Heated steering wheel - nope

[Kenners]

For those hopeful of a software update to reveal a secret hidden heated steering wheel in the 2021 refresh models it looks like bad news.

Had a new wheel for my 3LR delivered in December (had a cut in the leather) and no sign of any heating connection. Ranger says there is one present on the S and X.

Seems the China models with that function have different hardware and as there is no connector would guess there is probably no ability to retrofit.

 

[MrBadger]

Glad you got the wheel changed though - Reporting delivery faults later

 

[Kenners]

Glad you got the wheel changed though - Reporting delivery faults later

Thanks, in the end was easily resolved.

When you see how the steering wheels arrive, all wrapped in plastic, you can see how they get knicked when getting them ready for the customer. Ranger also replaced a door card and drivers side repeater camera, so all snags from pick up now fixed. Ranger did a great job (although not driven it yet!)

 

[Stack151]

Curious, what made you think that a software change would make the steering wheel heat up? I would assume that this is a hardware issue and the wheel would have to be swapped, or am I missing something here?

 

[Blokie]

Curious, what made you think that a software change would make the steering wheel heat up? I would assume that this is a hardware issue and the wheel would have to be swapped, or am I missing something here?

Rumour was that the 2021 M3's all had the heated wheel hardware, but not yet enabled via software.

 

[Stack151]

Ah, I missed that part. Thanks!

 

[Cardo]

Rumour was that the 2021 M3's all had the heated wheel hardware, but not yet enabled via software.

I’d seen reports of this elsewhere. However, if there’s no connector, they’re going to struggle to enable it!

 

[Durzel]

I would be very surprised if the existing one-piece steering wheels doesn't have the heating element in.

Don't discount the possibility of Tesla offering it as a paid OTA upgrade, like heated rear seats. They may even give it to Premium interior customers in the fullness of time.

The loom in the car has alway had the capability to send sufficient power to the wheel to heat it, Tesla have recently upped the power threshold for the efuse to the wheel, suggesting that it might be unlocked soon. The part code for the steering wheel assembly that is installed on UK cars now is apparently shown on invoices as "M3Y - SW ASSY, PUR, w Heat ECU".

I also don't think a retrofit will be any harder than replacing the wheel with one known to have the heating element and getting Tesla to code the feature on (or maybe the car might even detect its presence).

Long story short - if you have a steering wheel that is one piece, I'd be reasonably confident that it has an inactivated heating element in. If it's a MIC car coming soon I'd say it's guaranteed.

 

[Durzel]

This is worth a watch on the subject too:

 

[146Briggs]

Just picked up a brand new model 3 today and the steering wheel was lovely and warm, definitely a heated steering wheel.

 

[Tigermad]

Just picked up a brand new model 3 today and the steering wheel was lovely and warm, definitely a heated steering wheel.

Shame the new SR+ doesn’t get it.

 

[146Briggs]

I guess now we know its installed it will at some point be an option to have turned on as with the rear heated seats

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

I think this was answered on the "differences" thread. It seems the steering wheel manufacturing codes (this is in the detailed data they publish and not a part number as such) for Fremont cars that came to the UK are ST30 and ST31 whereas China uses ST33 on both the SR+ and LR. The belief according to some of the inventory sites is ST33 is heated (which ties with the MIC LR) and ST30/ST31 aren't (which fits with all the Fremont cars). It also supports the suspicion that the SR+ will or could have a heated option through software at some point as the hardware is fitted. You can search for ST33 on some of the inventory sites.

Whether you can retrofit a ST33 wheel onto a Fremont car is unknown.

 

[146Briggs]

Useful, thank you

 

[gogscurrie]

Just picked up a brand new model 3 today and the steering wheel was lovely and warm, definitely a heated steering wheel.

How did you switch it on? My LR arrived last week and it is a MIC Model 3 2021. I can’t find an option to switch it on. Software seems to be up to date - confused.com

 

[Mrklaw]

curious how Telsa handle these potential differences. Small changes in spec for yearly refreshes are one thing, but both a fremont and MIC car are both effectively ‘2021’ models and which you get is just a question of timing. Would be odd for some customers to get the option of heated wheel but others not - when neither had it on their spec sheet originally.

Tesla needs to be better at being consistent. Incremental changes are fine, good even. But they should roll out consistently so make those parts available for both Fremont and China factories.

 

[Durzel]

How did you switch it on? My LR arrived last week and it is a MIC Model 3 2021. I can’t find an option to switch it on. Software seems to be up to date - confused.com

Same screen as the seat heaters. Should be pretty obvious that is there.

 

[Durzel]

curious how Telsa handle these potential differences. Small changes in spec for yearly refreshes are one thing, but both a fremont and MIC car are both effectively ‘2021’ models and which you get is just a question of timing. Would be odd for some customers to get the option of heated wheel but others not - when neither had it on their spec sheet originally.

Tesla needs to be better at being consistent. Incremental changes are fine, good even. But they should roll out consistently so make those parts available for both Fremont and China factories.

Nothing Tesla does is particularly typical.

There has been at least 3 changes to the wing mirror looms to add, remove, then re-add the dimming wire. Why didn’t they just leave it disconnected and leave it as one part? Who knows.

Late 2020 cars have USB-C on the old console, less than 3 months before a compete console change, and a refreshed frunk without the heat pump.

Things get changed without any obvious consistency to it.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Each car has a manufacturing build list of options that cover the differences. Heated mirrors is one, steering wheel is another (I think they're used 3 different steering wheels since the M3 was launched) and these seem to determine what the car is capable of. Some of the inventory sites try and decode them, an example below

Charge port, Standard cabin filter, Base AP, FSD Upgrade available, AP 3.0 Hardware, M3/Y Audio Basic, M3/Y Brakes Black, LFP Battery (BTF0), RNG0, No chademo included, M3/Y Charger EU+ROW from 2020, GB Car, Right hand drive, Rear wheel drive, FC02, FG3B, M3 SR/SR+ Firmware, Final Assembly China, M3 Headlights 2021 (Matrix tbc), No Homelink (TBC), ID3A, Ambient lighting, LT03, Model 3, Mirror (dimming) , Midnight Silver, M3 Normal chassis, Europe Region Car, Model 3 glass roof, RS3H, Seat White Premium Seats (TBC), SA3P, Pay per use Supercharging, Powered Steering column , Model 3 suspension, T3MC, General production car, No towing package, M3 grey alcantara headliner, 18 Aero Wheels v2, No Wrap, Std order type, Model Iteration 2, M3 Standard Pedals, No M3 Spoiler, M3/Y Steering wheel (ST33) heated (TBC), BG30, I38M, Safety kit - Black, AUF2, No rear heated seats, ILF0, FGF0, Premium connectivity, M3/Y Heat Pump (TBC), PT01, RL31, LVB0, RD02, SWF0, PP00

As new codes get used it can take a while before the significance is worked out and confirmed That's why some have TBC and some are the still undecoded codes).

 

[Mrklaw]

Heated mirrors isn’t standard? I’d pay for those way before I’d pay for heated steering wheel