How do you deal with cold steering wheel ?

[android04]

I man up and buy a heated cover for $25 on Amazon. The wire is annoying, but I only use it when necessary.
View attachment 618888

There are heated covers that are wireless as well. They have a small rechargeable battery and USB cable that you can plug in to charge when it's parked.

I only have my Model 3 right now until my Cybertruck arrives in Spring of 2022, so I can't spare it to take the steering wheel apart. But if I could, I would probably design a replacement steering wheel that has heating elements built-in and turns on with the rear window defroster controls (which also turn on the side mirror heaters). It would have a small LiFePO4 battery to power it so it would be cordless until you have it parked and plugged into a USB port to charge it. Or better yet a MagSafe type magnetic charging interface instead of an actual USB port.

Then again, by then there might be aftermarket options. Or if the new Model 3 has the heated steering wheel it might not be too difficult to retrofit.

 

[SageBrush]

2. If I can have my seat and steering wheel warm, I don't need the HVAC system to get my car from 0 to 70 degrees, I'd be fine with the HVAC set to 45-50 as long as my seat and wheel are warm. I don't have engineering data to back up my claim, but I'd imagine it could be more efficient vs. heating the whole cabin to 70.

MUCH more efficient

 

[DaveG_NJ]

When I read the OP's post, I thought, here's a first world problem. I've driven air-cooled cars with practically no cabin heat with hard plastic (not padded) steering wheels and aluminum shift knobs in single-digit temps. But I've never driven a car with a heated steering wheel, so maybe it's a life-changing experience, who knows? I will say that once I installed a heated tile floor in a bathroom remodel, it became de rigueur for any subsequent bathroom tile jobs I've done, so maybe there is something to the heated steering wheel.

I wouldn't go through the trouble of swapping wheels with a 2021 (if that's even an option). But people do funny things. Like that Frugal Tesla guy on Youtube who installed soft close door motors on his 3. Whoosh...don't get it.

 

[Feathermerchan]

In Scouts, I learned to dress for the weather. Cold hands (and/or feet) are a symptom that your body core temp is dropping so blood is withheld from the extremities. So be sure to wear an insulated headcover, appropriate jacket, and a scarf or gator and you may find you are more comfortable.
As mentioned above gloves come in many styles and warmths. Gloves available locally here in Tx do not compare to what you can get in Mi or Canada. Fortunately you can order about anything on the internet.
Conductive gloves for the touchscreen are great but remember that there are also lots of voice commands.

 

[holmgang]

When I read the OP's post, I thought, here's a first world problem. I've driven air-cooled cars with practically no cabin heat with hard plastic (not padded) steering wheels and aluminum shift knobs in single-digit temps. But I've never driven a car with a heated steering wheel, so maybe it's a life-changing experience, who knows? I will say that once I installed a heated tile floor in a bathroom remodel, it became de rigueur for any subsequent bathroom tile jobs I've done, so maybe there is something to the heated steering wheel.

Heated towel racks and bathroom floor are quite a pleasure. I say toilet seats, too, but many people dont get along with that idea.

The heated car seats I like, but I never saw as a requirement. If its cold enough where this matters, im already wearing layers, and im not stripping down to base clothing immediately when getting in the car.

 

[JCtx]

I never had heated steering wheels until maybe the last decade, where all my vehicles have had it. Even though I'm not a 'cold' person, I have to say it feels awesome on a cold day. Haven't used it much myself (my wife does all winter), but it's nice to have it. I'm probably not going to miss it, but my wife might. Need to break the bad news to her. Ha ha.

Hey, but the M3 does have memory, right??? That I really hope the answer is yes. And does it include just seat/steering-wheel/mirrors, or also driving modes, HVAC settings, radio, etc? And where do you recall it? Thank you.

 

[qdeathstar]

I’m surprised rpm doesn’t have some rebranded option...

 

[DevilDoc8542]

You can always sit on your hands in between your rear and the heated seat. Wow we have really digressed as a species....Guess next would be the complaint of no ventilated cooling seats.

 

[Jhg53]

Apparently that is the original reason for the Boring Company flame throwers.

I just got touch screen gloves.

but I miss my old BMWs heated wheel.

 

[SalisburySam]

I take my 2012 Nissan LEAF in cold weather. It doesn’t go far, but it’s warm and has the heated steering wheel.

 

[Kevin-rf]

Am I the only one that tosses my jacket in the backseat before getting in the car to drive?

No, I don't preheat. Before leaving I might bump up the charge level on really cold mornings. Otherwise, why waste the electrons.

 

[Marius A]

I also man up. Then I teach my daughter how far below the knee a respectable dress is supposed to be.
Unless I'm busy yelling at my wife for overcooking dinner.
Yeah, it's awesome being the one who wears the pants

 

[jsmay311]

preheat is the real answer. Why anyone wouldn't do this in the winter is beyond me.

I can give you my own rationale...

My #1, #2, and #3 reasons for owning an electric car are to minimize my carbon footprint. And many of my driving trips are relatively short (<5 miles). So, for those short trips, preheating the cabin would use as much energy (or sometimes even more) than the driving itself, and would therefore negate my main purpose for driving electric. And it still wouldn’t heat the steering wheel up enough to be comfortable without gloves like a heated steering wheel would.

(I compensate by using heated gloves as a work-around, but a heated steering wheel would be a better, cleaner solution.)

 

[LACALawyer]

I moved to Los Angeles....fixed the cold steering wheel like THAT.

 

[TomServo]

Then what’s the point of the heated seats? Wouldn’t pre-heating the cabin have the same affect on the seats that it does on the steering wheel?

 

[coolmanfever]

hello all,

thanks for all the comments and advices. I live up North in Canada so moving to warmer climates is not an option for me right now. Maybe when I am old and wealthy enough, I can be snowbirds and won't have this first world problem.

I tried wearing glove while driving. Many times I forget my glove at work/home or lose my gloves. So I have to keep buying new gloves. Let's just say I am not a glove person. Plus, I hate the feeling driving with thick glove on my hand. Winter temperature get down to 14 F or lower in my area. Parking and preheating in garage helps, but preheating in parking lot outside of my work building does not heat up steering wheel to comfortable level when is 14F or below outside.

I am more than willing to pay to unlock steering wheel heating feature if there is such option.

 

[Biscuitman]

Precondition the car in the garage, I never deal with a cold steering wheel

Wow. You have a garage? Now that would be nice. My 1919 heritage garage is not wide enough for the 3. Fit the Lexus, fit the BMW but the 3 is too damn wide

 

[jjrandorin]

hello all,

thanks for all the comments and advices. I live up North in Canada so moving to warmer climates is not an option for me right now. Maybe when I am old and wealthy enough, I can be snowbirds and won't have this first world problem.

I tried wearing glove while driving. Many times I forget my glove at work/home or lose my gloves. So I have to keep buying new gloves. Let's just say I am not a glove person. Plus, I hate the feeling driving with thick glove on my hand. Winter temperature get down to 14 F or lower in my area. Parking and preheating in garage helps, but preheating in parking lot outside of my work building does not heat up steering wheel to comfortable level when is 14F or below outside.

I am more than willing to pay to unlock steering wheel heating feature if there is such option.

There definitely wont be any "paying to unlock steering wheel heating feature" for the current vehicle you own. You might at some point be able to pay someone to retrofit one in there though.

 

[SageBrush]

There definitely wont be any "paying to unlock steering wheel heating feature" for the current vehicle you own. You might at some point be able to pay someone to retrofit one in there though.

Tricky, particularly if sensors are needed for AP functions.

HOWEVER, earlier posts pointing out that hot air directed towards the steering wheel works for them might be a nifty software solution people could petition Elon to add: include a setting to climate control so that a couple minutes of the pre-heat routine directs hot air to the steering wheel. That would not be an 'always warm' wheel, but it sure could mitigate the 'too cold to grip comfortably' wheel.

 

[dmurphy]

Wow. You have a garage? Now that would be nice. My 1919 heritage garage is not wide enough for the 3. Fit the Lexus, fit the BMW but the 3 is too damn wide

Similar but opposite problem. House is from 1968 and has a 2-car garage but the prior owners carved the back part put into a sunporch. No longer have the depth for a car to fit!