Heated Steering Wheel Temp

[RockJock]

Hey guys anyone with a thermal camera or temp gun willing to temp your heated steering wheel after it has been running 10-20 minutes? Mine feels like it has stopped getting as hot as it used to. I'm getting high 80s-low 90s (F) across the whole steering wheel. I'd like to see how that compares to others.

 

[OCD Solutions]

I went looking for mine so I could post up how the elements are laid out on the wheel but couldn't find it.
I'll dig for it today since that info has been requested a few times now.

 

[Andymax]

I'll do that later and post the results...interesting question. I rely heavily on mine due to an autoimmune disease that results in lousy circulation in my hands, among other things.

 

[n8zcc]

I've realized by observing, the steering wheel temperature seems to be related to the ambient temperature the truck senses. In cold weather, say temperatures down into the upper teens, the steering wheel gets very toasty and then tapers off in temperature albeit keeping a warm feel.

Anyone that measures their steering wheel temperature, please include the ambient temperature the truck reports.

I have arthritis in the knuckles of both hands and those that have arthritis know it doesn't go with cold. This is why I have paid attention but have not yet measured the steering wheel temperature.

 

[jljbtm]

I can do that, I started it then went to get the mail so it's only running for a few min. but it got up to 111degrees and that didnt feel as hot as it could get because usually I have to turn it off as it gets too hot. I'll try to remember to get another measurement before I have to turn it off.

 

[Darksteel165]

High 80s is really low for the heated steering wheel.
Either yours is broken, or you aren't measuring it correctly.

They get too hot to hold very quickly. 111F in the picture above I believe. and I bet it goes at least 120 maybe even more
I have space heaters that are 140F and they don't feel as hot as the steering wheel gets.

 

[tabber02]

High 80s is really low for the heated steering wheel.
Either yours is broken, or you aren't measuring it correctly.

They get too hot to hold very quickly. 111F in the picture above I believe. and I bet it goes at least 120 maybe even more
I have space heaters that are 140F and they don't feel as hot as the steering wheel gets.

you can say that again. i’ve turned the steering wheel warmer on once. got too hot and haven’t used it since. plan to talk with the dealer about it. it was way too hot. ambient temperature at the time was in the upper 30s in central florida.

 

[Dewey]

Can’t help with the temp readings but 5-10 minutes even in below zero temps is about all I can handle. Wish it had a low and high setting from the factory. If yours isn’t getting this hot something is obviously wrong. Mine has been exactly the same on my last three RAM’s.

 

[OCD Solutions]

I was able to activate a med setting in my truck using AlfaOBD. Now I have lo-Med-Hi. If it was an option, I would have just set it to lo/med because hot is always just too damn hot.

 

[OCD Solutions]

Alright, found my cameras and got them charged up enough for a quick look. I used a Flir C3 and TG165-X to confirm that measurements were accurate, or at least comparable anyways.
Ambient temp is currently 68F.
On high, mine peaked at 140F but then settled in around 130F.
Med settled in around 100F and Lo was around 80F
The hottest parts of the wheel were the leather sections between 3 and 5 and 8 and 10 with the top portion being 10-20F cooler on all settings.

Overview showing top of wheel 15-20F cooler.


Peak of 140F


High Setting on sides where leather wrap is = 127F after operating for about 10 minutes


High Setting top of wheel =108F after operating for about 10 minutes


Switched to med and monitored till the temp settled = 100F +/- 2F


Switched to Lo and monitored until the temp leveled out = 80F +/- 2F

 

[Darksteel165]

Those temps look about right.
I wonder if the first hit is low or high when we have the 3 settings.
All of them are crazy hot.

 

[OCD Solutions]

Mine goes Hi/Med/Lo

 

[jljbtm]

mine is either on or off?

 

[Trippi]

I will say I have noticed that the heated steering wheel in my 2021 Jeep Cherokee Limited will temp down or temp off as the car warms inside - so much so I check the controls to make sure it is still 'ON'...my 2020 Rebel does not have that same phenomenon that I can tell...once ON the heat stays ON. Maybe there was a change with 2021 model year?

 

[OCD Solutions]

mine is either on or off?

Mine was too, I was able to switch to 3 temp settings using AlfaOBD.

 

[cskindt]

I enabled the three settings too.
They are hot, hot and hot.

I can't tell any differences between the settings.

It only stays on for about 15 minutes before my hands start to blister and leave chunks of flesh seared to the steering wheel.

 

[Loudram]

I've noticed mine gets really hot at first then drops off to where it's a comfortable temp. I haven't noticed if it's in proportion to the inside cabin or outside ambient temperature but I'll try to pay attention to that next time.

 

[OCD Solutions]

Doing some reading on the subject and I found an old thread where some owners observed that the temp of their wheel followed the temp setting of the seats.
I'll have to test this theory now but it may not work for me if I've already changed factory settings.
Originally the setting was set to "default" and I changed it to the 3 settings so I may have to change it back to test properly.

I also found references to a heat sensor within the wheel that may be affecting some owners if it's malfunctioning.

 

[Darksteel165]

Doing some reading on the subject and I found an old thread where some owners observed that the temp of their wheel followed the temp setting of the seats.
I'll have to test this theory now but it may not work for me if I've already changed factory settings.
Originally the setting was set to "default" and I changed it to the 3 settings so I may have to change it back to test properly.

I also found references to a heat sensor within the wheel that may be affecting some owners if it's malfunctioning.

By stock the seats have low\medium\high but steering wheel is on or off. I'm not sure how it could realate to.
There are steering wheel "types" and I assume output different heat. My Limited comes\was set to leather\wood wrapped, and based upon my build sheet that is correct, despite it not having ANY "wood" on it.

 

[tabber02]

my 2018 2500 limited had wood in the steering wheel. the heater there never got nearly as hot/uncomfortable to touch as it does in my new 1500 (all leather wheel). i bet the material is a big part of it.

doesn’t take much to heat the leather. but that wood might take more to get the driver to feel it.

i hope the dealer is able to turn down my heater. i’d like to keep using it. worse case i’ll just have to continue toggling the switch to maintain a temperature