BlueRidgeRick

I bought a 2015 S-Line last fall & the only options I wanted were the tow package and the heated steering wheel. After 6 months and 8500 miles I gotta say I love my Q7. However, the heated steering wheel has never stayed hot. When it got cold here in Atlanta last December it did not heat at all. The dealer ordered a new wheel from Germany. Since that was replaced in early January, the steering gets hot in about 3 minutes and then cuts off. The wheel on/off button doesn't do anything. The only way to get the heat to come back on is to turn off the Q7 completely, open a door and restart. Again, the steering wheel will get hot in 3 minutes but then shut off again, so basically it's worthless. The dealer states the computer shows no faults AND this same thing happens on 3 other Q7's on the lot. They don't know what to do. Any advice from you cold weather drivers that have this option?
My father uses his heated steering on a 2014 Corvette year around because of arthritis in his hands. Surely Audi knows how to do the same.

Thanks,

Rick

Transporter208

Your not alone. Mine does the same thing which doesn't necessarily mean there isn't a problem but at least we share the same experience. Maybe someone else can shed some light on this.

Canadian Lurker

As I understand it, it's tied in with the ambient temperature in the cabin. When the climate control levels off at a comfortable level then the steering wheel heat gets reduced.

If it's cold enough outside and the climate control is actively trying to maintain a temperature, you can still feel that the heat is on - it's just at a very low level.

So it does seem to stay on but at a reduced setting. I haven't been brave enough to test the theory in frigid temperatures roaring down the road with all the windows wide open though!

iconoclast

from my understanding the audi system operates differently from the a6 or even bmw and rr. instead of just staying on and operating independently it works in conjunction with the hvac and ambient temp in the vehicle. i feel this is an odd way to combine options and functions similar to the heated mirror only being on if leave the mirror switch dead center because you know, you never parallel park in the cold and need to utilize both features of heated mirror and dipping mirror. (slightly off topic but another complaint is that the lights in the mirrors do not turn on at night when parallel parking but it does on my other vehicles. it would be such a simple thing to program. "auto lights. headlight on then mirror light shines on the ground to see curb." make it so!

flynavy

the heated wheel is more of a "psychological" than a physical option especially when compared to my 2014 Silverado LTZ!

D3Audi

All American vehicles that I have driven that have heated steering wheels have a phenomenal heating element compared to Audi. This entire winter, the only time I even remotely noticed the steering wheel heat was when it was -45°F... Bummer. Lol.

Force-1

The heated/cooled seats and heated steering wheel in my wife's 2014 Kia Sorento work much better than my Q7.

Canadian Lurker

To each his own - I like that it doesn't get too hot. It's convenient not to have to be turning it on and off when it's not needed. Fall to Spring I leave it on and I like that it isn't obtrusive when the cabin and steering wheel have reached a comfortable temperature.