Heated Steering Wheel on Model 3 SR+ 2021 - August Delivery

[corriedotdev]

Proper struggling to get an answer here. I have LFT battery at 263 miles. But the heated seats option doesnt mention anything about the steering wheel. I thought all refreshed models were able to get heated steering wheel if they bought the heated passenger seats.

Anyone have experience buying the rear passenger heated seats and if an option became available to have heated steering?

Its getting colder and this would be really quite nice.

Cheers

 

[bc1979]

The heated steering wheel is not available at all on the SR+.

 

[page3]

No-one actually knows, including Tesla it would seem who have gone very quiet on the matter.

You may or may not have the required hardware. You may or may not be offered the software upgrade. It may or may not be included in the heated rear seats upgrade.

For now it's wait and see.

 

[Simonix]

There is rumour that some SR+ deliveries this quarter may come with heated steering wheels. There is rumour that the new base model 3 for 2022 has the heated steering wheel.

But this is all still rumour, there is nothing official, only conflicting comments from some reps from Tesla CS.

What is true though, if you already have your SR+, then it won't come with heated steering wheel if you "Upgrade" for the heated rear seats.

 

[Durzel]

There is talk that SR+ (aka "Model 3" from now on) coming Q1 2022 (I think deliveries for Q4 2021 have been pushed to next year?), the ones with 5.6 sec 0-60 and a range bump will have heated steering enabled.

I'm convinced of the fact that MIC cars (March 2021 on) all came with heated steering wheel hardware, but deactivated. When I bought my heated steering wheel direct from Tesla to fit on my 2020 M3P (it doesn't work, as I half expected) the tech I spoke to ran an undelivered MIC LR and SR+ car that was in the delivery area and both returned the same steering wheel part. He said that there is only one part being fitted to cars now, which is borne out in the electronic parts catalogue.

There was also talk back in April about a memo that apparently went around to EMEA service centres saying that cars built after a certain date would be able to have it unlocked, but nothing has happened with that since.

Unfortunately there's not much you can do other than waiting to see if/when Tesla actually say something else about it.

As @Simonix said above - it's definitely not part of the "heated rear seats" OTA upgrade, it's a separate thing.

 

[Simonix]

There is also a youtube video where a guy strips down the steering wheel in his 2021 SR+. swapped it over to his LR version to test.

Long and short of it was, although the element can be present, there is a different wiring loom, so it could never be used. So not just a simple software update.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

I just go off the website which still does not say the Model 3 (SR+ as was) has a heated steering wheel. You might get lucky if you order a car and it comes with it, but just as equally until Tesla put it in writing you can't count on it, (or if they do, they'll make it a paid upgrade like rear seats).

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

There is also a youtube video where a guy strips down the steering wheel in his 2021 SR+. swapped it over to his LR version to test.

Long and short of it was, although the element can be present, there is a different wiring loom, so it could never be used. So not just a simple software update.

I've heard this story but unless you know the manufacturing codes etc that were on each car then it could have been for a number of reasons why it didn't work. The heated steering wheel didn't start at the beginning of the last year across the board, just like things as large as batteries seem to change at random times or be different fromn country to country.

 

[Simonix]

I've heard this story but unless you know the manufacturing codes etc that were on each car then it could have been for a number of reasons why it didn't work. The heated steering wheel didn't start at the beginning of the last year across the board, just like things as large as batteries seem to change at random times or be different fromn country to country.

Agreed.

Tesla chop and change, update, etc with no apparent rhyme nor reason HAHA!

For Instance, some of the 2021 Q3 Model 3 deliveries turned up with two reversing lights and larger brake lights. No mention in any spec changes from Tesla?!

 

[M3noob]

I've heard this story but unless you know the manufacturing codes etc that were on each car then it could have been for a number of reasons why it didn't work. The heated steering wheel didn't start at the beginning of the last year across the board, just like things as large as batteries seem to change at random times or be different fromn country to country.

Reminds me of my 67 (or was it really 66?) Lotus Elan Series 2 (or not quite 3?) Some things never change with small run car makers

 

[Durzel]

There is also a youtube video where a guy strips down the steering wheel in his 2021 SR+. swapped it over to his LR version to test.

Long and short of it was, although the element can be present, there is a different wiring loom, so it could never be used. So not just a simple software update.

I've seen that video, and disagree with the conclusion, personally.

He swapped his SR+ (3) wheel into his LR (Y) car, and heating didn't work - the button to turn it on was there, but it didn't heat up. He showed the two steering wheel controllers - integrated into the wheel - side by side (with the same part number, but different "serial" below, as you'd expect). He transplanted his LR steering wheel controller into his SR+ wheel, which then worked.

His conclusion was basically that "other hardware is needed" to enable the heated steering wheel, but I personally think given the steering wheel controllers have identical part numbers (but different serials) that this part has to be "paired" to the car, as part of the upgrade/unlock process.

To stress again - there is one steering wheel assembly part number (which includes the controller) for all Model 3s at this point.

I would have been interested to see what would happen if he transplanted his working Model Y LR heated steering wheel into another Y LR or 3 LR that has heating (on its own wheel).

 

[M3noob]

I've seen that video, and disagree with the conclusion, personally.

He swapped his SR+ (3) wheel into his LR (Y) car, and heating didn't work - the button to turn it on was there, but it didn't heat up. He showed the two steering wheel controllers - integrated into the wheel - side by side (with the same part number, but different "serial" below, as you'd expect). He transplanted his LR steering wheel controller into his SR+ wheel, which then worked.

His conclusion was basically that "other hardware is needed" to enable the heated steering wheel, but I personally think given the steering wheel controllers have identical part numbers (but different serials) that this part has to be "paired" to the car, as part of the upgrade/unlock process.

To stress again - there is one steering wheel assembly part number (which includes the controller) for all Model 3s at this point.

I would have been interested to see what would happen if he transplanted his working Model Y LR heated steering wheel into another Y LR or 3 LR that has heating (on its own wheel).

Wouldn't it be simpler/cheaper to just buy and wear luxurious pair of fur lined gloves?

 

[Simonix]

I've seen that video, and disagree with the conclusion, personally.

He swapped his SR+ (3) wheel into his LR (Y) car, and heating didn't work - the button to turn it on was there, but it didn't heat up. He showed the two steering wheel controllers - integrated into the wheel - side by side (with the same part number, but different "serial" below, as you'd expect). He transplanted his LR steering wheel controller into his SR+ wheel, which then worked.

His conclusion was basically that "other hardware is needed" to enable the heated steering wheel, but I personally think given the steering wheel controllers have identical part numbers (but different serials) that this part has to be "paired" to the car, as part of the upgrade/unlock process.

To stress again - there is one steering wheel assembly part number (which includes the controller) for all Model 3s at this point.

I would have been interested to see what would happen if he transplanted his working Model Y LR heated steering wheel into another Y LR or 3 LR that has heating (on its own wheel).

Indeed. I just went with what he said on the vide, but your analysis makes more sense.

Wouldn't it be simpler/cheaper to just buy and wear luxurious pair of fur lined gloves?

True! What with preconditioning the climate control in the mornings, a rather fetching pair of "driving gloves" would be great!

 

[Simonix]

On a side note.

My last two company cars have had heated steering wheels. I never bothered using them!

 

[M3noob]

Indeed. I just went with what he said on the vide, but your analysis makes more sense.



True! What with preconditioning the climate control in the mornings, a rather fetching pair of "driving gloves" would be great!

And get the tanned hide aroma sadly missing from the vegan "leather"!

 

[Simonix]

@M3noob I have a lovely pair of Oxblood red Dents sheepskin lined gloves somewhere, I'll have to dig them out for my first trip to the local supercharger location to "show off" to other non-heated steering wheel owners!

 

[Adopado]

There is talk that SR+ (aka "Model 3" from now on) coming Q1 2022 (I think deliveries for Q4 2021 have been pushed to next year?), the ones with 5.6 sec 0-60 and a range bump will have heated steering enabled.

5.8 sec 0-60mph "new" Model 3 2022

Current:
5.3 sec 0-60mph Model 3 SR+
5.6 sec 0-100kmh Model 3 SR+

 

[Cantonalegod]

5.8 sec 0-60mph "new" Model 3 2022

Current:
5.3 sec 0-60mph Model 3 SR+
5.6 sec 0-100kmh Model 3 SR+

Some people are actually being told by their SA that they will be getting the bigger battery, heated seats and wheel, and a 0 - 60 mph time of 5.6 secs, almost an interim version???

 

[Durzel]

Some people are actually being told by their SA that they will be getting the bigger battery, heated seats and wheel, and a 0 - 60 mph time of 5.6 secs, almost an interim version???

What doesn't make sense to me with that is that heated rear seats are already a paid OTA unlock available in the app. If Tesla wanted they could just discount that, if the takeup wasn't as good as they wanted it to be, rather than making the option part of the base spec?

 

[MrBadger]

almost an interim version???

All Teslas are potential interim versions. They are constantly being tweaked. The whole idea of a Model Year like other manufacturers use doesn't really mean so much, although last years 'face lift' (heatpump, console and dechrome) did happen to coincide with a bump in the Vin year number, but other notable changes have also occurred at other times without a Model year bump.