Heated Steering Wheel – What To Expect?

[andrewparker]

Hi all, I've had my Honda e since Friday, and during a rainstorm today took the opportunity to turn on the heated steering wheel, along with the heated seats. The seats are great, they heat up almost instantly, and they're very warm.

However, when I turn on the heated steering wheel I get a momentary feeling of warmth around the spokes, which quite quickly fizzles out to nothing at all. I tried it with and without the heated seats being on, and it's just barely perceptible that any heat is coming through at all, other than when you very first turn it on.

My Polestar has three settings, and on the highest it is hot to touch.

Am I correct in assuming that what I am experiencing isn't right? Has anyone had a similar problem?

[andrewparker]

One other thought; is it thermostatically regulated?

[JJLight]

There is a great thread here with some infrared images to show where the hottest parts of the steering wheel are - viewtopic.php?t=1156

I have not been able to try mine in very cold weather, but I agree that it it doesn't feel extremely hot when I have tested it so far.

[Verone]

Wondering if yours isn't working properly, because whenever I turn mine on it's fucking roasting

In the winter, sometimes it's hot enough that I have to turn it off for a bit on a long drive, or keep my gloves on.

[andrewparker]

Wondering if yours isn't working properly…

Indeed! I can’t work out if it’s faulty, or it’s doing something really clever and not giving heat because it was about 15°C outside.

[Deleted User 473]

I would say its output is generally on the low side. It's better than nothing, but no where near as nice as the seats! The output seems a little variable, there must be something we don't know about its operation (perhaps based on the interior temperature or some other AC setting/value?).

[andrewparker]

I would say its output is generally on the low side. It's better than nothing, but no where near as nice as the seats! The output seems a little variable, there must be something we don't know about its operation (perhaps based on the interior temperature or some other AC setting/value?).

Yes, sounds awful asking for a cold day, but I'm wondering whether the heat is restricted when the ambient temperature is relatively high?

[Deleted User 473]

I've not been able to work it out. The output definitely seems higher at times than others. Perhaps I should rephrase, the length of time the heat is on seems to differ.

I can't work out if its related to the internal temperature, or the external, but something seems to alter its output. I do sometimes find it 'lacking' when its cold out , and it initially seems to deliver the goods but very quickly tapers off (Unlike the seats!).

I notice that the steering wheel switch activates a relay - that suggests the power to it is either on or off (rather than a PWM style affair). I know that some heating elements have a sort of thermostatic control built in to the element itself (PTC?) where a certain temperature is reached and a sudden resistance increase takes place (limiting the current, working a bit like a thermostat but not completely on/off in nature). Perhaps even cold hands are not enough to draw out the heat, before the rest of the element reaches the temperature and it tapers off the power output. More measurements required next time I'm probing in that area.

[andrewparker]

I've not been able to work it out. The output definitely seems higher at times than others. Perhaps I should rephrase, the length of time the heat is on seems to differ.

I can't work out if its related to the internal temperature, or the external, but something seems to alter its output. I do sometimes find it 'lacking' when its cold out , and it initially seems to deliver the goods but very quickly tapers off (Unlike the seats!).

That is definitely what I experienced yesterday, and it aligns with some posts on a Jazz forum (no, not that kind of Jazz forum) that I read. I assume they'll both share the same basic hardware.

https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=13588.0

[londiniumperson]

...
I do sometimes find it 'lacking' when its cold out , and it initially seems to deliver the goods but very quickly tapers off (Unlike the seats!).
...

I experience exactly the same in my car.