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Tesla have updated m3 on website
- Thread starter michelerusso88
- Start date
There is a rumour, based off a video - apparently - of "hundreds" of RHD cars ready to be delivered in China, that Europe will start being supplied by them instead of Fremont. If that is the case, the EPC (parts catalog) that lists the heated steering wheel separately as "MadeInChina" would mean that cars that come from there will have the heated wheel, and anything currently over here doesn't have it.
That said - it doesn't make a whole lot of sense that the seamless steering wheel doesn't come with heating, unless it was just coincidental that the design of it was changed at the same time as adding a heating element, when people seemed to think the seam stopped (?) the heating element being fitted.
Also - Model Ys in the States are turning up with heated steering wheels, so maybe my "only cars that come from China" point isn't valid.
Basically, I don't think anyone knows definitively.
That said - it doesn't make a whole lot of sense that the seamless steering wheel doesn't come with heating, unless it was just coincidental that the design of it was changed at the same time as adding a heating element, when people seemed to think the seam stopped (?) the heating element being fitted.
Also - Model Ys in the States are turning up with heated steering wheels, so maybe my "only cars that come from China" point isn't valid.
Basically, I don't think anyone knows definitively.
China plant is apparently operating at annualised run rate of 500k cars now. This is great news for everyone, as the build quality is going to be much much better. Wouldn’t surprise me if Model Ys started shipping to Europe from there too before Germany is completed, at least for LHD. Chinese demand can be a bit volatile so that would help smooth that out and generate some demand in Europe for when production there is up and running (cars on the road sell cars). You could make a case for RHD Ys coming from there given nightmare of Brexit red tape!!! In conclusion this is all speculation but Tesla got options these days!
Here is a picture of the steering wheel of mine (2021). What am I looking at that makes people possibly think it could or could not be heated etc?
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Thank you. I understand the difference now.My early 2020 model has a seam in the 11 and 1 positions, as per this image:
It’s all subjective isn’t it
I’m hoping I do have those door cards on my 21 model as I prefer them to the awful ones on my 20 I think we're looking for the manufacturing code ST33 for heated steering wheel from what I read somewhere but can't remember where. The 2021 M3 mega thread suggested that the cars were coming through with the same manufacturing code as the 2019 cars, its that's true it's unlikely they are heated (or at least none of the the current 2021 cars shipped seem to have that code). Tesla may start shipping tomorrow with heating steering of course when the old part bin runs low!
SpareHeadOne
Member
Pictures I can find online of replacement 2017-2019 steering wheels or trim parts for them all have the seams, which suggests that Tesla have either re-used the part number (unlikely) or simply replaced the part altogether for whatever reason (internal design improvements, lower cost, durability, etc.).
Anyone in here with a 2019 or earlier M3 who can confirm if their wheel has the seams or not?
itzKris
Member
The older NCA battery you have performs better in the cold than the new MIC batteries.
Quick look at used cars for sale show 2019 models with seams, 2020 don’t. I suspect this is a red herring to whether they’re heated and reinforces what I’d read before was correct, they’ve just gone back to an earlier design which also fits the manufacturing code reverting.
I agree. I doubt the stitching is related to the heating. Probably just the switch to synthetic leather (or maybe not as early vegan wheels appeared to have the seams)
The steering wheel change is not just the stitching, in addition to being just one piece the wheel is also slightly thicker. So there is an internal hardware change there. It was the change in thickness of wheel that led some to speculate that it was heated - space for heating elements. The Chinese version is identical to our new ones in appearance, hence latest speculation about whether all the refreshed cars have heated wheels. Would be odd to implement a hardware change and then update it again a few weeks later. But no one knows in reality. Maybe the steering wheel guy left and didn’t tell them!
The catalogue model numbers also don’t seem helpful in this regard, as the wheel is a completely new design but appears to be tagged to an existing part no.
The catalogue model numbers also don’t seem helpful in this regard, as the wheel is a completely new design but appears to be tagged to an existing part no.
SpareHeadOne
Member
I’m sure people know this but the heated steering wheel on the MX has seams so I’m not sure about the relevance of seams or not on an M3 wrt heating
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