Heated Steering Wheel Seems to Fade After Several Minutes?

[ARK]

I’ve never really used a heated steering wheel before on another vehicle. It’s really started to grow on me with the Mach-E, it’s actually pretty nice. I’ve had one concern though that I’m wondering if other people have experienced.

The heated steering wheel starts off strong, but seems to get much weaker after several minutes. I don’t know if it may be an issue with mine or if all heated steering wheels are like this and it’s a limitation of the tech.

Frankly, I also wondered if it was my imagination the first few times I noticed, but it happens consistently. I wonder if maybe my cold hands overpower the heating coils? But the whole wheel seems to lose it’s heating oomph, not just the part I’m grabbing onto.

Anyone have thoughts or suggestions on this? Normal operation of a heated steering wheel or worth mentioning to the service department?

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[RickMachE]

I believe that it turns on and off, i.e. it doesn't just stay on blasting heat.

 

[Kevin P]

I have owned 4 cars now with a heated steering wheel. Two Fords, a BMW, and a Toyota. They all start off warm and taper off after a few minutes.

 

[ARK]

I believe that it turns on and off, i.e. it doesn't just stay on blasting heat.

Thanks - do you know if there is any way to keep it on. The light for it never goes off, and I’ve tried manually turning it on and off before with no apparent difference, but maybe I’ve just been impatient.

 

[RickMachE]

I mean it heats to a limit, cools, heats, cools. I am not 100% positive though.

 

[Kevin P]

I mean it heats to a limit, cools, heats, cools. I am not 100% positive though.

I am pretty sure thats what they all do. They may heat to a lower limit as it runs as well.

 

[tannerk89]

My heated steering wheel is pretty weak, and cools off fairly quickly even with the button “on”. It seems to work but not very warm. Comparing to my fiancés XC-40 which has 3 heat settings, mine might be about as strong as the Volvo’s weakest setting. I guess I don’t really care and don’t use that often, but it’s hard to tell if it’s working correctly or not.

 

[DevSecOps]

This got me curious because I've noticed the same but I assumed it was due to acclimation of the temperature by our body.

So on to the test:

Before starting the car:

30 seconds later:

1 minute later:

2 minutes later:

5 minutes later where it held for 10-20 minutes:

 

[drironman]

This got me curious because I've noticed the same but I assumed it was due to acclimation of the temperature by our body.

So on to the test:

Before starting the car:

30 seconds later:

1 minute later:

2 minutes later:

5 minutes later where it held for 10-20 minutes:

The image below won't delete... Ignore it, it's picture #2
View attachment 49468

Awesome. Love some concrete testing!

 

[ARK]

This got me curious because I've noticed the same but I assumed it was due to acclimation of the temperature by our body.

So on to the test:

Before starting the car:

30 seconds later:

1 minute later:

2 minutes later:

5 minutes later where it held for 10-20 minutes:

The image below won't delete... Ignore it, it's picture #2
View attachment 49468

Thanks for testing this, this jives with my experience though I could swear the drop off feels a bit more significant.

I wonder why it is programmed to act like this, I would much rather prefer it held a constant temperature with possibly different levels of heat a user could choose.

 

[tannerk89]

I’m goin

This got me curious because I've noticed the same but I assumed it was due to acclimation of the temperature by our body.

So on to the test:

Before starting the car:

30 seconds later:

1 minute later:

2 minutes later:

5 minutes later where it held for 10-20 minutes:

The image below won't delete... Ignore it, it's picture #2
View attachment 49468

I’m going to have to check the temp of mine to see if it’s the same, thanks!

 

[Electric Goat]

The tapering of the heated steering wheel is one of my favorite features of my MME

 

[DevSecOps]

Ok so for sake of comparison. Here's my 2021 Audi. Very different in how long it takes and how hot it gets.

Before starting the car:

30 Seconds Later:

2 minutes later:

6 minutes later:

Where it held 10 minutes + Later

 

[Neil4Real]

Ok so for sake of comparison. Here's my 2021 Audi. Very different in how long it takes and how hot it gets.

Before starting the car:

30 Seconds Later:

2 minutes later:

6 minutes later:

Where it held 10 minutes + Later

I think Audi, like my VW, has a setting buried in the menu for intensity. I thought my wife’s VW wasn’t working but it was only on level 1. On level 3, it’s scorching!

 

[DevSecOps]

I think Audi, like my VW, has a setting buried in the menu for intensity. I thought my wife’s VW wasn’t working but it was only on level 1. On level 3, it’s scorching!

At least with the SQ5 you can't change it in the menus, you can however change it with OBD11.

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