[Flybynightcru]

Now, I've searched around before I decided to throw this out there, and found nothing. So, I've always had the heated and cooling seats/heated steering wheel set to auto on for all starts, and it has worked flawlessly until the last few mornings. The strange thing is that it's working every other time I start the car throughout the day. It's just that first startup in the morning, when you expect it to work considering, it's been consistently in the teens every morning for the last week or so. It's just that first startup, weird right??? Has anyone else experienced this seemingly unexplainable situation???

 

[Lindy]

Now, I've searched around before I decided to throw this out there, and found nothing. So, I've always had the heated and cooling seats/heated steering wheel set to auto on for all starts, and it has worked flawlessly until the last few mornings. The strange thing is that it's working every other time I start the car throughout the day. It's just that first startup in the morning, when you expect it to work considering, it's been consistently in the teens every morning for the last week or so. It's just that first startup, weird right??? Has anyone else experienced this seemingly unexplainable situation???

After starting the car, what is your Jeep indicating the outside temp is?

On several occasions, while parked outside, I have noticed how even though it is below freezing, my seats and heated steering wheel weren't activated at initial start up when they should of been. On those occasions I have noted that the indicated outside temp is way off, reading much higher than it is, which would of course prevent the activation of the heated seats/steering wheel.

Now don't ask me why the temp reading is way off because I have no idea, but once I drive the car a bit, it quickly corrects itself.

 

[Mike B in OK]

Just wild speculation, but perhaps when it starts up it uses the last temperature reading taken while it was being driven? And that may have been in afternoon and been high? Just guessing.

 

[sanghill]

Thinking outside the box: Maybe the battery is weak and the ESS disabled something with a large current draw.
Then when you drive a bit the battery gets charged better ?????
When something doesn't work correctly, blame the battery.

 

[Flybynightcru]

After starting the car, what is your Jeep indicating the outside temp is?

On several occasions, while parked outside, I have noticed how even though it is below freezing, my seats and heated steering wheel weren't activated at initial start up when they should of been. On those occasions I have noted that the indicated outside temp is way off, reading much higher than it is, which would of course prevent the activation of the heated seats/steering wheel.

Now don't ask me why the temp reading is way off because I have no idea, but once I drive the car a bit, it quickly corrects itself.

You know @Lindy, I have seen that before. I think tomorrow morning I will not do my normal remote start, and instead try the normal start from inside the car, and check the temperature reading at startup. We haven't been out of the 30's for the high for well over a week now. I'd sure like to know where the outside temperature sensor is located, anybody know???

 

[Flybynightcru]

Just wild speculation, but perhaps when it starts up it uses the last temperature reading taken while it was being driven? And that may have been in afternoon and been high? Just guessing.

Ya, I don't think it's doing that, since I'm usually making some sort of "store run" most nights, my wife is notorious for always wanting some kind of evening treat that we don't have on hand at the house...LOL!!! Usually been at least down to the low to mid 20's after the sun goes down the last week or so...

 

[Flybynightcru]

Thinking outside the box: Maybe the battery is weak and the ESS disabled something with a large current draw.
Then when you drive a bit the battery gets charged better ?????
When something doesn't work correctly, blame the battery.

You know me, I'm the guy always pointing at the battery when weird stuff starts happening, so I did run by O'Reilly's and had a test done. Tested 98% healthy, CCA still right on spec, so kinda ruling that out, but not without speculation...😎

 

[Lindy]

You know @Lindy, I have seen that before. I think tomorrow morning I will not do my normal remote start, and instead try the normal start from inside the car, and check the temperature reading at startup. We haven't been out of the 30's for the high for well over a week now. I'd sure like to know where the outside temperature sensor is located, anybody know???

Are you parked outside?

For me, this would only happen while parked outside, never when parked in my unheated garage. And it only happened when I was parked at work. So what was unique about that? Well, I always parked in the same spot/direction. Also, being winter, the sun is always low in the sky through out the day, so it's rays would be hitting the Jeep at a constant low angle. So could those rays being hitting the sensor?

Anyway, it says here that the temp sensor is located behind the grill on the left hand side. Outside temperature sensor location

 

[Flybynightcru]

Are you parked outside?

For me, this would only happen while parked outside, never when parked in my unheated garage. And it only happened when I was parked at work. So what was unique about that? Well, I always parked in the same spot/direction. Also, being winter, the sun is always low in the sky through out the day, so it's rays would be hitting the Jeep at a constant low angle. So could those rays being hitting the sensor?

Anyway, it says here that the temp sensor is located behind the grill on the left hand side. Outside temperature sensor location

Ya, it's been parked outside since I've got the Merc torn apart right now, and the parts pile is taking up my parking spot. Now, my driveway is on the north side of the house, so this time of year, I get zero direct sunlight on the driveway from sun up to sunset. It really sucks for snow and ice removal. So, it's not like the sun is beaming in right on the temperature sensor, tricking the car into thinking it's warmer than it is, which I've seen before on multiple different vehicles. It's definitely puzzling.

 

[Dave Collins]

I have been using my remote start and my seats/wheel have been heating up just fine. Its been about 20-25F here in the mornings when I start it. When you remote start yours and open the door is the Defroster on full blast like it should be? If not maybe the outside temp sensor is having an issue.

 

[Flybynightcru]

I have been using my remote start and my seats/wheel have been heating up just fine. Its been about 20-25F here in the mornings when I start it. When you remote start yours and open the door is the Defroster on full blast like it should be? If not maybe the outside temp sensor is having an issue.

Yes, I keep the climate control on auto, and everything else is working normal with remote start, as they should be.

 

[Flybynightcru]

@Mark_, @Tyler-98-W68, Any thoughts? I'm still suspect of the battery, because on a short trip to the store, I noticed the ESS with the battery charging message, both to, and from. Usually the disabled message says climate control related...

 

[Tyler-98-W68]

ESS disabled because of climate control has nothing to do with the battery or the heated seats, its usually because the fan is on the max position in either heating or AC mode,

 

[Flybynightcru]

ESS disabled because of climate control has nothing to do with the battery or the heated seats, its usually because the fan is on the max position in either heating or AC mode,

Ya, I turned everything off, just to see what happened, and it just said charging. Battery tested good. I'm just trying to figure out why the damn heated seat and wheel is not coming on first startup in the morning when it's set up to do so. Just that first startup, then it's working fine for the rest of the day on all starts. Our high temps haven't been out of the 30's since it started doing that. Weird...

 

[SkipW]

Spitballing here...any chance you accidentally changed the heated function on remote start by accident? Do you remote start other times or just in the morning?

 

[Mark_]

98% healthy battery ? Now that's a healthy battery
Getting the Battery Charging message (no ESS) after a cold start is normal. If you got that same message, say, 20 minutes into a drive, that'd be weird.
Poor battery, getting blamed for everything !

I don't have mine setup for heaters on Remote Start, so I can't compare notes here...

My turn to spitball a bit... Temp sensor might be influenced by underhood heat, if no wind when parked, and could perhaps put a false reading into memory until next start. Yeah, it's a stretch...

 

[Flybynightcru]

Spitballing here...any chance you accidentally changed the heated function on remote start by accident? Do you remote start other times or just in the morning?

Ya Skip, It's set for all starts.

98% healthy battery ? Now that's a healthy battery
Getting the Battery Charging message (no ESS) after a cold start is normal. If you got that same message, say, 20 minutes into a drive, that'd be weird.
Poor battery, getting blamed for everything !

I don't have mine setup for heaters on Remote Start, so I can't compare notes here...

My turn to spitball a bit... Temp sensor might be influenced by underhood heat, if no wind when parked, and could perhaps put a false reading into memory until next start. Yeah, it's a stretch...

I know, it's weird. I'm going to play around with things, and take notes. LOL!!! I have seen the outside temperature reading be a lot higher than actual, but that's usually after being parked nose to the sun or something. I'll just monitor things for a day or two, and probably try a different battery test location.
To be continued...😎

 

[Lindy]

Did it happen again this morning? What outside temp was the Jeep reporting?

 

[Flybynightcru]

Did it happen again this morning? What outside temp was the Jeep reporting?

Yes, it did. Outside temperature was 19°F. Shut it off for a few minutes, restarted with remote, and then came on like normal. Ambient temperature showed 23° as soon as the Uconnect screen booted...Weird how it's just that first startup. I'm sure if I take it in to my dealer, who fortunatly for me, actually know what the hell they're doing, aren't going to have a clue either I'm sure. It's not worth it to me for them to have it for a week, probing and poking around in there, and effing other stuff up, while trying to figure it out, and then give me the common answer of "We can't find anything wrong"...

 

[Mark_]

Yes, it did. Outside temperature was 19°F. Shut it off for a few minutes, restarted with remote, and then came on like normal. Ambient temperature showed 23° as soon as the Uconnect screen booted...Weird how it's just that first startup. I'm sure if I take it in to my dealer, who fortunatly for me, actually know what the hell they're doing, aren't going to have a clue either I'm sure. It's not worth it to me for them to have it for a week, probing and poking around in there, and effing other stuff up, while trying to figure it out, and then give me the common answer of "We can't find anything wrong"...

Hmmm. Yeah, sounds like an rare and obscure glitch indeed. Maybe... a next UConnect update will cure this. Or a BCM update. Come to think of it, why not just ask your service person if they've ever heard of this, they can search their database perhaps.
Otherwise I would sit on it just like you're planning to do.