LED headlights and snow

Even thou you can't see them, they might be behind the dot matrix ceramic coating. Don't know what other feature they would refer to as Windshield Wiper De-Icer:

 

Perhaps, but I don't see them on the inside or outside. My wipers stayed somewhat de-iced, but I usually don't run into that unless its a fair bit colder.

It could also be Toyota marketing.... Defroster blows on the wiper area? Like the tans cooler

 

Edit: I guess you have to have to remove the plastic cowling to see the heating grids, and that it doesn't work that great.

 

I saw some new snowmobiles with led headlights had heat wires inside lens.Maybe car makers could do the same.

 

Truck Lite does exactly this on one of their 7" round models.

 

I don't believe our windshields have the heating element for the wipers. My GS350 and my Highlander both have it, and the elements are very visible from the outside. Those cars also have controls inside to turn the element on and I haven't seen any such control in my Tundra.

Edit:

I need to go look more closely at my windshield. On the Toyota press release for "Product Information" they do list the wiper de-icer as standard on all 2021 trim levels. I checked the owner's manual and it does clearly state that it may have one ("if equipped) and is activated by using the rear window defogger switch on the Crew Max. Hmm.

Edit #2:

Nah, I'm calling BS on that one. I just took my truck out for a 15 minute drive with the rear window defogger switch on, as stated in the manual. Checked after 15 minutes and the lower portion of my windshield is still ice cold.

 

Well I can say for sure the wipers are not heated. I have two otter pops for wipers

 

Hahaha you can buy heated wipers you wire up...they sell them in MT for like $79...you toggle on/off at your will...wiper spit down to -30 is the finest especially if you remove the back-pressure valve in your wiper fluid tubes!

 

Color me interested

Washer nozzles are complely frozen

 

Bumping this up again. Does anyone have an aftermarket headlight that doesn't suck? Likely hid projector?

I have been doing a couple hundred miles a week in snow, and these headlights are useless.

 

Morimoto 3.0. Bulb. The fan sucks in cool air and then blows the warm air in the headlight housing. Thermal management.

I almost bought them but instead I bought led pro headlights.

 

A member had some in the for sale section, not sure if they're still there or not.

 

I i don't believe the factory led headlights accept standard bulb replacements

 

I don’t think they do either, I just threw that out there if anyone was going to replace there bulbs in factory housing.

 

Ah gotcha. Do you run them?

 

I was going to buy them but ended up getting the pro headlights and I am glad I spent the money on.

 

FWIW, my '07 has them. It's part of the Cold Weather package and you can clearly see the matrix under the wipers. When I had the windshield replaced I had to specify that it did have de-icers.

 

Those are the same as what I have.. They ice up.

 

I've driving in snow for 30+years here in Winnipeg. Coldest city in the world, record breaking snowfalls every year. I've never had an issue with Halogens or LED.

Where are you guys driving, that you are having this many issues?

Adapt your driving to the conditions, clean your lights on highway drives every few hundred miles, you should be fine.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, will stop snow from accumulating on windows and lights, in certain conditions.

 

Guess I’ll trade you halogens for the LEDs lol

 

I’m jealous! I wish mine had it.

 

Wet snow piles up on them in ~5 miles. The colder stuff is fine, it doe not stick. Its not every few hundred miles or I would not be having this discussion.

 

My 2021 Limited definitely has them so I don't know why your truck wouldn't. I have been enjoying them this year with all the snow we have been getting and especially since my last Tundra (2000) was a royal PITA when driving through a snow storm. Have you actually had a problem with your wipers accumulating ice?

 

Mine ice up, seems mostly pass side tho.

 

Since my wiper de-icer is controlled by the outside rearview mirror defogger, and this automatically turns of after 15 minutes, I just keep reactivating it until I reach my destination. I imagine that ice could well be a problem if I didn't. YMMV Not any help for dirty or iced up headlights though.

 

Yeah I don't have the de-icer. I'm 99.9% sure unless it's fully invisible.

 

It is difficult to see and harder to photograph. The light has to be ideal. But here is a photo where you can see the oval of the de-icer on the passenger side windshield.

 

Well I'll be go to hell. It does look like there may be a heater there. Really hard to see, but there is a definate different color line.

 

Time for me to eat some crow.

I tried them out again today and to my surprise, I have the heated windshield. It’s much more subtle in appearance than my other cars, and a much smaller area, but sure enough, I tried today and there’s a very narrow heated strip under the wiper blades! Didn’t seem to be very effective in our recent snow/ice storm, but something is better than nothing!

 

I have found it to work well if I remember to reactivate the switch every 15 minutes. And of course leave the wipers up while the truck is parked and the snow is falling, so they aren't snow and ice covered to begin with.