Is there a heating element inside updated (2021) steering wheel?

[laughMan]

US just updated the model 3/Y with a new steering wheel last November.
Why bother with this upgrade if another new heated steering wheel will replace it in a few months???

Given that MIC model Y will be shipping with heated steering wheel, this part must have been developed and in production few months ago.

Could it be that the updates steering wheel has more than just metal scroller??
Could it has the heating element inside it, just waiting for the new firmware to active it?

It seems tesla like to surprise tesla owner with the new SW update, such as longer range, santa mode, bloombox, etc.

 

[MP3Mike]

Tesla has recently finished localizing the parts supply for the Made in China vehicles, so they may not use the same parts. Certainly not from the same supplier/factory. So don't think that just because MiC cars gets something that the US made ones will.

 

[Pianewman]

^^^...and changing out scroll wheels isn't a major re-design. They can call it "updated", but it's just the wheels.

laughMan: I hope you're right, but I think we'd know by now if there's a sleeping heating element in our steering wheels.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

It's just not that hard for someone with the metal scroll wheels to pop off their airbag and see what's inside the steering wheel. You don't have to remove the steering wheel any more than that to know.

Here's how you do it (removal starts at 1:30):

Now, for the love of God, would someone with the metal scroll wheels please pop your airbag and end this silliness!?

 

[kadify]

It's just not that hard for someone with the metal scroll wheels to pop off their airbag and see what's inside the steering wheel. You don't have to remove the steering wheel any more than that to know.

Here's how you do it (removal starts at 1:30):

Now, for the love of God, would someone with the metal scroll wheels please pop your airbag and end this silliness!?

Instructions unclear. Took out airbag. Had accident, had no airbag.

 

[Yelobird]

Seems like a lot of Assuming. The car you ordered didn’t have it so a better Assumption would be that it doesn’t and move on with your day.

 

[Koolio46]

It's just not that hard for someone with the metal scroll wheels to pop off their airbag and see what's inside the steering wheel. You don't have to remove the steering wheel any more than that to know.

Here's how you do it (removal starts at 1:30):

Now, for the love of God, would someone with the metal scroll wheels please pop your airbag and end this silliness!?

I don’t remember where I read/saw it but think it was i1Tesla where he said in one of his YT vids that a friend got a new Y and pulled the cover off the wheel. Result: no additional wiring that he could see for a heated wheel.

 

[DanDi58]

I’ll believe it when I see it on the website.

 

[laughMan]

I don’t remember where I read/saw it but think it was i1Tesla where he said in one of his YT vids that a friend got a new Y and pulled the cover off the wheel. Result: no additional wiring that he could see for a heated wheel.

it may not need additional new plug. it could be an added wire in existing plug.
From the video that i see when people remove their steering wheel, the controller plug may have unused slot, that could be used for heating element.

 

[laughMan]

Tesla can add one more wire in the connector for the heating function.

 

[qdeathstar]

I don’t know why someone hasn’t made an after market steering wheel with a heater built in. Button controlled...

 

[origingalatic]

Cause it will be useless as soon as Tesla makes it available. ROI is just not there.

As for the comment regarding “So don't think that just because MiC cars gets something that the US made ones will”

We have no way of knowing whether Tesla will behave like a traditional car company and keep regional differences. This is the first time Tesla makes vehicle outside of US. However, if past history indicates anything about Tesla is that it is not a traditional car company. I’m sure Tesla will produce the same vehicles globally.... it may not use the same supplier but it will be feature parity.

 

[Giraffe950]

I don’t know why someone hasn’t made an after market steering wheel with a heater built in. Button controlled...

I’d buy it! If it existed, I wouldn’t have to wait any longer to get my car

 

[qdeathstar]

Cause it will be useless as soon as Tesla makes it available. ROI is just not there.

As for the comment regarding “So don't think that just because MiC cars gets something that the US made ones will”

We have no way of knowing whether Tesla will behave like a traditional car company and keep regional differences. This is the first time Tesla makes vehicle outside of US. However, if past history indicates anything about Tesla is that it is not a traditional car company. I’m sure Tesla will produce the same vehicles globally.... it may not use the same supplier but it will be feature parity.

they aren’t going to be retrofitting existing cars.

 

[laughMan]

I don’t know why someone hasn’t made an after market steering wheel with a heater built in. Button controlled...

as the other post states above, it can’t be done.
the power/circuit/fuse need to be upgraded to support the electric current draw.

the steering wheel itself is the easy part....

i am hoping all the hardware is there and just need a firmware upgrade to enable it!

 

[Bikeman]

No proof of it as of Dec. 17th. Hopefully this will change in future parts and software updates later in 2021.

 

[laughMan]

model Y delivery start in feb in china..
we have to wait until then to have the opportunity to take apart a heat steering from china to see what the new changes looks like.

 

[Itsuo-DC]

I took my M3 in for service bright and early on a morning last December and they gave me a MS loaner that was the first time I had ever encountered a heated steering wheel. The MS/loaner was stone cold when I got there with an outdoor temperature somewhere between 34-40F (0-5C). The heated wheel was initially very nice bc the cabin was so cold but it seemed like the wheel would heat up in naturally with the cabin in 2-5min anyway. And if you pre-heat the cabin there might not be any use for it at all.

Am I missing something on the steering wheel heater? Seems like one of those subtle luxuries that gets jammed into cars with higher margins and that is practically superfluous for a Tesla.

 

[jcanoe]

With heated seats, a heated steering wheel and dressing warmly it is possible to drive in cold weather (my personal threshold was ~40 degrees) with limited use of the HVAC. Preconditioning before driving is best, you may need to periodically run the windshield defogger.

 

[laughMan]

Someone reported in twitter heated steering wheel is in the Standard Range Model Y!!!!

https://twitter.com/klwtts/status/1348801310242455552