Rivian headlights at night in snowstorm = zero visibility

[Bar_Down]

Love my Gen 1 R1T. However, recently drove in a snowstorm at night and experienced something I do not wish to ever again. The R1's headlights, which are fantastic in normal conditions, are far too bright when in a snowstorm at night. They reflect off of the snowflakes, and bounce right back into your eyes.

Normally, I would turn on the fog lights for these types of conditions. However, in the R1 there is no option to run with fog lights only, it is only a combination of regular headlights + fog lights. And before you ask, yes, I turned off the auto high-beams. In every other car I have driven, there is an option to have fog lights only, which makes sense given that in high fog conditions, you do NOT want the super bright LED headlights to be reflecting light back at you (that is the whole point of fog lights). Seems like for the sake of safety, there should be a fog light only option. I've searched on this forum and found that other owners have hacked their vehicle by removing the fuse for the headlights, when driving in a snowstorm. There should be a software solution to this.

I had a similar experience. I think my problem was more the light bar than the headlights. I thought that snow on the headlights themselved made the situation worse. If so, it would be good if snowmode could deactivate the light bar (or just allow us to turn off the light bar directly.

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[foxerson]

I had a similar experience. I think my problem was more the light bar than the headlights. I thought that snow on the headlights themselved made the situation worse. If so, it would be good if snowmode could deactivate the light bar (or just allow us to turn off the light bar directly.

I have not yet experienced the misfortune of a night drive in really heavy snow. However I have noted near zero visibility in dense fog once. At the time it did seem like the light bar was contributing to a fair amount of the glare. If I encountered these conditions regularly I would be inclined to try tinting the light bar to cut down on the amount of light it casts.

Maybe something like the 50% smoke tint from @twraps but just for the lightbar?
https://twraps.com/products/headlig...int-for-rivian-r1t-r1s?variant=41824307675334

 

[Gorilla5]

I have not yet experienced the misfortune of a night drive in really heavy snow. However I have noted near zero visibility in dense fog once. At the time it did seem like the light bar was contributing to a fair amount of the glare. If I encountered these conditions regularly I would be inclined to try tinting the light bar to cut down on the amount of light it casts.

Maybe something like the 50% smoke tint from @twraps but just for the lightbar?
https://twraps.com/products/headlig...int-for-rivian-r1t-r1s?variant=41824307675334

I too, thought about doing this. I just wish they would add a feature to turn off or dim the light bar and headlights. That would be a real safety improvement. I am writing in as a customer feedback submission on the app, and would encourage others to do the same.

As it is, I am not driving it again in heavy snowfall at night, even though I have dedicated Nokian winter tires on it, and it is a super capable vehicle.

 

[White Shadow]

In five cars each from a different manufacturer with factory fog lights, *NONE* of them have ever let me turn on only the fog lights. Ford, Toyota, Audi, BMW, Rivian. Every single one required the main headlights to be on to turn on the fog lights. Either by fog lights being a "further turn than main headlights on" like Rivian, or by the dash button simply not doing anything at all unless the main headlights were on.

I know aftermarket mods are/were available for all (but Rivian) to let you turn just the fog lights on, but from the factory, every single car I've ever owned with fog lights wouldn't allow fog-lights-only. (And on a few of them, that made the fog lights pointless. Toyota and BMW both had regular halogen fog lights with HID main headlights that completely overpowered the fog lights into uselessness.)

Both of my vehicles (Audi and Jeep) will allow me to turn on the fog lights with the headlights off.

 

[carl]

Yep!! I had the same issue this weekend driving up to Flagstaff in a total whiteout

. The car drives great in the snow, but that doesn't really matter when you can't see the road. I just upgraded from the Gen1 RS1 to the Gen 2, and it doesn't even have fog lights. Rivian's argument is that the new adaptive headlights take care of that issue. The trouble is that while the adaptive headlights really are great (I had them turned off in this case), they don't sit low like fog lights are supposed to.

This is what it looked like driving 30mph.

Yeah, I think a simple software update would be to turn off the light bar and set the adaptive lights to as low as possible.

The other issue that has also been brought up before is that the snow doesn't clear off the headlights since they don't get warm enough, so that also defuses the light up more making visibility worse.

 

[usulio]

Sorry to hear people are still being put in dangerous situations by this. I installed fog lights on the grill for this reason. Plan is to use them and turn the Rivian lights down to "running lights" if necessary. It seems to me that the rear light brightness stays the same, although I actually do have a light from amazon to put on the hitch.

 

[carl]

Sorry to hear people are still being put in dangerous situations by this. I installed fog lights on the grill for this reason. Plan is to use them and turn the Rivian lights down to "running lights" if necessary. It seems to me that the rear light brightness stays the same, although I actually do have a light from amazon to put on the hitch.

Yeah this is what I was planning on doing after this experience. I know there is a ton of info here on extra led lights and installing them, but what did you end up going with and how do you like it?

 

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Also all factory fog lights (At least in Ontario) turn off when you engage high beams.

On one of my old Chevy's I ran an extra wire so I could manually turn on high beams, low beams, and fog lights all at once. I thought it was the "bee's knees" way back when I did it. Other drivers who might've seen me with them all on probably thought I was an a*hole. ?

Then I got my Rivian and was like "wow, these are so much better" without having to make any mods. Haven't driven in heavy snow yet, thankfully. ?

 

[usulio]

Yeah this is what I was planning on doing after this experience. I know there is a ton of info here on extra led lights and installing them, but what did you end up going with and how do you like it?

Definitely not the most cost effective, but I went with Morimoto 2banger HXB Wide beam yellow lights, skookum grill mounts, and this wireless switch. They are definitely warm enough to melt snow and avoid snow buildup, and have been good in the snowy conditions I've been able to test them in. I haven't seen true blizzard conditions yet, though.

 

[Supratachophobia]

Love my Gen 1 R1T. However, recently drove in a snowstorm at night and experienced something I do not wish to ever again. The R1's headlights, which are fantastic in normal conditions, are far too bright when in a snowstorm at night. They reflect off of the snowflakes, and bounce right back into your eyes.

Normally, I would turn on the fog lights for these types of conditions. However, in the R1 there is no option to run with fog lights only, it is only a combination of regular headlights + fog lights. And before you ask, yes, I turned off the auto high-beams. In every other car I have driven, there is an option to have fog lights only, which makes sense given that in high fog conditions, you do NOT want the super bright LED headlights to be reflecting light back at you (that is the whole point of fog lights). Seems like for the sake of safety, there should be a fog light only option. I've searched on this forum and found that other owners have hacked their vehicle by removing the fuse for the headlights, when driving in a snowstorm. There should be a software solution to this.

There has not been an option on every other cart you've driven to have just fought lights. Not if it was a road legal vehicle.

 

[Gorilla5]

There has not been an option on every other cart you've driven to have just fought lights. Not if it was a road legal vehicle.

Fog lamps
4.11(1) A motor vehicle may be equipped with 2 fog lamps, mounted on the front of the vehicle below the headlamps, that are capable of displaying only white or amber light.
(2) Each fog lamp must be
(a) mounted not more than 30 cm below the headlamps, and
(b) adjusted and aimed so that, at a distance of 8 m from the lamp, the centre of the beam is at least 10 cm below the height of the fog lamp.
(3) The fog lamp wiring and switch must permit simultaneous operation of the parking lamps, tail lamps, licence plate lamp and, if required, clearance lamps.
(4) The operator of a vehicle may use fog lamps instead of headlamps when atmospheric conditions make the use of headlamps disadvantageous.
[en. B.C. Reg. 476/98, s. 2.]

 

[Gorilla5]

Yep!! I had the same issue this weekend driving up to Flagstaff in a total whiteout

. The car drives great in the snow, but that doesn't really matter when you can't see the road. I just upgraded from the Gen1 RS1 to the Gen 2, and it doesn't even have fog lights. Rivian's argument is that the new adaptive headlights take care of that issue. The trouble is that while the adaptive headlights really are great (I had them turned off in this case), they don't sit low like fog lights are supposed to.

This is what it looked like driving 30mph.

Yeah, I think a simple software update would be to turn off the light bar and set the adaptive lights to as low as possible.

The other issue that has also been brought up before is that the snow doesn't clear off the headlights since they don't get warm enough, so that also defuses the light up more making visibility worse.

It is seriously scary.. and the type of thing that is easy to brush off until you experience it yourself. Driving up a windy mountain road at night, no street lights, and all you see is white.

 

[carl]

Definitely not the most cost effective, but I went with Morimoto 2banger HXB Wide beam yellow lights, skookum grill mounts, and this wireless switch. They are definitely warm enough to melt snow and avoid snow buildup, and have been good in the snowy conditions I've been able to test them in. I haven't seen true blizzard conditions yet, though.

Thanks! Less concerned about cost and more concerned about good viability. At this point I don't think I'll see another storm like that this year, but now I'll be ready for next year.

 

[Bar_Down]

hopefully they will come out with an improved "Snow Mode" that reduces the intensity of the light bar and gives an option for fog lights only.

This would be awesome.

 

[MD89]

I had this same problem driving at night to Tahoe on I80 in a mild snowstorm and before chain restrictions (so traffic was moving faster), and I could not see the road (just super white snow flakes) and had to try to follow other cars. The Rivian headlights are too high and white and make the snow flakes blinding. My previous Subaru never had this problem. I pulled over and called Rivian roadside assistance only to learn for the first time that the car has no front fog lights (only rear fog lights). I'm considering adding the Morimoto 2Banger yellow wide angle fog lights on the grill as mentioned by another post.

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