Heated Steering Wheel - Any Kits?

luttersj

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I'd like to have a little heat in my steering wheel. I test drove a new Maxima for my wife that had that feature. I don't know how I've made it this far without one!! I did some Google-ing but nothing jumped out at me. Does anyone know of a quality kit? Or is there some sort of specialty shop that can do this (upholstery places maybe)?
 

Funny guy!! :slap: :biggrin:

The thing is, gloves only help so much. That steering wheel is gonna stay cold for a long time when it's 5 below zero outside. A little electrical boost would go a long way! I know from years past that my seat is warm, the vents are kicking out heat but the steering wheel is still a block of ice!
 
My secret is that I aim the vents at the steering wheel, use the remote start, then when you go out the entire car and wheel is warm. Shhhh don't tell anyone.
 
See, I had remote start on my F150 and considered it a waste of money. Sure, the truck would warm up more quickly once going down the road, but if it was below 15 degrees (when you really want it to warm up!!) it made no difference in cabin temp. I had grand visions of a nicely warmed cab waiting for me. Sort of like opening an oven. You open the door, let the hot air escape then climb in. not even close...but maybe that had more to do with the 5.4L of iron than it did with the remote start. I have noticed that engine temps come up a lot faster in the LS than they did in the F150. Something to think about, maybe...
 
Do you have an engine block heater on your LS?

Best option ever in cold weather! I have hot air in seconds!
 
no, I don't have a block heater. but even if I did it wouldn't help me out when I'm leaving work.
 
Where do you live that it is always that cold outside?:shifty:


Mine warm up with the heat from my hands and do even better when I have gloves on.


Sure they might not be as warm as the heated seats but still, I never found it that big of a problem when the car warms up with just the simple heater on.

Would be a neat feature.
 
I live in a suburb of St Paul, MN. Statistically speaking, the coldest metro area in the nation according to a show that I saw on the Discovery channel.

To be fair, the coldest weather that I've ever driven my LS in was about 30 degrees. I bought it over the summer so this will be my first winter. Who knows, maybe the steering sheel in the LS will be more insulated than the one that was in my F150. That would be nice...
 
how about a steering wheel cooler?? down here in florida the steering wheel and especially shift knob can get too hot to even touch.
 
Jag XJ's have/can have heated steering wheels. I'd think the wheels might be compatable but that would require a lot of electronics compatability with the heated wheel, stereo controls, cruise control, and the Air Bag.
 
I'm surprised that no one has designed a heated cover for steering wheels. There, I just gave out a million dollar idea to someone with the know how. Now get busy! It's mid-November already!

Good call on the Jag wheel, I hadn't thought about going that route. But I'll bet you're right. Too much of a wiring nightmare.
 
Personally, I wouldn't judge the purchase of a remote start solely on cabin temps, think about the engine life you are saving by letting the car warm up before every use(which I do even though I dont have remote start).

A heated steering wheel would be a nice addition, but my gloves work just fine in Chicago winters.
 
Hey man,

Having lived in St. Paul, Minnesota for 26 years you just learn to deal with the cold. I do not have a remote start, block heater or any other heating device. When I get in my Lincoln LS in the morning during the cold winters I let the car warm up for five minutes, put my leather winter gloves on and I'm on my way. How long have you lived in Minnesota because our winters have been mild over the past 3-4 years.
 
I've lived here in MN for almost 32 years. So I know what to expect out of winter but not from the car since I just got it. Granted, I've made it this long without a heated steering wheel. But once you get a taste for the finer things you begin to want more! For example, I made it 31.5 years without having cooled seats. From here on out, that will be a consideration when buying a new car. A heated steering wheel would just be icing on the cake!
 
I'm surprised that no one has designed a heated cover for steering wheels. There, I just gave out a million dollar idea to someone with the know how. Now get busy! It's mid-November already!
I don't think this is going to work as an addon something. Think about the power demands of something that converts electricity to heat and then route the powerwire out of the way of getting hooked on anything then making it capable of rotating 2-3 revoltions in each direction. It would be interesting on its own to see how the Jag does it using like a clock spring or the GM SEO coil type setup with sliding contacts. Any sort of kit is going to have to involve pulling the steering wheel I would imagine then using a sealed rotary collar behind the wheel that doesn't give off EMI to mess with the factory controls and provide enough power to run the heating elements. The design of the cover is realtively simple, some sort of rubberized non slip backing, thermal insulation binding material that the heating elements are imbedded on the surface of, then a conductive later on top of that that binds the whole back assembly stack up to the leather cover. Run a power cord down one of the steering wheel spokes to the hub where you would have to drill or otherwise make a hole to get to the central coil assembly around the hub which would then have to be wired on the otherside to the cars power through a switch. I can design it I guess but it would be near impossible to capitalize on without a direct liscence from someone since its so darn simple I couldn't sue someone for changing the steeringwheel stackup or something and making it on thier own.
 
Jeez, when you put it that way it pretty much shoots a hole in the theory. I liked the idea a lot better when it was in my head...

(thanks for the info, though)
 
Hopefully global warming will answer this problem for us all. St.Paul will be balmy. Just make sure to burn lots of fossil fuels so we can add more CO2 to the atmosphere.
 
how about a steering wheel cooler?? down here in florida the steering wheel and especially shift knob can get too hot to even touch.

I agree, even this time of year my steering wheel is annoyingly hot. I have to use a sun deflector in the windshield or it is really HOT.
 
I agree, even this time of year my steering wheel is annoyingly hot. I have to use a sun deflector in the windshield or it is really HOT.

I've heard that some folks in Arizona keep a set of oven mitts in their cars so they can turn the wheel after the car's been sitting in the sun.

Personally, I'm waiting for a set of pedal heaters. I like to drive barefoot, and a little heat would feel nice on the tootsies, especially in the winter.
 
steering wheel heaters and coolers what ever happened to toughing it out. sorry if i sound rude. when i drive my truck in the snow [its my winter vehicle], the snow blows around in the cab if i go over 50. HOLES IN THE FLOOR. tough it out :drunk: also if you drink alot youll feel warm anyways LOL LOL
 
Hey guys, I was just letting you guys know that you don't have to have a warm engine for the car to blow warm air. Ifyou put it on max AC it takes about a min to start blowing warm air. Once the engine is warm, switch it to auto.

BTW what is a block heater?
 
block heater started out on diesels, in very cold weather they wont start unless warm. people use them now to make sure there is heat when they start their car. it replaces a freeze plug and you plug it into 110 v. its like a hot plate for your antifreeze.
 

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