• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

In praise of the heated steering wheel

Share this page

Popeye

Popeye

Obi Wan
Silver
Country flag
Offline
Every morning, I have a choice of commuting to work in a 1971 MB or a 2024 VW. It is a hard choice: I must decide if I want to drive slowly or quickly; do I like it noisy or quiet; do I want to be able to hear the radio; do I enjoy worrying about breakdowns; do I want an automatic or to shift on my own?? So many questions - with such obvious answers! But alas, I'm one of the weirdos who likes roughing it :smile:

However, on a cold morning last week, the old car had a whiff of antifreeze when I ran the heater, so I opted to take the new car. And I turned on the heated steering wheel for my hour-long commute... what a feature!!

I think heated wheels should be mandatory in the interest of driving safety. I found myself clutching the wheel WITH TWO HANDS instead of texting all my friends. I did not flip off a single jerk, such was the warmth of the wheel. I did not take one picture to share to instagram. I even waited until today to post this to the BCF!!

I'm off to write my congressperson... I might even get that out on the drive home tonight?
 
You left out, want to worry about other reckless drivers cutting in and out, not paying attention and such that could run into you. Which would you prefer get dented up??...
 
Popeye said:
Every morning, I have a choice of commuting to work in a 1971 MB or a 2024 VW. It is a hard choice: I must decide if I want to drive slowly or quickly; do I like it noisy or quiet; do I want to be able to hear the radio; do I enjoy worrying about breakdowns; do I want an automatic or to shift on my own?? So many questions - with such obvious answers! But alas, I'm one of the weirdos who likes roughing it :smile:

However, on a cold morning last week, the old car had a whiff of antifreeze when I ran the heater, so I opted to take the new car. And I turned on the heated steering wheel for my hour-long commute... what a feature!!

I think heated wheels should be mandatory in the interest of driving safety. I found myself clutching the wheel WITH TWO HANDS instead of texting all my friends. I did not flip off a single jerk, such was the warmth of the wheel. I did not take one picture to share to instagram. I even waited until today to post this to the BCF!!

I'm off to write my congressperson... I might even get that out on the drive home tonight?
Click to expand...
Not just for cars…. My buddy has heated grips on his motorcycle.
 
My Telluride has heated seats and a heated steering wheel and we love both in the winter. It also has cooled seats for the summer - that's a real delight to have cool air gently wafting across your backside on a hot afternoon trip to town.
 
Not steering wheel but heated and cooled seats in my truck. (y)
 
Gliderman8 said:
Not just for cars…. My buddy has heated grips on his motorcycle.
Click to expand...
A colleague just bought a second hand BMW motorcycle (evidently baby boomers are moving on and deals can be had). I was surprised that he can ride comfortably down to about 30 degrees. Heated seats and handles, and hot air from the engine blows on the rider protected by a full fairing. (He wears a full riding suit.) Nice!
 
mikephillips said:
In the summer time, after the car has sat out in the sun all day, I have a heated steering wheel. Ouch.......
Click to expand...
When I was still working for SAIC, I had to go to Yuma Proving Grounds to do some testing on airborne sensors. This was in the middle of August. I recall one time, coming out of a meeting on the base and going to get in my car (C5 Vette) to drive back to the hotel, I had to open both doors and let it air our for a few minutes before I could even get in the car. When I opened the the door it was like opening the door to a blast furnace. Once I could finally get in, I had to use towels to hold the wheel and also to use the shifter because both were too hot to touch. I think the outside temp was around 120F and the inside was - much hotter.
 
Heating from the engine, cooling from the atmosphere. Simplicity itself!

Sikorsky_Preparing_to_fly_in_VS300.jpg


Sikorsky with an early design of his VS-300, 1939.
 
Basil said:
When I was still working for SAIC, I had to go to Yuma Proving Grounds to do some testing on airborne sensors. This was in the middle of August. I recall one time, coming out of a meeting on the base and going to get in my car (C5 Vette) to drive back to the hotel, I had to open both doors and let it air our for a few minutes before I could even get in the car. When I opened the the door it was like opening the door to a blast furnace. Once I could finally get in, I had to use towels to hold the wheel and also to use the shifter because both were too hot to touch. I think the outside temp was around 120F and the inside was - much hotter.
Click to expand...
Here in SW Oklahoma it gets warm, 105-115 in the summers. The best bet is to always keep your windows down and invest in a good sun shade. I will also often carry a hand towel to drape over my steering wheel if I need to.
 
Funny thing is that my BYD.. here in the very hot middle east... has heated seats. But for some stupid reason doesn't have the cooling option - which would be far more useful! We actually do use the heaters at least for a few minutes to warm up the fake leather seats in the winter but have a fan in the seat would be way way way more useful 70% of the year
 
70herald said:
Funny thing is that my BYD.. here in the very hot middle east... has heated seats. But for some stupid reason doesn't have the cooling option - which would be far more useful! We actually do use the heaters at least for a few minutes to warm up the fake leather seats in the winter but have a fan in the seat would be way way way more useful 70% of the year
Click to expand...
BYD?
 
This thread is long-finished, but I came across the below image on another forum, and it made me smile.

I've come to relissh my heated steering wheel as the weather has turned properly cold. But the other day I complained to my daughter that while my steering wheel is heated, my shifter is not - and it's always a cold "shock" when shifting gears.

Yeah, yeah, I know, first world problems... :smile:

But a solution exists! (Not my car, nor am I getting one.)

IMG_6572.jpeg
 
Back
Top