Sponsored

Heated steering wheel weak?

WildBlue

Well-known member
Joined
May 8, 2023
Threads
23
Messages
208
Reaction score
134
Location
Somewhere
Vehicles
2024 F150 Lightning Flash
Just got my XLT ER this weekend. Coming from a Chevy Bolt, I can tell you the heated steering wheel is pathetic on the Lightning. When it initially starts, it works well, but as soon as you start driving it cools to barely warm at all. Very poorly tuned. Any possibility of tweaking the settings via Forscan?
Sponsored

 

ExCivilian

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2021
Threads
3
Messages
647
Reaction score
431
Location
SoCal
Vehicles
'05 RAM 2500 5.9L Cummins; '22 Lariat ER
Mine used to work well and then one day it seems like it shuts off after 5-10 minutes. Then it's barely warm on the top but almost nothing on the bottom. I had the dealership check it and they said it was fine so now I'm waiting to take it up to the snow and see if it changes when the wheel is freezing cold.
 

Marcelo Zanetti

Well-known member
First Name
Marcelo
Joined
Mar 10, 2023
Threads
4
Messages
78
Reaction score
38
Location
New York
Vehicles
Ford F150; Ford F-150 Lightning; Ford Explorer;
Occupation
Electrician
Just got my XLT ER this weekend. Coming from a Chevy Bolt, I can tell you the heated steering wheel is pathetic on the Lightning. When it initially starts, it works well, but as soon as you start driving it cools to barely warm at all. Very poorly tuned. Any possibility of tweaking the settings via Forscan?
Mine too seams to work erratic. Some times doesn’t work at all.
 

Adventureboy

Well-known member
First Name
Jonathan
Joined
Jan 30, 2023
Threads
1
Messages
664
Reaction score
630
Location
Ontario
Vehicles
2023 F150 Lightning Lariat
I find it warms up nicely in the cold weather then tapers off as the cabin warms. Forescan works for tweaking this on the ICE (I did it on my 2018 a few years back). I expect if someone knows what numbers to tweak for our Lightning, we'd be able to adjust it.
 

AmandaB

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 17, 2023
Threads
10
Messages
121
Reaction score
84
Location
US
Vehicles
2022 Ford Lightning Lariat ER - Red
Mine too seams to work erratic. Some times doesn’t work at all.
Same here. Half the time it doesn't seem like its heating at all. I've tried turning the steering wheel heat off and back on. Doesn't help. Seems like restarting the truck helps occasionally.
 

Sponsored

TaxmanHog

Moderator
Moderator
First Name
Noel
Joined
Jan 19, 2022
Threads
171
Messages
12,316
Reaction score
12,968
Location
SE. Mass.
Vehicles
2022 Lightning Lariat-ER Max Tow & 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide CVO-ST
Occupation
Retired
One thing to note, heated steering wheel is erratic if used in conjunction with departure time cabin conditioning, even having it set for warm, we're still waiting for an update that will fix this erratic behaviour.

As an alternative, if you need to use preconditioning more so for battery warming when the depth of winter have arrived, set the departure time for about 30-60 minutes prior to actual departure, doing so will ensure the battery temperature is correct, enough time will elapse to allow the truck to go back to sleep.

Then when you're about ready to go ~5, 10, 15 prior to leaving the house, use remote start, to give the cabin, seats and wheel a quick warm up, they will be toasty when you get in and remain on as long as you need them through the drive.

In my experiences, the seat and wheel get to warm and I'm switching them down to low & off respectively.
 
Last edited:

TaxmanHog

Moderator
Moderator
First Name
Noel
Joined
Jan 19, 2022
Threads
171
Messages
12,316
Reaction score
12,968
Location
SE. Mass.
Vehicles
2022 Lightning Lariat-ER Max Tow & 2024 Harley-Davidson Road Glide CVO-ST
Occupation
Retired
Side note

Today's remote start request failed to process, I didn't notice while I was getting ready to go and went out to a cold truck, I'm marking this event to yet another failed communications session between Fordpass, the cloud and the truck ...... come on Ford, fire up the hamsters.
 

Flash

Active member
First Name
Don
Joined
Jul 10, 2023
Threads
1
Messages
29
Reaction score
33
Location
Htx
Vehicles
2023 F-150 Lightning XLT 312A
Occupation
EE
I too have this problem of a weak heated steering wheel. Interestingly enough my '22 Mach E had a strong heated steering wheel but my '23 Mach E is as weak as my '23 Lightning. Wonder if there was a decision to make these weaker on purpose.

The service tech at my dealership is working on a Lightning that is going through the heated steering wheel retrofit and I asked him to see what values are changing. This might show what potential forscan addresses that can be edited.
 

Sponsored

Ford Motor Company

Well-known member
Official Ford Account
First Name
Ford
Joined
May 26, 2021
Threads
22
Messages
1,687
Reaction score
1,073
Location
Dearborn
Vehicles
F-150
Just got my XLT ER this weekend. Coming from a Chevy Bolt, I can tell you the heated steering wheel is pathetic on the Lightning. When it initially starts, it works well, but as soon as you start driving it cools to barely warm at all. Very poorly tuned. Any possibility of tweaking the settings via Forscan?
Hey there! If you send over a DM with your VIN and Ford dealer info, I can look into your concerns on my end.
 

Maquis

Well-known member
First Name
Dave
Joined
May 20, 2021
Threads
9
Messages
3,455
Reaction score
4,359
Location
Illinois
Vehicles
2021 Mach-E E4-X; 2023 Lightning Lariat ER
There was an extensive discussion on this topic a year or so ago on the Mach-E forum. Basically, there is a lot of variability in how the temp sensor is positioned in the steering wheel. The closer the sensor is to the heating element, the cooler the wheel. I think one person opened up the wheel and repositioned the sensor.

It‘s been awhile, so my recollection of all the details may be lacking.
 

Pioneer74

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2021
Threads
32
Messages
3,487
Reaction score
6,221
Location
Dearborn
Vehicles
2022 Lightning Lariat ER - 2022 Mach-E Premium
Occupation
Electrician
There was an extensive discussion on this topic a year or so ago on the Mach-E forum. Basically, there is a lot of variability in how the temp sensor is positioned in the steering wheel. The closer the sensor is to the heating element, the cooler the wheel. I think one person opened up the wheel and repositioned the sensor.

It‘s been awhile, so my recollection of all the details may be lacking.
On older model vehicles you could also adjust the temperature. I retrofitted a heated wheel into my 2018 Lariat and I believe there were 7 or 8 different heat selections too choose from in FORSCAN.

There might also be an option to adjust it on the current trucks.
 

3rdgenfan

Well-known member
First Name
Geoff
Joined
Oct 4, 2022
Threads
1
Messages
353
Reaction score
368
Location
Delaware
Vehicles
'23 XLT SR, G8 GXP, TDI Rabbit
I too have this problem of a weak heated steering wheel. Interestingly enough my '22 Mach E had a strong heated steering wheel but my '23 Mach E is as weak as my '23 Lightning. Wonder if there was a decision to make these weaker on purpose.

The service tech at my dealership is working on a Lightning that is going through the heated steering wheel retrofit and I asked him to see what values are changing. This might show what potential forscan addresses that can be edited.

Had the same issue with the heated seats in my G8 vs when I had my SS sedan.

You could fry an egg on the heated seats of the G8, meanwhile the newer version of the car (SS) had heated seats close to someone just blowing their luke warm breath on your back.
 

jdmackes

Well-known member
First Name
John
Joined
Feb 9, 2023
Threads
12
Messages
435
Reaction score
314
Location
Maryland
Vehicles
2023 F-150 Lightning Pro
I too have this problem of a weak heated steering wheel. Interestingly enough my '22 Mach E had a strong heated steering wheel but my '23 Mach E is as weak as my '23 Lightning. Wonder if there was a decision to make these weaker on purpose.

The service tech at my dealership is working on a Lightning that is going through the heated steering wheel retrofit and I asked him to see what values are changing. This might show what potential forscan addresses that can be edited.
The forscan address is: 724-06-01 *xxx xxxx --

0 =HSWLTSP 24°C8 =HSWLTSP 32°C
1 =HSWLTSP 25°C9 =HSWLTSP 33°C
2 =HSWLTSP 26°CA =HSWLTSP 34°C
3 =HSWLTSP 27°CB =HSWLTSP 35°C
4 =HSWLTSP 28°CC =HSWLTSP 36°C
5 =HSWLTSP 29°CD =HSWLTSP 37°C
6 =HSWLTSP 30°CE =HSWLTSP 38°C
7 =HSWLTSP 31°CF =HSWLTSP 39°C

I think mine was set to A and I changed it to F. It gets pretty toasty when it's running
Sponsored

 
 





Top