Pre Dec 2014 S Heated Steering Wheel Retrofit

[TonyT]

Nevermind ... I found the parts list here.

Thanks! I didn't want to post specific numbers since I didn't have a verified list and they change. Airbag replacement is not necessary and I believe is a restricted part. Best to find a used heated wheel with the heater ecu.

From the post...

STEERING CONTROL SWITCH ASSEMBLY 1HARNESS WITH HEATER (1013242-00-E)
STEERING WHEEL BOLT (1011615-00-A) 1
STEERING COLUMN CONTROL MODULE - 1ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL,
GENERATION 2 STEERING, AND HEATER(1043892-00-A)
STEER. WHEEL ASSY, SLATE THREAD, 1HEATED (1036774-01-B)
DRIVER AIRBAG ASSEMBLY - LEATHER 1WITH HEATER - NORTH AMERICA (1036778-01-A)

 

[SigRed12]

Finding a complete heated wheel with the heater ecu will be next to impossible. Next best thing will be to piece it together for my 2012 P85 w/ no cold weather package (CW00). I'm hoping to be able to reuse the airbag and pray Tesla service will turn it on in Toolbox since I don't have root and I'm already on v10.

 

[Perzivel]

Finding a complete heated wheel with the heater ecu will be next to impossible. Next best thing will be to piece it together for my 2012 P85 w/ no cold weather package (CW00). I'm hoping to be able to reuse the airbag and pray Tesla service will turn it on in Toolbox since I don't have root and I'm already on v10.

have you made any progress?

 

[SigRed12]

have you made any progress?

No, waiting on a seller to respond to my request for quote of parts.

 

[random155]

Any update?

 

[SigRed12]

No update. Nervous to do anything while under warranty since I need to root to enable the wheel heater. I'm on 2019.32.12.7 with a new pending update to 40.2. Without release notes to say what that entails, I'm hesitant to download it which will further hamper my root attempts when the time comes; and therefore, hamper my visions of a heated wheel. Ugh, Tesla ... so many things to love about this car yet at the same time so much to hate with all the secrecy.

 

[random155]

No update. Nervous to do anything while under warranty since I need to root to enable the wheel heater. I'm on 2019.32.12.7 with a new pending update to 40.2. Without release notes to say what that entails, I'm hesitant to download it which will further hamper my root attempts when the time comes; and therefore, hamper my visions of a heated wheel. Ugh, Tesla ... so many things to love about this car yet at the same time so much to hate with all the secrecy.

I dont believe that rooting is necessary. If I had the hardware, I'd install it and make a service appointment for them to enable the appropriate cold weather package for it to work. If it doesnt work, you have it ready to go when you're warranty is done.

 

[TonyT]

You just need to have a super good service center friend.

For right now I would ask other's to hold of doing this. I'm working with a couple people and don't seem to be able to recreate the success yet.

 

[TonyT]

I think we found the issue, and will be testing the solution this week! Hoping to publish this soon!

 

[airborne spoon]

So i have a Dec 2014 P85D and about 3 years ago I went to Tesla and asked if I could upgrade to the heated wheel since I already have the subzero package. I was told by multiple SC locations that there is no way to wire it in because my car didn't have the harness for it to get plugged into. And that harness was added about 3 weeks after my build

 

[Ostrichsak]

So i have a Dec 2014 P85D and about 3 years ago I went to Tesla and asked if I could upgrade to the heated wheel since I already have the subzero package. I was told by multiple SC locations that there is no way to wire it in because my car didn't have the harness for it to get plugged into. And that harness was added about 3 weeks after my build

There was a time that you could have Tesla Service Centers add this after the fact but they officially discontinued offering it shortly thereafter. That's exactly what this thread is about: adding a heating steering wheel to those Subzero cars that were manufactured before the wheel and the wiring was added. You basically need to add 12v power and ground to the harness via two pins where it doesn't exist in the earlier subzero cars. Once you do that, the only other hurdle is to get someone at Tesla to enable that for you via a firmware change that tells the car it now has the newer version of the Subzero package that includes the heated steering wheel and gives you the option to turn it on and off via the screen or app.

 

[TonyT]

Trying to find the actual Steering Wheel Buttons. Apparently not all buttons have the data lines to the pins of the 4 pin connecter we connect horn and heat ecu to. It finally dawned on me that when it magically started working for me was after I upgraded from older steering wheel buttons to the newer ones! However I didn't realize and didn't try since I didn't know it was a requirement. I will get some part numbers next time I get the wheel apart. Also We are currently doing this for a customer so I will post their working button part number.

So 3 things of wiring are missing.

Power to SCCM, Power in the harness to buttons from clock spring to buttons, and the data line in the buttons, even though most (maybe all) buttons show 4 pins!

And of course the Heated SCCM which contains wiring, and new wheel, in the previously mentioned list of parts.

 

[TonyT]

This is a confirmed working steering wheel switch. There may be more that work.

We now have a second heated steering completed.

Power for the heat wires must come from the car’s 12v. Using a external power supply will not generate heat in the steering wheel during my testing.

 

[Ostrichsak]

If I had to guess there's some sort of a relay at play that closes a switch that then draws 12 volts of power from the yellow harness. That's why you have to supply power and ground through that harness which is slightly thicker wires. That little wire in the steering wheel button is probably more of a relay type situation since they're such small pins and connections and wires inside of that module. Sad that we just figured this out since I struggled for hours and hours and days trying to figure out why mine didn't work. Alas, I had the older style steering wheel buttons that had the separation down the center of both sides. Had I known it was simple as swapping those out though it would have been a pretty cheap and easy fix.

 

[random155]

I'm feeling dense... so if you swap out the steering wheel buttons everything should be there to plug in a wheel with heat?

 

[Ostrichsak]

I'm feeling dense... so if you swap out the steering wheel buttons everything should be there to plug in a wheel with heat?

I could be wrong and I'll let somebody speak on the topic that has actually successfully completed this modification more recently but I believe you still have to supply 12-volt constant power and a ground to the yellow harness that connects to the base of the steering wheel column. As I recall there's another pin that needs to be relocated as well.

 

[random155]

I could be wrong and I'll let somebody speak on the topic that has actually successfully completed this modification more recently but I believe you still have to supply 12-volt constant power and a ground to the yellow harness that connects to the base of the steering wheel column. As I recall there's another pin that needs to be relocated as well.

Gotcha, thanks

 

[TonyT]

Correct. Both 12 and ground are needed. To clarify, I tried using a external power supply to feed the new wiring I added to the yellow connector. That failed to heat the wheel when activated. Then I just a set of jumper cables since my wiring didn't extend to the front of the car, using the jumper cables I connected the jump post (getting power from the car) to my added wiring. Now the power was all the same the wheel heated up!

The correct buttons should the missing link for everyone else who has tried and failed. At the time I failed to realize my button swap fixed the issue, as I didn't test it at the same time. Then one day I played around with it and notice it was actually working.

Sorry everyone, I thought it was dumb luck until around last week when I realized what I did months ago.

 

[samppa]

I also completed this retrofit to my 03/2014 Model S. Everything works and these ap style stalks are so very nice.

 

[xenodata]

Would be interested in hearing prices on something like this. I got my 2018 S w/o the subzero package and always wondered if it would be possible to add parts of or the whole package later.