easily so if there was no ice when you parked it avoiding using defrost and brushing it off first is probably the answer. Also when driving turn off defrost a bit before reaching your destination so the windshield is cold when you park and new snow won't melt and freeze on it.

Yep - I am going to try this out and report back.

 

[mongo]

(Video + photo). Welp, I love my CT for 97% of the time. But I have all but given up on it as a winter vehicle. For the last week, my tailgate, tonneau and my frunk are all frozen shut. I tried a hammer and chisel but I its just too risky if I missed and hit the lights or scratch my 3m wrap

The worst part is the ice on the lights. I can not drive at night way too often. When snow melts, it accumulates on the lights. Or I defrost my truck, the streams melt down to the bumper and build an ice dam. The other evening I had some one signal my lights aren't on :-( (they were, just covered in ice)

I'm taking unusual steps to keep my lights clear - but a short drive to the market in 10degrees (f) and Im just an eager beaver creating a ice dam.

I love how the truck drives, FSD is so good. My truck bricked once and stranded me, it makes so many squeaks etc, but Im good with it. But I am really bummed out about the lights being covered in snow and ice all the time.

(here come the fair weather folks to tell me to just "wipe it off " ")

I found that giving the front bumper some light mule kicks breaks the ice loose from the top and makes it easier to knock off.
No wrap on mine so I use the ice scraper on the frunk.

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