Added a heated steering wheel and it died

[SteveL]

Ok I'm at my wits' end here. I have a 2023 F-150 XLT 302A. Back in November of 2024 I added a heated steering wheel. I replaced the SCCM (ML3Z-3F79Z-BB), the steering wheel (ML3Z-3600-RA), ran the power, and made all the necessary changes in Forscan. I didn't replace the HVAC controls. Instead I added a soft button to the screen. I ran power to the BCM directly because from what I read that was the "right" way to do it. I grounded the power to the plate that the SCCM mounts on. It worked great for three months. One Sunday night I parked the truck and the wheel worked, and Monday morning it didn't work. I'm getting the DTC shown in the picture below. I double checked all the programming and settings and everything appears correct. There was some sort of OTA update around the time it failed. I don't recall exactly what it was for, but it seemed unrelated so I didn't think much of it. I sent the part back to Tasca as a warranty claim, but everyone refused to warranty it because it's a Lariat part in an XLT. I even met up with Jesse from Infotainment and he reflashed the firmware in the SCCM but it didn't help.

Now that it's getting cold again I decided to fix it right, so today I replaced the SCCM and the steering wheel, set everything up in Forscan and cleared the DTC. It still doesn't work, and I immediately got the exact same DTC with the new parts installed. I have checked the power coming into the SCCM from the BCM and it's good. I find it hard to believe my truck is killing SCCM's all of a sudden, and even if it is, why only the heated wheel feature? But I don't know what else to look at. I know I could take it to the dealership, but it'll probably cost a fortune since it's not a warranty issue. Does anyone have any advice on what else to check or change? I seem to recall that some people wired theirs directly into a fuse for power instead of the BCM. Would that be worth trying?

Here's the post I made after I completed the installation that went into detail on the installation and programming:

Heated Steering Wheel Installation

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

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[jkosh22]

I have an OEM installed heated steering wheel and mine quit working this past week too. I have an autel scan tool at work. Went into SCCM and found the temp is pegged at -40. Which means it’s shorted. It’s impossible to tel if the clock spring (SCCM) is to blame or if it’s a steering wheel temp sensor issues has all wiring diagrams on Mitchell pro demand do not give any sort of resistance specs. Being yours was working properly when installed, it’s most likely a part failure.

 

[SteveL]

I have an OEM installed heated steering wheel and mine quit working this past week too. I have an autel scan tool at work. Went into SCCM and found the temp is pegged at -40. Which means it’s shorted. It’s impossible to tel if the clock spring (SCCM) is to blame or if it’s a steering wheel temp sensor issues has all wiring diagrams on Mitchell pro demand do not give any sort of resistance specs. Being yours was working properly when installed, it’s most likely a part failure.

But why would the same part fail again immediately after replacing it?

 

[jkosh22]

I replace and install parts everyday for a living, it’s not super uncommon to get bad parts that are brand new. I do t have the schematic in front of me but if I remember correctly. The SCCM should have a pin with 4 wires. I believe a thermistor supply and return, and a power supply and return. You can ohm out the old wheel and new wheel and check your specs and see if the circuit has failed inside the wheel. Do you have active steering on yours?

 

[SteveL]

I replace and install parts everyday for a living, it’s not super uncommon to get bad parts that are brand new. I do t have the schematic in front of me but if I remember correctly. The SCCM should have a pin with 4 wires. I believe a thermistor supply and return, and a power supply and return. You can ohm out the old wheel and new wheel and check your specs and see if the circuit has failed inside the wheel. Do you have active steering on yours?

It has lane assist, but not lane centering if that's what you mean?

 

[jkosh22]

I just re read your post and saw it was a lariat wheel. Active steering was on platinums and limited I believe. It uses a different or additional module called steering effort control module that has to be programmed when replaced. But since you don’t have it that’s not the issue. You could always wire your own switch instead of BCM but than you would lose your control switch on your screen. I’m newer to forscan, are you able to see PID values in your SCCM? You’d be able to see actual temp of the thermistor in your wheel and that would rule our communication errors or part failures.

 

[SteveL]

I apologize if I sound like a total idiot here, but you're talking a little above my level. As far as temps go, the only actual number I can see is where I have the wheel set to 38* C. It goes from 35-39. If I go into the As Built data, then that's represented by a letter.

 

[jkosh22]

No problem sir. The numbers to are referring to are units you can program into the bCM for how hot your want your wheel to be. A PID is a parameter Id. so essentially you can go into any module and see what values the module is seeing that it is programmed for. For example, if you go into SCCM on a scan tool, you can look at actual temperature of the thermistor in the wheel. Each value has its limits and it’ll tell you if you have an abnormal value or if the value is correct. That would be a direct example of what you would look at to see if you module or wheel failure. I’m unsure if forscan can do that. I’m assuming it can but I don’t know how too. Sorry if I can’t be much help there. It would be my next step so you can see exactly what the module is receiving and what the steering wheel is telling the module. Sorry for the long response, trying to describe it the best I can!

 

[SteveL]

No worries, and I'm grateful for your help. To answer your question, I'm not sure if that's possible with Forscan. If it is, I don't know how to do it.

 

[jkosh22]

I’d maybe watch a tutorial and see if it’s possible! And come to think of it, mine stopped working around the same time I got an update also. May be to blame for it also!

 

[SP_2023_Lariat]

To view the actual temperature of the heated steering wheel thermistor in the SCCM module using FORScan, you need to
access the Live Data or Manage extra PIDs/Sensors section and find the specific parameter (PID) related to the steering wheel temperature.

Steps to Access the Data

1. Connect to your vehicle: Use FORScan with an ODB-II adapter (like an OBDLink MX+) connected to your Windows laptop. Ensure you have the appropriate license (free trial or paid).
2. Navigate to Live Data: In the FORScan software, go to the "Live Data" or "Sensors" tab.
3. Add the correct PID: The specific PID for the steering wheel temperature is often not displayed by default. You may need to:
   • Look for a predefined Ford/Lincoln/Mercury/Mazda list of enhanced PIDs within the app settings and add them.
   • Search for a specific parameter name like "Heated Steering Wheel Temp" or a similar description within the SCCM (Steering Column Control Module) module's available data.
   • Some users have noted specific values used in configuration, such as "Heated Steering Wheel Temp:: 386" which corresponds to a target temperature in As-Built editing, but the actual real-time temperature will be a different data parameter in the Live Data section.

Important Notes

• The temperature is measured by a small, sensitive thermistor inside the steering wheel, typically near the bottom.
• The system is designed to dynamically adjust the heat output based on the thermistor reading and sometimes the cabin temperature set by the HVAC system.
• If you are troubleshooting a heated steering wheel issue, monitoring this live data can help determine if the thermistor is reporting correctly (e.g., if it gets stuck at a certain value or reads unusually low/high temperatures).
• Consult forums or community-maintained FORScan spreadsheets for your specific vehicle year and model to find the exact PID name or custom PID formula if it is not readily available in the standard list.

 

[jkosh22]

Locked and loaded with perfect info. Nice job.

 

[Bucknut22]

Mine died a few months ago and I just got around to fixing it. There must've been an update that wiped out one of my forscan changes. I fixed it and turned off auto updates because I didn't want it to happen again and lose my glare free. I did swap out the temp control unit for one with a physical button though. You may end up needing to do that? Maybe they made it so sort button doesn't work anymore

 

[SteveL]

To view the actual temperature of the heated steering wheel thermistor in the SCCM module using FORScan, you need to
access the Live Data or Manage extra PIDs/Sensors section and find the specific parameter (PID) related to the steering wheel temperature.

Steps to Access the Data

1. Connect to your vehicle: Use FORScan with an ODB-II adapter (like an OBDLink MX+) connected to your Windows laptop. Ensure you have the appropriate license (free trial or paid).
2. Navigate to Live Data: In the FORScan software, go to the "Live Data" or "Sensors" tab.
3. Add the correct PID: The specific PID for the steering wheel temperature is often not displayed by default. You may need to:
   • Look for a predefined Ford/Lincoln/Mercury/Mazda list of enhanced PIDs within the app settings and add them.
   • Search for a specific parameter name like "Heated Steering Wheel Temp" or a similar description within the SCCM (Steering Column Control Module) module's available data.
   • Some users have noted specific values used in configuration, such as "Heated Steering Wheel Temp:: 386" which corresponds to a target temperature in As-Built editing, but the actual real-time temperature will be a different data parameter in the Live Data section.

Important Notes

• The temperature is measured by a small, sensitive thermistor inside the steering wheel, typically near the bottom.
• The system is designed to dynamically adjust the heat output based on the thermistor reading and sometimes the cabin temperature set by the HVAC system.
• If you are troubleshooting a heated steering wheel issue, monitoring this live data can help determine if the thermistor is reporting correctly (e.g., if it gets stuck at a certain value or reads unusually low/high temperatures).
• Consult forums or community-maintained FORScan spreadsheets for your specific vehicle year and model to find the exact PID name or custom PID formula if it is not readily available in the standard list.

Thanks for the info. I'll check it out when I get some time this weekend.

 

[rhank23]

I’d maybe watch a tutorial and see if it’s possible! And come to think of it, mine stopped working around the same time I got an update also. May be to blame for it also!

Seems like you know what you're talking about. I just purchased a '23 f150 lariat with heated steering removed. If i purchase the heated steering wheel + module + sccm, will I need a wiring harness as well or do the Lariats already have the wiring harness? Do Lariats have the same issues with the heated steering not working once installed?

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