ACtion Magazine - March 2017 - 8

Toasty wheels
Steve Schaeber

ven though we've had so many for so long on so many cars time of year. As I write this column, It's late January in Pennsyland trucks, the creature comforts available today continue vania, and although temperatures have been unseasonably warm
to amaze and inspire me. Heated seats, Bluetooth con- (around 45°F most days), it's been chilly enough to make your
nections to your phone, and even those functional, strategically hands cold, especially after a few hours of exposure.
placed cup holders are modern conveniences (anyone remember
We decided to test the Fiat's heated seats and steering wheel
those plastic cup holders you'd hang from the window jamb, or to get data about their operation. It took the steering wheel about
those car organizers that would velcro to the "hump"?).
5 minutes to reach 88°F (when it really felt warm). We performed
We recently tested a 2016 Fiat 500x, the
the same test on the seats, which
sister-crossover to the new Jeep Renegade,
also took about 5 minutes to
...they've been in development climb to 84°F (where they reand it has a feature that I'm adding to my
wish list: a heated steering wheel. I didn't
since the early 1900s! mained during our testing). Afeven notice it was there at first, but once I
ter a while the steering wheel
saw the button on the dash I thought: "Oh,
maxed out at 96°F. Toasty!
check that out; I wonder what this will be
How can this data help you
like." About two minutes later it started feeling warm and I was out in the shop? Knowledge of how a system is supposed to perhooked!
form when it's new can be used as a benchmark for testing a
One of the first things I thought was how nice it would be if system that's been in operation for a few years. We perform testmy Jeep also had a warm steering wheel, especially during this ing on many HVAC systems here at MACS in a similar manner
to help judge the performance of other systems, whether they're
operating properly or are having troubles. It's how we're able to
provide solid tech support and troubleshooting tips to our members.
While heated steering wheels and seats are not common acService most mobile AC systems with a Schrader ® Universal AC Valve which
cessories,
they're not new inventions either. In fact, they've been
use HNBR seals to provide the broadest compatibility with refrigerants and oils.
in development since the early 1900s! The first US Patent for an
"Electrically Heated Steering Rim" was issued to Reuben Smith
in 1913. Smith describes "a novel form of electric heating element adapted in a steering wheel." And it's not outdated either;
his patent was cited by Ford in 2012 ... 99 years later!
A practical reason for installing heated steering wheels or
seats is the speed at which they warm up. Particularly useful in
northern regions, they can make passengers comfortable much
faster than HVAC systems which have to wait for engine coolant to warm up. A drawback is they're expensive, and not just in
price. Electric heaters draw quite a bit of power, too (Fiat puts
each seat on a 20 Amp fuse to handle the current draw).
Our heated steering wheel turns off automatically after 80
minutes. If it's 41°F or less outside, it will turn on automatically
Working
Temp
Installation
Pressure
Range
Torque
Surface
during remote start, so the steering wheel and seats will be warm
Part No.
PSIG
°F
IN.-LBS
Valve Type
Finish
8081070047 40 - 800
-10 to 300
3-5
Standard
Plated
when you get in the car. NICE!
8081540070 800 max. -40 to 245
5-10
JRA
Unplated
Note: What's your favorite creature comfort in your ride?
0200822001 800 max. -40 to 300
10-20
8mm
Unplated
Drop a line to steve@macsw.org and let us know! ❆

UNIVERSAL AC Valves

0200842001

800 max.

-40 to 300

15-30

10mm

Unplated

7142820093

600 max.

-40 to 300

N/A

integrated (R-134a)

Aluminum

0123415001

600 max.

-40 to 300

N/A

integrated (HFO-1234yf) Aluminum

Due to the variety of operating conditions or applications, the customer is responsible to perform their
own testing to insure performance, safety and warning requirements for the intended application.

800.288.1804 x8814
8

ACTION * March 2017

Steve Schaeber
Manager of Service Training
You can reach Steve at
steve@macsw.org

http://www.schraderinternational.com/region-selector

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - March 2017