Undriveable at night in wet snow due to LED headlights not melting snow & ice

[crashmtb]

love that you have to have a label "lights".

No chime or buzzer if lights are left on, so that’s there to remind me to check if they’re on. Works sometimes.

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[MountainBikeDude]

No chime or buzzer if lights are left on, so that’s there to remind me to check if they’re on. Works sometimes.

I needed that on my 90 something Mazda 323. I added fog lights, and put the switch under the steering wheel. Come out in the morning... Dead.

FFS!

Pull out the battery charger.

Usually happened about once every 3 weeks.

 

[crashmtb]

I needed that on my 90 something Mazda 323. I added fog lights, and put the switch under the steering wheel. Come out in the morning... Dead.

FFS!

Pull out the battery charger.

Usually happened about once every 3 weeks.

I’ve switched all exterior lighting to LED(except license plate light), so it probably wouldn’t kill the battery too fast

 

[RivianBowerbird]

The people suggesting RainX are (sorry), clueless. Use a high quality + modern long-lasting super hydrophobic polymer such as that found in Turtle Wax's inexpensive Seal & Shine. If your lights are PPF'd and you want the absolute best for that kind of surface, check out GTechniq's Halo (it's about $100) or even Carpro Skin ($80). Either way you'll want to completely clean and prep the surface with isopropyl.

 

[VSG]

So far we've had exactly one post, the OP, which says this is a flaw with the R1T/R1S. I have not driven in those conditions yet in my Rivian since it's so early in the season here, but snow/ice buildup on the headlights has happened on literally every car I've ever driven in those conditions in any part of the country, whether it had conventional bulbs or not. My expectation is that with its super-bright lights, my R1T will still provide sufficient illumination even with a coating of snow and ice - that has been my experience in the past with other vehicles driving in the PNW winter.

While I will certainly pay attention to how my R1T deals with these conditions, I find it hard to jump to the conclusion that this is a fatal design flaw / oversight that Rivian knew about but didn't fix. If that were true then a LOT of people would have this problem all the time and that few other cars on the road would have the same problem. Not just that one person had the problem under one specific set of circumstances. The fact that so many people have presented aftermarket solutions indicates this is not a Rivian-specific issue.

 

[SeaGeo]

So far we've had exactly one post, the OP, which says this is a flaw with the R1T/R1S.

It was noted during a review, and others have anecdotally mentioned in around the internet. I literally watched Kyle have to pull over and clear the headlights while he was driving his review truck.

 

[VSG]

Kyle is dead to me

Yes, now that you mention it, I saw that video. I didn't think it looked bad when he showed the iced-up lights, and later in the same video IIRC he pointed out that it didn't happen again even after a longer drive and that he thought the first time was a fluke.

(EDIT: For reference, the video where he mentions the iced headlights is at about 3:12. He says it's "not a huge deal". The issue where he explains that he was surprised to find that the lights were clear despite the rest of the front being iced is at about 9:30).

As I said, I will be on the lookout for this problem when I start to encounter snow, but it does not appear to be a widespread Rivian-specific issue at this point. 81 posts just in this thread and nobody relating a similar experience. I don't doubt that the OP had a problem, and I've had a similar problem with different vehicles just once or twice over the years in severe conditions, but jumping to a conclusion about the Rivian design at this point seems premature. My Ford with the large vertical face is great at collecting snow and ice, and so is my 4Runner with the brush guard. But both remain quite driveable in snowy weather, and I suspect I'm going to have a similar experience with my R1T.

 

[ipadl]

I will chime in and say that I had this problem in my R1T in severe wet snow. After driving 3 miles I had to stop. Again after about 10. Admittedly I didn't try high beams but the low beams were non-existent.

This is in Montana. Snow came early and heavy this year.

Seth

 

[rosspa2]

Not sure if it has been mentioned yet but when I had my truck wrapped they did the lights too and the 3m film is hydrophobic so may help as I take the same trips this season.

 

[Nolf]

Even my 2012 Prius had pop-up washer nozzles and a dedicated button for spraying the LED headlight lenses with wiper fluid as needed. Surprising Rivian didn't think of that...

But this isn't common. I have a 2021 Honda CRV with LED headlight bought in Wisconsin and there isn't any mitigation. This notion that somehow Rivian "forgot" is absurd considering how few cars have it. There is no perfect vehicle. Anyone can cherry pick any feature from any car line and I'll point out 6 other things it doesn't have.

 

[skookumracing]

Not sure if it has been mentioned yet but when I had my truck wrapped they did the lights too and the 3m film is hydrophobic so may help as I take the same trips this season.

did full expel wrap including headlights.. plus some spray on ceramic coating...

 

[NY_Rob]

But this isn't common. I have a 2021 Honda CRV with LED headlight bought in Wisconsin and there isn't any mitigation. This notion that somehow Rivian "forgot" is absurd considering how few cars have it. There is no perfect vehicle. Anyone can cherry pick any feature from any car line and I'll point out 6 other things it doesn't have.

Agreed, but there's a huge difference in what you can give customers in terms of "extras" on an $80K-$100K vehicle vs. a $25K Honda.
How about we split the difference... have Rivian offer headlight washers or heated lenses as part of a "Cold Weather Package" that could include heated door handles and heated charge port door.

 

[xyskis]

The OP's problem concerns me as we live in the PNW and have wet heavy snow. Following to see how prevalent these issues are and potential solutions.

 

[Ash]

I wouldn’t recommend a petroleum based solvent, like WD40 on any petroleum based products, like plastic lens covers, etc. To each….

? I agree. This would be far from optimal, but could be a blessing in a pinch IF it works. It sure would beat getting out of the car ever 3 miles on a two lane road with no shoulder in the dark to scrape headlights ?. I keep a lot of preps in my truck at all times, including a small can of WD40 and some rags. You never know what might come in handy. I really couldn't think of another solution if I were in that situation using things I normally carry with me, which is why I made the suggestion. Hopefully I did a good enough job of explaining the risks in my post. You think I should edit it?

 

[jebinc]

? I agree. This would be far from optimal, but could be a blessing in a pinch IF it works. It sure would beat getting out of the car ever 3 miles on a two lane road with no shoulder in the dark to scrape headlights ?. I keep a lot of preps in my truck at all times, including a small can of WD40 and some rags. You never know what might come in handy. I really couldn't think of another solution if I were in that situation using things I normally carry with me, which is why I made the suggestion. Hopefully I did a good enough job of explaining the risks in my post. You think I should edit it?

Might not be a bad idea to add a cautionary note to that post.

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