Why Your Heated Steering Wheel Is Probably Not Completely Heated – Jalopnik

Comfort features have come a long way in the automotive industry. In vehicles of all shapes and sizes, features include tri-zone climate control, 18-way power seats with lumbar support, and even utilitarian vehicles like the big, cool Toyota Tundra can give you a massage at the touch of a button. Another one of these nice features that is becoming more common (especially on the upper trims) is the heated steering wheel, which makes cold commutes much more bearable.

However, some drivers find that their heated steering wheel does not add heat everywhere. For example, yes posted on an Johannes Covelloa Toyota Tundra owner, explained this phenomenon on Facebook, saying, “My fingertips are freezing while the palm of my hand is cooking.” He even shared a few images from a thermal camera, which showed a wide temperature range between 35 and 114 degrees Fahrenheit, with many different temperatures across different parts of the handlebars.

According to many forum comments, this is not a defect in function, but rather a conscious design choice by some car manufacturers. Heating elements are only fitted in the sections most drivers use, or in the sections they are expected to use: the 10 and 2 o’clock positions on the steering wheel. In our research we can’t find any examples of automakers publicly admitting to this strategy, but it does pass a basic logic test. It is also possible that car manufacturers choose not to cover the entire circumference of the steering wheel with heating elements to save money.

However, luxury car makers are not immune to problems with their heated steering wheels, as some drivers like to proclaim online. For example, benzbel on MBWorld explained: “On my GLE the heated steering wheel seems troublesome and I can’t find any particular pattern. Sometimes it goes off within minutes, and other times it doesn’t.” Some quirks of the system could explain this, such as the fact that both the heating functions in the seats and the steering wheel are connected as standard on C-Class models. Additionally, some automakers limit the use of heat on the steering wheel if the car’s ambient temperature rises above a certain threshold. For example, a 2018 Ford Escape will not turn on the heating function unless the interior is below 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Charles Berg, a New York inventor, patented a design for a heated steering wheel in 1907. The patent application described the use of exhaust gas to heat the steering wheel. This would have been an extremely dangerous idea in practice, as vehicles produce harmful gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, to name a few. A year later he also patented an idea for an electronically heated steering wheel. And the heated steering wheel was an idea that engineers would continue to pursue. Examples like aftermarket “Steer Warms” and a 6-volt electric steering wheel heater, announced in 1917, would eventually lead to what motorists have today.