Topic: Heated Steering Wheels - should be mandatory!

[Rupert]

Bunch of namby pambies. Was -40 in Montreal one time and had to tie a string to accelerator peddle to pull it back up after pushing it down. Stop damping down the human spirit. Gloves and string under-drawers. Oh and a bunch of guys to push you sideways to a plug outlet. Don't expose bare skin.

[Factger]

Our 2002 maxima had a heated steering wheel. (do I miss it? - yes) It would heat up pretty quickly ( 20 seconds). I would have to shut it off after 1 mins because it would heat the palm of my hands too quickly, to the point where they would start to sweat. Meanwhile the back of the hand would be cold. (say -5 in the car). It was a really an odd sweaty palm feeling .

[Bubba]

Our 2002 maxima had a heated steering wheel. (do I miss it? - yes) It would heat up pretty quickly ( 20 seconds). I would have to shut it off after 1 mins because it would heat the palm of my hands too quickly, to the point where they would start to sweat. Meanwhile the back of the hand would be cold. (say -5 in the car). It was a really an odd sweaty palm feeling .

Sort of like a McDLT.   

[EV Dan]

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

 

[phazotron]

Back in the winter of 02/03 (or was it 03/04?), anyway, it was friggin cold, down to -30c or colder, no factory heated seats though there is a technique that always works and provokes lots of giggles from the kids (that required you to fart!) , and no heated steering wheel on my Civic. Got to Tim's, went to the drive thru and the window froze down. By the time I got that window back up, my coffee was cold.

[Rupert]

Gotta get heated window frames.

[jamie1]

I never had them so I don't care yet. However I believe cars without standard heated seats should be banned from sale in Canada.  I have a conspiracy theory that dealers actually prefer not having heated seats included in the base model so they can sell the higher trim level or best yet their service of installing the heaters, where I would suspect it's a matter of connecting two wires to a switch, but it costs around 500. Thoughts?

So your theory is that automotive manufacturers include the heating element in all the seats, but only connect it in ones where the option is selected? So they pay $XX for the heating elements and material even when it's not being used?
I see a hole in your theory.

Thats why I called it a conspiracy theory. Maybe people in the know can confirm. I would not be surprised though as there are things in cars as XM readiness or an option to enable a GPS for example.

I cannot speak for other manufactures, but for Chrysler, there is nothing there to plug and play. The whole system has to go in. Seats come out, covers come off. Seat heaters go on. Seats are reassembled. Wiring, relays and switches are installed.

[Mike]

I'm going to the Rally of the Tall Pines with Jacob this weekend. Shouldn't be too cold, but we'll be outside in the woods all day and evening.

Judging by his get-up he was wearing Monday when it was -7, I'll post some picks of the frozen Aussie this weekend. 

[Weels]

I'm going to the Rally of the Tall Pines with Jacob this weekend. Shouldn't be too cold, but we'll be outside in the woods all day and evening.

Judging by his get-up he was wearing Monday when it was -7, I'll post some picks of the frozen Aussie this weekend. 

Guessing that might look something like this?

[KD]

Do they have cooled steering wheels in Aussieland?  Gloves are mandatory in Canada in winter and not just for gripping the wheel.  I keep an extra pair in my truck just in case (when) my main pair get wet.  Cloth seats should be an option on all vehicles also IMO.  My truck has cloth seats and no problem with freezing my assoff when i get in before warming it up... .  My wife's car has leather seats and they suck for winter and summer.

BTW I saw a minivan in a parking lot the other day sporting one of those big fat shearling-type steering wheel covers...

[safristi]

  My wife's car has leather seats and they suck for winter and summer.

.

....

 do they blow for Spring and Fall ...... have leather in mine heated...no problemo at any season..
 time to retire that olde hack opinion... ....

 yes a heated steering wheel would be aces...jeez maybe heated wheels are in our future.....melt the snow and ice before driving orff....,,

[JacobBlack]

For those of you who wanted to know how I survived the Tall Pines, here are two photos taken by Mike Schlee, and Gary Grant.

[Fobroader]

Ya made it....all appendages large and small hopefully still attached and operating??

[KD]

For those of you who wanted to know how I survived the Tall Pines, here are two photos taken by Mike Schlee, and Gary Grant.

Heated gloves?   

[Weels]

I'm going to the Rally of the Tall Pines with Jacob this weekend. Shouldn't be too cold, but we'll be outside in the woods all day and evening.

Judging by his get-up he was wearing Monday when it was -7, I'll post some picks of the frozen Aussie this weekend. 

Guessing that might look something like this?

So I wasn't too far off.... 

[Fobroader]

I'm going to the Rally of the Tall Pines with Jacob this weekend. Shouldn't be too cold, but we'll be outside in the woods all day and evening.

Judging by his get-up he was wearing Monday when it was -7, I'll post some picks of the frozen Aussie this weekend. 

Guessing that might look something like this?

So I wasn't too far off.... 

 

[wing]

snowmobile mitts are even warmer than gloves.  Gloves suck.  Next time you'll be even warmer!

[DriverJeff]

You know Jacob, Canadians are just more advanced.  We ordered up a few cold months a year to prevent the endless supply of poisonous snakes, spiders, lizards, butterflies, wombats, kangaroos, crickets and every other crazy Aussie thing that's trying to kill you down under.  Cold is safer. 

[mrthompson]