Heated Steering wheel?

[daroota]

I've looked around and haven't found anything for the manual steering wheel. I believe it's 450mm diameter. (17.716inches)

I think it would be an excellent solution to cold drives (got an air cooled van without power steering hence the large wheel)

So has anyone found one that works?

Thanks
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1982 Westy-Air Cooled, Fuel Injected, 4 Speed Manual
Air Cooled Vanagon's FaceBook Group:
www.facebook.com/groups/AirCooledVanagon/

[teej]

deleted
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1986+ Wolfsburg Weekender Pop-Top 2.3 WBX Manual Trans

[daroota]

Thought about heated gloves, but I'd like a little something for other drivers (if I let them drive)

I'm also going to get heated seat inserts when I refoam, but not the VW ones that burn everyone.
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1982 Westy-Air Cooled, Fuel Injected, 4 Speed Manual
Air Cooled Vanagon's FaceBook Group:
www.facebook.com/groups/AirCooledVanagon/

[Merian]

Gloves with batteries

[djkeev]

If you're cold in your Van, you need to heat your Van.

Webasto, Stewart Warner gasoline heaters.... Proper or similar Propane heaters.....

Just seems like the smarter move All around. Warms up every living thing in your Van.... Human and Animal.
Take off your coat, sit back, enjoy the ride.... Stay awhile.

Dave
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Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[Terry Kay]

You've got the wrong ride.

Think Benz or Lexus.

Or--transplant one of the above vehicles steering wheels into your van.

Poof-- a heated wheel.
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T.K.

[IdahoDoug]

A little off topic, but when I heard cars were coming with this feature, I thought it was a little over the top. Then I drove an Audi A8 on a couple week winter trip. Holy crap that is a GREAT feature in the winter. Part of my original thought on it was that by the time the friggin steering wheel is warm the heater would be putting out and all would be well. Uh uh. Man, 30 seconds into a cold startup and you are literally gripping the wheel and drawing heat from it while the rest of the frigid car is sucking the heat out of you. How wrong I was.

As for the Vanagon, wow - do they make an aftermarket wheel for cars, or are you talking about buying a heated cover? I can't imagine how an aftermarket solution (cover or wheel) would work due to the wiring challenge.

Doug
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Butcher]

If you want a heated steering wheel, I know Mercedes uses 40+ volts to make it work. The reason for the high voltage is for the speed of the heat and the current needed if 12v was used. Anything less would take too long.

So heated gloves would be the best idea but if someone wins the Power Ball, it should be a piece of cake.

In my area, it does not get that cold, but it is a nice feature to have.

[danfromsyr]

maybe you can mount one of these radiant heaters to the sunvisor.
it even comes with a nifty map light.
and maybe use an inverter to power it if you don't have a long enough cord for where you wish to travel

this is all just kidding of course..
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[acegallagher]

[daroota]

Wheel swap won't work... because there is no power steering (all armstrong) for the big wheel.

I'm thinking a wrap or something type. I've got a nice wrap on my steering wheel already, and having some sort of heating in it would be nice.

I do have a BA6 as well and it's nice on the feet and window, but my fingers always seem cold when driving around below freezing in Canada. (I have to check my grounds on it again because sometimes it wouldn't start up, and sometimes it would)

I've got large hands, and find that I don't get enough circulation in gloves to keep my fingers warm (most gloves at least)

And I ask about the heated steering wheel because yes I too have tried one and loved it. Searched the forums and found nothing on it for the old large wheel, so I thought I'd ask if anyone has done something. A transformer could easily step up the voltage in a van for a nice heated wheel.


lol nice Danfromsyr, but being 6'2" that may impair my vision of the road, or at worse burn my hair.

I'll maybe look at how they are made and try to figure out something and share. anyone else I'd be happy to see what you come up with.
_________________
1982 Westy-Air Cooled, Fuel Injected, 4 Speed Manual
Air Cooled Vanagon's FaceBook Group:
www.facebook.com/groups/AirCooledVanagon/

[Merian]

besides the voltage problem, it has to be powered as the wheel is turned

so you need a rotary contact like the turn signals use but larger - and BOˇH have to fit in the existing housing so you'll need to completely redesign all those parts

[daroota]

Or switch up the horn location and use that for a power source.

It is a possibility, as long as I upgrade the current wires to handle the load.
_________________
1982 Westy-Air Cooled, Fuel Injected, 4 Speed Manual
Air Cooled Vanagon's FaceBook Group:
www.facebook.com/groups/AirCooledVanagon/

[Merian]

you need a horn - not to mention that the power for a heater is a LOT more than is designed into the horn connection

[IdahoDoug]

Also, a head's up if you are serious about using the horn ring for power (not sure if joking), that I have seen several where the dragging contact gets ground to a spear point and then chews holy heck out of the copper ring. Obtaining those parts was a pain when I checked years ago, so look down the parts road before you commit much time/effort.

Doug
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Butcher]

I really do not think people would do this, but you would need something to handle a good 30A or more. Triple the battery voltage [three batteries] would lower the current needed which would allow you to use the smaller gauge wiring and maybe a horn contact. 4 batteries would even be better.

[jackbombay]

It looks terrible, but, I imagine it works at least a little bit,

http://www.amazon.com/Zone-Tech-Comfortable-Steeri...eel+covers

this won't work, I forgot you have the larger diameter manual steering wheel....
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[canasync]

I too thought that this was a ridiculous feature till I got a '98 528i with a heated wheel. It was just great! Everytime I drive our outback when it's -15C or more I miss having it. It seems like the steering wheel is always the last thing to get warm!
_________________
1987 Syncro
3 knobs
PumpeDüse TDI (17mm Garret Turbo, bigger injectors, stage 4 malone tune, intercooled)
Cruise Control
Remote Start/locks
Custom Lift
Custom Bumpers with receivers
Coast Mountain Hightop - Comming Soon

1985 2wd Vanagon Pre-runner in the making
soon to be powered by 2.5L Subaru
Custom Lift

[spacecadet]

the beginning of a new way of vans catching on fire... I just pointed the one heater vent on the drivers side up and towards the steering wheel, worked great.
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1990 Volvo 740 Turbo(Sold)
1986 Mercedes 300 Coupe (Sold)
1954 Volvo PV544 (Sold)
1990 Dodge D250 Cummins (Totaled)
1990 Vanagon GL 2.1 Automatic (Sold)
1968 Ford F250(Current)

[DuncanS]

A million years ago I had a 40hp split window in New England with, of course, no heat. The wipers would start to ride up on a build-up of ice so I took a piece of 110 v heat tape and cut 1/10th sections and siliconed them to the wiper. One end was grounded to the wiper blade and the other went through a hole with a grommet inside to a toggle switch. Worked like a charm. When the ice built up, I'd flip the switch and the ice would pop off after about 15 seconds.

So....thinking of doing the same thing with the steering wheel. Groove out the underside, lay in the wire and fill the space back up with silicone. Forget the electrical connections for now. Has anyone tried this? I'm thinking of taking a donor wheel and giving it a shot.

Also, anyone know about this?

http://www.gentherm.com/en/page/steering-wheel-heating
Duncan