Heated LED head lights?

Discussion in 'Prius v Main Forum' started by RB Smith, Oct 28, 2016.

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  1. RB Smith

    RB Smith New Member

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    Heated LED head lights?
    Are the headlights on a Prius v Five with the LED lights heated in any way for driving in freezing precip?
     
    #1 RB Smith, Oct 28, 2016
  2. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Not as much as halogens, but if you use a high concentration of the low freeze point washer fluid, the LED headlight washers can assist with deicing.the transparencies.
     
    #2 Air_Boss, Oct 29, 2016
  3. RB Smith

    RB Smith New Member

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    My 2017 doesn't have washers.
     
    #3 RB Smith, Oct 29, 2016
  4. rdgrimes

    rdgrimes Senior Member

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    Washers went away in 2014. I think the LEDs will generate enough heat on their own to keep ice off.
     
    #4 rdgrimes, Oct 29, 2016
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  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Our 2010 Canadian touring with LED's came with washers (which I've never used, apart from a bit of testing to see if they worked), but yeah, all the 2016/17 Prius hatchback have LED's, but no washers.
     
    #5 Mendel Leisk, Oct 29, 2016
  6. RB Smith

    RB Smith New Member

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    LED do not make any heat.
     
    #6 RB Smith, Oct 29, 2016
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    can you add washers?
     
    #7 bisco, Oct 29, 2016
  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Maybe they make some heat, just not as much:

    How hot are LED light bulbs? | LIFX

    Have you checked that on yours? I could give it a try too, next time we're driving. I'm disinclined to just turn on the headlights without running the car.
     
    #8 Mendel Leisk, Oct 29, 2016
  9. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    High power LEDs require fans or external heatsinks. They clearly create heat.
     
    #9 Air_Boss, Oct 29, 2016
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  10. Offline

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    #10 Offline, Oct 30, 2016
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  11. rdgrimes

    rdgrimes Senior Member

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    The OEM washers were essentially useless.
     
    #11 rdgrimes, Oct 30, 2016
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I've never had a decent opportunity to try them, we hardly seem to get snow here anymore. My understanding was they were to melt off frozen slush? Considering the aerodynamic shape of the headlights, and that the LED's do heat up some, doubt they were needed in the first place.
     
    #12 Mendel Leisk, Oct 30, 2016
  13. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Don't forget in this conversation that the LEDs used to have multiple projectors back in the day when they had washers for them in the bumpers. When they got rid of them was when they switched to a single beam. So with one source of light now, the heat no matter how small it may be is still more than it used to be and enough that the requirement is met that washers are no longer necessary. And not to mention how useless they were anyways, at least IMO. If they were good for anything, it was spraying fluid all over my clean hood/bumper/etc when I didn't want them to.
     
    #13 Paradox, Oct 30, 2016
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  14. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    Don't EU regulations still require washers? I know Porsche in models just coming out in new bodies still has them.
     
    #14 mikefocke, Oct 30, 2016
  15. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    I think they do, but I was talking US. If a manufacturer can save some money, they usually but not always, will.

    My 16' XC90 and 17' Q7, both with led headlights, have headlight washers. But they both also have multiple beam low and high beams, not one beam like the mid cycle refresh Prius v.
     
    #15 Paradox, Oct 30, 2016
  16. Offline

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    The Hella web page to which I provided a link has the answer: "ECE regulation R48 stipulates the use of a headlight cleaning system for headlights with a light performance of more than 2,000 lumen." The purpose of the requirement is to reduce glare experienced by oncoming drivers. Some car makers put headlight washers on vehicles that have headlights that produce less than 2,000 lumen either as a standard or optional feature.
     
    #16 Offline, Oct 30, 2016
  17. Bham_prius

    Bham_prius Junior Member

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    Wrong
     
    #17 Bham_prius, Dec 18, 2016
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  18. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    But maybe not enough?
     
    #18 Mendel Leisk, Dec 18, 2016
  19. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    High power LEDs produce lots of rejected heat, just not in the right places to heat the air within the headlight transparencies.High power LED heatsinks tend to be exposed, outside the transparencies (or behind the lamp mount in an H-series lamp), in free stream air.
     
    #19 Air_Boss, Dec 19, 2016
  20. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    That heat & heatsink are in the engine compartment, not outside where the ice & snow are.
     
    #20 Prodigyplace, Dec 19, 2016
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