Bronco Headlights in Snow

[HPNQ420]

As many have found out, the Bronco headlights become worthless in a snow storm. Sunday morning I was making my weekly Milwaukee-Chicago trip leaving the house around 5:30 in the morning. I was only getting around 20 miles until the headlights became worthless.

My led fog and driving lights in the modular bumper were equally worthless with the pockets completely filled with snow, ice and slush.

I have tried RainX before without luck. That morning I tried Remington oil. That made it easy to remove the ice but did not prevent buildup that rendered the lights useless after approximately twenty miles.

In a first for me, I filed a safety complaint. https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem#/. I need to travel to Manitoba several times per year and this would be terrifying with the long distances between exits and few places to pull over on the two lane highways.

I am considering @ORACLE Lighting's heated LED headlights. I am having trouble stomaching the price plus an only two-year warranty. In comparison, Quadratec offers Wrangler JK heated LED headlights made by JW Speaker for approximately half the price and a three-year warranty. That would be a no-brainer. (See https://www.quadratec.com/p/quadratec/heated-led-projector-beam-headlamps-jeep-wrangler-jk)

It would be nice if someone would make an electrical adapter to use a standard headlight along with an adapter ring/marker light. (Not the best option if you love the Signature Light look but I hate it personally.)

At this point I am considering adding heated LED plow lights above the hoop on my winch plate, or bumper mounting a set of old school Hella halogen fog lights. For me it will be impossible to avoid driving in snow during the hours of darkness.

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[Valhalla]

I'll take things I didn't know about for $100 Alex. Is a plexiglass wedge of some sort an option?

 

[HPNQ420]

I'll take things I didn't know about for $100 Alex. Is a plexiglass wedge of some sort an option?

If you could put some heating elements in a piece of acrylic that might work. Even thought about designing some sort of heated headlight washer doohickey.

 

[MNBigfoot]

With all the safety crap that's now mandated, how they allow LED headlights without heat blows my mind. I'd give up my airbags, backup camera and TPMS for some headlights that worked in the snow.

 

[GPPBronco]

Last winter. 12 hours in a winter storm from Detroit to Marquette. Would have been 11 hours without the stops to “chisel” ice off the headlights.

 

[BroncocnorB]

Seems that auxiliary halogens are the best bet all around - cheap, and can be removed in warm weather months. I used to spray cooking oil on my jeep leds, but like u experienced, didn’t help very much after a few miles.

 

[Dral97]

That's something of which I wasn't aware and good to know. I'd also say probably a set of Hellas would be the best way to go if you want a cheaper solution.

If I ever would do this, I'd have to get driving lights for sure. The lovely state of PA has a law that all off road lights need to be covered with an opaque cover while on the road/highway.

 

[Sandy56]

Oracle is probably the way to go. Personally I’m considering them too. It is extremely annoying though that snow builds up, something Ford should have thought of.

 

[Sandy56]

I'll take things I didn't know about for $100 Alex. Is a plexiglass wedge of some sort an option?

We don’t get enough snow down here to worry about it. Good and bad I guess, I do miss big snowstorms. (I grew up in the mountains in PA so only reason I know)

 

[Fastmc25]

Wow. It seems very short sighted for Ford engineering to not recognize this shortfall. Hella Halogen lights work great for snow. I’ve used the 6” Hella 500’s. Very reliable and good light pattern. I currently applied a amber filter on them.

they get very warm and easily melt snow from the lense

 

[montess85]

I discovered this and have a thread complaining about it too... lol....... I just got some halogen aux lighting . It was terrifying on the NYS Thruway in a snow storm.

 

[Scoop]

I bit the bullet last winter and installed the Oracle heated lights. Expensive but they work well.

 

[helifino16]

As @Scoop shows, these are a solution for those of us in Snow prone locations. When @OracleLights first announce these, all I saw was this:

and commented that it's a good add-on for your 'Storm Trooper' themed (white/black) Bronco. lol

 

[shadowfax]

To have halogen headlights, key in the ignition and no computer screens…

 

[michelle227]

Oracle is probably the way to go. Personally I’m considering them too. It is extremely annoying though that snow builds up, something Ford should have thought of.

Probably didn't think curb-hopping in the snow to get to the mall would be much of an issue...they've generally abandoned those who intend to USE the vehicle as originally intended.

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