WesBrooks Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Any one experienced problems with LED headlights frosting over? Noticed Trucklite do do models with defrost and seem some complaints about it but hoping this might be when temperatures drop very low rather than around freezing? Cheers, Wes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 My standard trucklites have been ok in the recent weather. (Not that i have driven it that much lately) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 I remember a friend telling me he had to keep stopping to wipe snow off his headlights in this weather as they just don't create enough heat to melt it. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Unfortunately a lot more costly than the non-heated ones. https://www.offroadelements.com/rigid-industries-7-round-heated-headlamps-w-h13-to-h4-adaptor-pair-wrangler-jk-2007/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuko Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 It's -15 here, I just came in the house from a short run into town. Before leaving I had to wipe the headlights, there is enough emitting heat to keep the lens clear driving around in town at low speed but not on the highway. As Mike and myself have written before in falling snow the snow does build up on the lens reducing visibility. Googling I did find the heated version cheaper here: http://www.northridge4x4.com/rigid-industries-truck-lite-7-round-heated-headlights-w-h13h4-adapter-55005 I wouldn't be surprised if a person tried they could even find them cheaper. Todd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
task Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 My Truck Lites have been fine in the cold but I have a set of spotlamps in the grill just in case Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mean Green Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 A mate of mine has just ditched his LED's for that very reason. Gone back to halogens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted January 21, 2016 Author Share Posted January 21, 2016 Definately food for thought! I was looking at the 27291C. Can't find any heated Trucklites with UK pattern lights. After paying for two replacemens xenon bulbs on my daily driver I'd never choose to put them in. Maintenance free, efficient, long life, and sealed LEDs sounded great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Yeah I think the heated units are only available in DOT flavour so not legal for UK road use (which generally requires E-marking). Perhaps a headlamp washing system filled with antifreeze would work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuko Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Perhaps a headlamp washing system filled with antifreeze would work? James, that I think would be the ticket, I wonder if anyone has cobbles together a headlamp washer unit from parts at the scrappy? I'm unsure what would be consider a high (enough) pressure pump that blasts away the snow. A standard washer jet pump wouldn't be enough or would it? Todd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 James, that I think would be the ticket, I wonder if anyone has cobbles together a headlamp washer unit from parts at the scrappy? I'm unsure what would be consider a high (enough) pressure pump that blasts away the snow. A standard washer jet pump wouldn't be enough or would it? Todd. I'm thinking about this for mine. I don't use my rear wiper (it hasn't worked for over 10 years and i don't miss it) so i am planning to redirect the rear washer. If the current washer pump is up to the job, its just a case of finding suitable jets and doing the pipework. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 RRC/Disco 1 headlamp jets are very powerful, the pump is about 4 times the size of the normal screen one though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 There is a factory headlamp washer system for Defenders. See here: http://lrcat.com/31/4/52891 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Also see here: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic39002.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 I was thinking about a washer, I've got them on my Superb. Basically any car with headlights above a certain lux level (HID, and some LED from what I know) need either self leveling suspension or headlights and head light washers. Dirt on the headlight lenses causes the light pattern to degrade which can lead to more dazzling other drivers. The issue with a lot of xenon headlight set ups is they are on pop out things - I think the Skoda's are popped out by the water pressure. With regards to the D1s they also had much larger bore pipe going to them. Another issue is finding jets that are heated. If not heated the antifreeze will boil off a wet nozzle jet leaving water that freezes. Washer jets are often heated on recent cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 Posted while I was typing. Good spot. If they're heated then they'd be great. Might have a closer look if I can get some old ones from ebay to see if I could make them heated. Would'nt need much wattage behind a plastic shield. Certinally no need for the little cartidge heaters you get on the 3D printers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesBrooks Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 Just reading through the furum post: "I think those are the (extremely rare) genuine optional washer jets." Nuts! Edit: Bet there are some on HGVs. They would be designed to be mounted on near vertical surfaces too. £50 is a bit much to buy a pair to hack about. Would a second set of high beams be beneficial as spot lights or would they do little in combination to the LED on full and dipped beam? If so the centre lights could be enabled as a secondary pair of head lights with the dipped disabled for normal driving. Don't think I've changed the halagon fogs or high beams on my Skoda in over 100k miles of motoring! Dubious legality though, and the problem would then be your from positional lights getting burried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UdderlyOffroad Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I've removed the complete headlamp washer system from a scrapper Disco 1 300 tdi, for future installation into my 110. The plan was to integrate them somehow into the bumper. Not got anywhere near that project yet though!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 The disco pump fits at least some of the under wing defender bottles possibly all. The disco squirters could probably be made to either as above or in the bumper. Neat screen wash doesn't freeze till about -15 mixed at about -2. The disco system is large bore about 2.5mm jets and high pressure it uses around 8mm rubber hose. I used this system on the tomcat and it's going on the ibex but for the windscreen. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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