LED headlamp in snow: has anyone wished or tried to switch to Halogen Headlamps?

[RichD]

Ummmm good! A 4dr with a soft top! I like it!

Rockin the soft top in the winter. Love it!

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[631_Islander]

Rockin the soft top in the winter. Love it!

How does the soft top hold in the snow? Do you need to be extra careful? I have the dual top group and usually run soft top between April and October.

 

[Kraty1]

LED’s were the one option I didn’t get and until winter was disappointed. I have been nothing but pleased with the halogens, and that’s coming from vehicles with xenon HIDs prior to this. I have LED spotlights on my bumper and if they turn them on in a snowstorm I can’t see squat, very pleased with the halogens.

 

[Xcoaste]

Had LED in my last Jeep, didn’t get them this time just because of this reason. I haven’t missed the LED lights yet.
To answer your question though, yes you can switch them.

 

[Headbarcode]

Any vehicle I've ever had with a recessed headlamp, would fill with snow when the ambient was above freezing. It's simply a wind turbulence issue. Both halogen reflector and projection housings would only defrost the area of the lense directly in front of the bulb, resulting in the same dim muted blanket of light. A heating element on or in front of the lense is the only end-all solution. These threads always bring to mind those headlamp guards from rugged ridge. They're sorta useless on there own, but would be really cool if a heating array was integrated into them. They are close enough to defrost the lense, without risking heat damage to it.

 

[Heimkehr]

How does the soft top hold in the snow? Do you need to be extra careful? I have the dual top group and usually run soft top between April and October.

Welcome back, Punjabi New Yorker.

My Wrangler is parked in a garage every night, so overnight snow never accumulates on the soft top.

Having driven the Jeep through a fair bit of snowfall thus far, I've found that it doesn't really accumulate on the roof in any measurable amount. I do recurringly hand wash the vehicle, but that's linked to wanting clear windows and rinsing road salt off of the sheet metal.

The interior stays as warm as I like it, no matter how low the mercury dips.

 

[dustdriver]

I knew I should have taken a photo yesterday!

I've got the LED group, but I installed some 6" amber lights on the bull bar that are halogen, specifically for winter weather and the heat they produce. Yesterday I was driving off the mountain in another blizzard and stopped to clear 1/8" of ice and frost off of the headlamps and factory fogs (all LED)... only the halogen lights were clear, because of the heat they produce.

If you live in an area that gets serious winter, avoid LED's. I don't do it enough to switch, but if I did it all over again, I'd skip the LED's.

 

[Stuckinthesand]

How does the soft top hold in the snow? Do you need to be extra careful? I have the dual top group and usually run soft top between April and October.

No issues with a soft top on in the winter. I hit the auto start let it warm up and by the time I get outside to clean it off the snow just slides right off the top with a broom. Inside is just as warm as my wife’s Acadia.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I don't live where there is any snowfall and haven't been in snow with my JL. But if I did, regardless of halogen or LED, I think I'd buy a set of heated aux driving lights. Something with a flat beam that could substitute for a headlight and off-road light, but not so powerful they'd blind oncoming traffic. Or possibly a JW Speaker heated headlight.

 

[zrickety]

How does the soft top hold in the snow? Do you need to be extra careful? I have the dual top group and usually run soft top between April and October.

I have the soft top. I'm in GA now, but I'm familiar with the snow in NY. The current soft top is very robust, not like the one on my old YJ. I wouldn't worry about snow on the roof of the JL.

 

[hutchman]

As to the snow question.....mine sits outside all the time. Over the last week it has had up to 10" - 12" of snow on it with no issues. I'll let you know in 10 or 12 years if there have been issues with sitting outside.

Hey dustdriver, I saw a Jeep that looked a lot like yours up on the hill Saturday......!

 

[Tom73]

In NJ and I’ll take one for the team and swap my haiogens for LEDs and I’ll do the labor and pay the license to update the Jeep with Jscan

 

[Headbarcode]

I knew I should have taken a photo yesterday!

I've got the LED group, but I installed some 6" amber lights on the bull bar that are halogen, specifically for winter weather and the heat they produce. Yesterday I was driving off the mountain in another blizzard and stopped to clear 1/8" of ice and frost off of the headlamps and factory fogs (all LED)... only the halogen lights were clear, because of the heat they produce.

If you live in an area that gets serious winter, avoid LED's. I don't do it enough to switch, but if I did it all over again, I'd skip the LED's.

Are your halogens recessed? If so, that would provide an apples to apples comparison.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Trucklite makes some LED heated lens pods for snowplowing.

 

[Dr. RGB]

How does the soft top hold in the snow? Do you need to be extra careful? I have the dual top group and usually run soft top between April and October.

Best part about a soft top in the snow is you just have to get in the Jeep, push up on the top and the snow comes right off, espcially when driving past the house of your neigbor who's dog keeps peeing in your yard. No need to stand outside in the snow anymore. This is my third Jeep and third soft top with no issues. Now, salt on the plastic windows, that's another story.....

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