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

[skookumracing]

I assume this was just nichrome wire running off 12V? This seems like a pretty good solution once you have the Trigger4Plus. It was before the controller, but how well did they work?

yes, used nichrome wire. Laminated a pattern between two pieces of clear adhesive backed mylar. without some heat and vacuum I had air gaps around the wire. Manual layout and assembly were tricky. This also before I had the Trigger 4Plus controller. I may come back to working on this next.

In the meantime I am very happy with the grill mounted Diode Dynamics SS3 lights.

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[skookumracing]

Has anyone contacted the NHTSA?

From the numerous forum threads I have seen this issue is not unique to the Rivian R1.. The flat vertical surface of the R1 lights only make the problem worse.

I do think there should be some requirements for auto manufactures to test for and have features to prevent...

It is no fun, and dangerous to have to stop every few miles and get and wipe them off... Have had to do this....

 

[Zoidz]

To each his own, but if you love the vehicle, why not spend a $750 for a good workaround solution, instead of taking thousands of dollars of losses by selling the vehicle?

This is not unique to Rivian, Google it. Tons of online forum discussions about this. It affects most vehicles with LED lights.

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[Zoidz]

That's unfortunate. I have noticed my rainx coating on my windshield tends to get "tacky" in colder weather.

I am curious if the headlight tint or "smoke" ppf some were putting on would capture some the LED's energy enough to generate some mild warmth.

Similarly, I wonder if a few thin black strips of vinyl (like what's used in a Cricut or Sihoulette) would absorb enough light to add a bit of heat?

If I had this issue in my area, I would give it a try. But we don't get enough consistent snow in my area to do a decent experiment.

Seems to me this is a great opportunity for a 3rd party add-on heater solution.

 

[usulio]

To each his own, but if you love the vehicle, why not spend a $750 for a good workaround solution, instead of taking thousands of dollars of losses by selling the vehicle?

This is not unique to Rivian, Google it. Tons of online forum discussions about this. It affects most vehicles with LED lights.

Adding heated bumper lights only solves half the problem, though. The other half is the built-in LEDs reflecting light up and making it hard to see through the snow. Example https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/driving-in-blizzard-with-fog-lights.13513/

 

[TollKeeper]

Actually, if the add on lights have the power and lumens to replace the headlights, you can just turn them off, removing the glare. Yes the truck will likely complain, buf safety over all.

The problem is that Rivian needs to come out With a fix for this.

 

[usulio]

Actually, if the add on lights have the power and lumens to replace the headlights, you can just turn turn off, removing the glare. Yes the truck will likely complain, buf safety over all.

The problem is that Rivian needs to come out With a fix for this.

I was wondering about adding a simple rear light to the hitch in order to do this...

 

[Zoidz]

Has anyone contacted the NHTSA?

I believe the NHTSA can only act on issues that are part of Federal law or regulation , etc. Just like ice accumulation on the side windows, it could be considered unsafe, but no federal requirements exist to prevent ice build up on vehicle side windows.

 

[ZipZamZoom]

yes, used nichrome wire. Laminated a pattern between two pieces of clear adhesive backed mylar. without some heat and vacuum I had air gaps around the wire. Manual layout and assembly were tricky. This also before I had the Trigger 4Plus controller. I may come back to working on this next.

In the meantime I am very happy with the grill mounted Diode Dynamics SS3 lights.

Love the idea here, hope you explore this more.

 

[HaveBlue]

So windshield washer deicing fluid doesn't help?

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