Heated Steering wheel with "cold vents"?

[Sopher]

I have a brand new 2017 explorer sport. Standard heated steering wheel. I noticed that not only is the wrapped leather sections the only heated sections, but I can feel a cold vent of air where there is stitching on the inside rim of the steering wheel. It seems to be the vent of the cabin air, as it does go away once the cabin is toasty.

Anyone else notice this? Anyway to prevent it? Anyway to get the left and right side of the wheel (non leather) to be heated?

 

[peterk9]

I have a brand new 2017 explorer sport. Standard heated steering wheel. I noticed that not only is the wrapped leather sections the only heated sections, but I can feel a cold vent of air where there is stitching on the inside rim of the steering wheel. It seems to be the vent of the cabin air, as it does go away once the cabin is toasty.

Anyone else notice this? Anyway to prevent it? Anyway to get the left and right side of the wheel (non leather) to be heated?

I haven't been able to find a picture of the Sport steering wheel. I guess I always thought it was similar to the Platinum except for the wood insert. Mine is leather wrapped from about the 2 to 10 o'clock position and very well heated all around except for the top wood insert.
As for the cool air, the only place I can guess that is coming from is the left air vent in the dash. You can try adjusting the air flow on it.

Peter

 

[JETZ]

Oh the hardship, 'gloves' are your friend.
How do owners without 'heated SW' survive?

I have a brand new 2017 explorer sport. Standard heated steering wheel. I noticed that not only is the wrapped leather sections the only heated sections, but I can feel a cold vent of air where there is stitching on the inside rim of the steering wheel. It seems to be the vent of the cabin air, as it does go away once the cabin is toasty.

Anyone else notice this? Anyway to prevent it? Anyway to get the left and right side of the wheel (non leather) to be heated?

 

[Sopher]

I traded down from an F150 Lariat. I know. Even with the f150 heated seats, it took a mile+ of driving before things started to get warm. Still no heated steering wheels on f150's.

 

[Sopher]

I haven't been able to find a picture of the Sport steering wheel. I guess I always thought it was similar to the Platinum except for the wood insert. Mine is leather wrapped from about the 2 to 10 o'clock position and very well heated all around except for the top wood insert.
As for the cool air, the only place I can guess that is coming from is the left air vent in the dash. You can try adjusting the air flow on it.

Peter

No, its not from any dash vent. Litterally i can feel cold air coming through the stitching... all on the inside rim of the steering wheel. The heated part is from 10-2 and from 4-8 if the wheel were a clock face.

Is this the same for all newer Sports?

 

[peterk9]

No, its not from any dash vent. Litterally i can feel cold air coming through the stitching... all on the inside rim of the steering wheel. The heated part is from 10-2 and from 4-8 if the wheel were a clock face.

Is this the same for all newer Sports?

I don't understand why you'd be getting any kind of air coming from the steering wheel. I'm quite sure that the heated steering wheel would use some kind of heating element and not any kind of 'forced' air.

Peter

 

[blwnsmoke]

I don't understand why you'd be getting any kind of air coming from the steering wheel. I'm quite sure that the heated steering wheel would use some kind of heating element and not any kind of 'forced' air.

Peter

Yup, there is no air going into or out of the steering wheel. Cold radiating off of it on a very cold day I could see but physical air blowing out, not happening.

 

[Sopher]

Well, i can tell you with the sub 30deg mornings, THERE IS cold air... most likely the cold cabin air... coming thru the stitching of the heated steering wheel leather. 100% confirmed. Once the cabin warms up, it is much less noticeable. I will take an infrared heat detector to measure it... if i can remember where i put it....

Also, as mentioned in some other post by another owner, the right side trim along the center console will exhibit a 'crinkle" sound much like an empty water bottle does when the trim and its connectors underneath change in temperature from a cold car to a warmed up and hot interior due to the plastic slightly expanding.

 

[peterk9]

Well, i can tell you with the sub 30deg mornings, THERE IS cold air... most likely the cold cabin air... coming thru the stitching of the heated steering wheel leather. 100% confirmed. Once the cabin warms up, it is much less noticeable. I will take an infrared heat detector to measure it... if i can remember where i put it....

Also, as mentioned in some other post by another owner, the right side trim along the center console will exhibit a 'crinkle" sound much like an empty water bottle does when the trim and its connectors underneath change in temperature from a cold car to a warmed up and hot interior due to the plastic slightly expanding.

Haven't noticed any type of expansion noises at all when the cabin heats up and believe me it has been much colder at times this past Winter, like 0 F. I still don't see how cold air came coming from the stitches as there is no forced air in the steering wheel. As far as I know it is a solid piece, likely plastic, with a heating coil of some type running through it and wrapped in leather. No one else has experienced this issue or at least posted about it. Have you taken it to the dealer to get checked out?

Peter

 

[Sopher]

I've old had the 2017 Sport for about 6 weeks now. Been busy at work.
I have confirmed the air flow is tied to the cabin fans... when I shut off the cabin fans, the air thru the stitching stops too.

 

[Sopher]

With the sudden drop in temps (28degF) this is STILL an issue. On the way home from a restaurant, the very cold cabin air was coming thru the stitches on the wheel. If I set the inside temp even warmer, the steering wheel does get hotter, but that makes the cold air thru the stitches much more pronounced. I will ask the service desk again about it. It simply should NOT be happening.

 

[peterk9]

With the sudden drop in temps (28degF) this is STILL an issue. On the way home from a restaurant, the very cold cabin air was coming thru the stitches on the wheel. If I set the inside temp even warmer, the steering wheel does get hotter, but that makes the cold air thru the stitches much more pronounced. I will ask the service desk again about it. It simply should NOT be happening.

There definitely is an issue. The heat of the steering wheel cannot be adjusted. So I would guess that there was a some kind of problem at the factory when yours was built whereby the cabin air is somehow being directed up through steering column and through the center part (horn, airbag) and then through the steering wheel stitches.

Peter

 

[thefranchise713]

Steering wheel heat is configured to hit a calibrated limit--it gets red hot then brings itself down to a more moderate operation. It can be changed with FORScan with a likely shortening of the life of the heating elements.

As far as the cold stitching, I've noticed this as well, but only to the extent that the heat is mated to certain portions of the wheel, of which the stitching isn't one. The stitching has always felt colder by design (or neglect.)

 

[peterk9]

Steering wheel heat is configured to hit a calibrated limit--it gets red hot then brings itself down to a more moderate operation. It can be changed with FORScan with a likely shortening of the life of the heating elements.

As far as the cold stitching, I've noticed this as well, but only to the extent that the heat is mated to certain portions of the wheel, of which the stitching isn't one. The stitching has always felt colder by design (or neglect.)

The issue is that the member is actually getting cold air blowing through the stitches. BTW, when the heated steering is ON in mine, there are no cold areas on the steering wheel at all.

Peter

 

[thefranchise713]

I followed, Peter. But I wanted to make sure that the understanding was there that the stitching is normally cold. That said I'm surprised your heating is that comprehensive, perhaps it has something to do with the different wheel on the Platinum. Learn something new everyday.

That said, I further can't fathom how OP has cold air coming through the stitching, but I don't want to dismiss their experience without having driven their particular unit either.