Gen 2 heated steering wheel

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Astros

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 11, 2017
Messages
186
Location
Seattle, WA
My wife and I drove for a few hours in 33F temperatures this weekend, and I noticed that the heated steering wheel on our SL Plus was merely warm most of the time (as it usually seems to be), but on a few occasions it got actually quite hot. It seemed like the times it got hottest were when we turned the heat up to 67F (from our usual 60-62F), though the heat from the vents wasn't directed at the steering wheel. Was this just a coincidence, or have other people noticed the steering wheel heat depending on the cabin heat setting?
 
From my experience in the 18 MY, it does sometimes get a bit warm, but never hot. It seems to cycle between lukewarm and pretty warm. I don't think it has anything to do with the cabin temperature. Even with my HVAC heater off, the temperature cycled between the same heat levels. The Gen1 wheel heater I felt cycled too dramatically from barely any heat to extremely hot to the point I had to manually cycle it on and off. Apparently some preferred the Gen1 "hotter" wheel, but I think the Gen2 is a happy medium.
 
jdcbomb said:
From my experience in the 18 MY, it does sometimes get a bit warm, but never hot. It seems to cycle between lukewarm and pretty warm. I don't think it has anything to do with the cabin temperature. Even with my HVAC heater off, the temperature cycled between the same heat levels. The Gen1 wheel heater I felt cycled too dramatically from barely any heat to extremely hot to the point I had to manually cycle it on and off. Apparently some preferred the Gen1 "hotter" wheel, but I think the Gen2 is a happy medium.

Yes, Gen1 alternates between Napalm and "The Icy Black Hand of Death".
 
My 2015 steering wheel and seats both got hotter than the ones on the 2018. The steering wheel especially. It is OK on the 2018 but the old one was the best on a really cold day...
 
golfcart said:
My 2015 steering wheel and seats both got hotter than the ones on the 2018. The steering wheel especially. It is OK on the 2018 but the old one was the best on a really cold day...

Same on my 2015. It got nice and toasty. The 2019 is certainly warm, but not enough for me.
 
Y'all must have cold bodies, cause the Gen1 units were literally burning hot (cannot keep my hands on them without feeling like I'm cooking my skin). While the Gen2 units get quite warm but not napalm like. Even on a cold morning (below 32 F), the Gen1 units were just too hot.
 
jdcbomb said:
.... the Gen1 units were just too hot.

Speak for yourself :)
I have both gen1('12) and gen1.1('13) and while they do get very warm(almost hot if you rub your hand quickly around the steering wheel) just before they shut off and then get somewhat cool before it starts over again, I'd much rather have that than lukewarm at best. Note that some with the older Leafs play a game where they manually shut off the wheel heater just about the it's starting to get hot and then manually turn it back on before it gets as cool as it would have if you let it get hot then let it automatically turn back on, this stops the too hot too cold cycle.
I personally don't bother because I'd probably end up forgetting to turn it back on until my hands got cold :roll: and I also don't use my Leaf for longer trips where it starts cycling much. Owners of the older Leafs frequently wished for a medium setting that wouldn't get too hot or too cold but like most of our simple wishes, it falls on deaf ears with Nissan :(
 
So to be more clear...the Gen2 isn't just lukewarm. It's QUITE warm, just not hot. Comfortably so. And thus much more consistent than the Gen1 in my personal experience.
 
My LEAF would often cycle too-hot then off on my 10 mile commute home (which can take 45 minutes in December as a mall is between work and home). I often would try to manually turn it off before the cutoff, but sometimes forget.
 
jdcbomb said:
So to be more clear...the Gen2 isn't just lukewarm. It's QUITE warm, just not hot. Comfortably so. And thus much more consistent than the Gen1 in my personal experience.
That would be perfect IMO. I mean I don't need it HOT, just warmer than lukewarm that I had thought people were talking about :)
 
I like the quite warm, but not hot of the 2019 compared to extreme cycling of the 2015. I think I do notice the steering wheel in the 2019 gets hotter if cabin heat is on now that someone mentioned it. I need to do some more testing when the next cold front comes through.

Edited to add:. Either 2015 or 2019 is better than using my heated motorcycle gloves and vest in the 2011 to avoid excess power consumption in the water heater.
 
Having had both the 40 and the E Plus, the E Plus definitely gets warmer and the 40 I don't ever remember getting beyond lukewarm one single time. Although the temperature on the plus stays rather static thru out, I noticed that when leaving a charging station (car is on for the charge) I notice a bump up in the temperature that happens immediately after I start driving. At first I thought it was a stationary car with the expected lower heat loss or maybe the hands simply becoming "cold" accustomed from not being on the steering wheel but have pretty much eliminated both those ideas as a plausible explanation.
 
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