Hi all,

I just bought a 2008 LE that has a heated steering wheel...when using it, after about 10-15 minutes it seems the intensity of the heat fades away then comes back a few minutes later...is this normal?

It seems like it gets rather warm, then fades away (to stop from over heating?) then returns...just a little odd thats all.

bdsams wrote:Hi all,

I just bought a 2008 LE that has a heated steering wheel...when using it, after about 10-15 minutes it seems the intensity of the heat fades away then comes back a few minutes later...is this normal?

It seems like it gets rather warm, then fades away (to stop from over heating?) then returns...just a little odd thats all.

I have the same thing happen to mine. I think it might be a thermal shutoff??? Just my WAG.

Also you should note that it turns itself off after a while. Not sure how long but it will turn off.

Good to know its not just mine, that makes me feel a ton better; although now that I have a heated steering wheel, i kind of wonder how i ever lived without one....

Yes, the manual talks about a thermal shutoff so it doesn't burn your hands.

I'm like you, the heated steering wheel is quick becoming one of my favorite features on this truck.

My i35 has one and it does the same exact thing. I wonder how hard it would be to retro-fit it into a 2006LE. I am really missing that feature in the Pathy.

come on - we are looking at loosing our- out there - go any where image with this topic.

Though I did like it on my wife's Cadillac, I will just have to endure during the reasonably cold Canadian winter.

It jars with the rugged Pathfinder ethos.

i have a 08 SE with heated seats and all the stuff, minus the heated stearing wheel, anyone know if it is possible to get the dealer to install that?

I hardly ever drive our '08 LE during the winter/cold months, my wife does.
But I did notice the other day that the heated wheel had a strange feel to it; the heat was inconsistent - some spots were ice cold, and the parts that heated up were almost to hot to touch.

I have noticed my heated seats do that same thing. instead of heating to a constant temp it just maxes out, turns off, then repeat.

Further to the initial question, we are looking at purchasing a Pathfinder but are wondering, is the heated steering wheel able to be controlled manually or does it turn on/off in accordance with the outside temperature (as the VW Toureg does)?

Thanks!

On my way to work today I decided to use the heated steering wheel for I think the 2nd time ever. I left the heater on (probably 10-15 min) just cruising not thinking anything about it still being on. The steering wheel became very hot to the touch which it has done before at the 1200 position of the wheel. Usually it cools off and heats back up. I started smelling something burning and all of a sudden, then at the 1200 position on the wheel the leather wrap started smoking. I immediately turned it off and luckily only a small burn scar is on the leather but what if I wouldn't have turned it off. This could have potentially burned the car to the ground. HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS ISSUE? The only thing that I can guess is that there is a thermostat that controls this thing and that it has gone bad. Imagine someone cranking their Pathfinder in their garage on a cold day and turning this heater on while the car warms up and the same thing happen. There goes a car and a house. This is a small issue that could lead to devastating consequences. Loss of a car, or car and home, or God forbid someone's life. Just wanted to warn people about this and check to see if anyone else has had the issue before. Thanks