Heat Buildup around Climate Controls on Console

[SAPGuy]

I'd like to post this issue and see if any others are noticing it. My 2005 300C has the six-disc CD/MP3 changer and no NAV system. I have just over 33K miles on the odo. This is a problem that I have noticed since first buying the car in May, with 12K miles on the odo.

When I run the climate control for extended periods of time, (usually more than 1 hour of continuous driving), the console front panel gets very warm, almost hot. The temperature of the front panel is quite warm to the touch, and I've never experienced this kind of heat buildup in any other vehicle I have owned. The maximum heat buildup appears where the row of three buttons is located between the fan control and temperature control knobs. The three buttons are the A/C button, the rear window defrost, and the recirc. The heat buildup continues around the temperature settings and around the lower areas, but the intensity of the heat is not as strong the more you move below the temperature setting knobs.

I don't have a surface thermometer to measure the actual heat reading, but it's clearly not a normal heat buildup. If any other 300/C/SRT owners are experiencing this same heat concentration, I sure would appreciate any information you can provide.

I reported the problem to my local Chrysler dealer yesterday, and was advised to periodically turn off the recirculation, and see if that makes a difference. I am going to try that tomorrow during my weekly excursion from southwestern Virginia to Philadelphia.

[jeffp]

Its a characteristic of this car. There's been a few threads on it. Its because of the way the panel is designed and illuminated. I keep the dash dimmer on low because there have been reports of warping of the control area from the heat. Someday (like when the bulbs go out) I'll get to replace them with LEDs. Why they went with LEDs for some lamps and bulbs for others, We'll never know (I would have paid $10 more for the car with LEDs all around - so keeping the price down wasn't the big factor.)

[Tsottile]

I have the same heat with my Audi. Tinman

[SAPGuy]

Originally Posted by jeffp

Its a characteristic of this car. There's been a few threads on it. Its because of the way the panel is designed and illuminated. I keep the dash dimmer on low because there have been reports of warping of the control area from the heat. Someday (like when the bulbs go out) I'll get to replace them with LEDs. Why they went with LEDs for some lamps and bulbs for others, We'll never know (I would have paid $10 more for the car with LEDs all around - so keeping the price down wasn't the big factor.)

Jeffp...first, thanks for the reply. I am the first to admit I'm not a technical wizard on automobiles, but just a couple more things that make me discount that this is just a bulb issue.

1. There are almost no bulbs in that part of the console, certainly not enough to generate the kind of heat that is so widespread. The heat is evident over several square inches and the temperature is quite warm.

2. I oftentimes keep my dash dimmer on low, and it does not impact the heat buildup, or intensity. If the bulbs were the culprit, there should be some reduction in the heat if the dash and controls are dimmed.

I appreciate you may be spot-on with the source of the heat, but I am surprised it doesn't happen on other areas of the console where more bulbs are present. This is strictly occurring around the climate controls, and with the other issues affecting the A/C system in the 300C, I cannot believe there's not some cause/effect related to that.

HOWEVER, I will experiment more with your ideas and see what happens. I'm going to try and secure a thermometer that will allow me to take actual temperature readings, and I will keep this thread updated.

[marlinspike]

Is it around the climate control or around the stereo?

[Meister]

Originally Posted by SAPGuy

...I'm going to try and secure a thermometer that will allow me to take actual temperature readings, and I will keep this thread updated.

Good post SAPGuy, and interesting idea re. the thermometer.

Not to hijack your thread, but are any of you members with the Nav radio in the 300C experiencing this heat issue? I, for one, am not, and I live in the Phoenix, AZ area. In all honesty I debated even getting the Nav unit because of reading posts about dash heat for nearly a yearly before purchasing my C, concerned that the additional electronics would exacerbate the problem. I check, by feel, the dash area frequently and have always been pleasantly surprised by how cool, or only slightly warm, the area remains.

I'm wondering if part of the Nav radio installation procedure involves ducting, or bleeding, some A/C air into the area behind the dash to cool it?

Any Chrysler techs out there that can verify this, or offer a suggestion as to why at least my Nav-equipped C keeps its cool when Cs with less behind-dash electronics experience the hot dash issue?

And back to your specific issue SAPGuy, it may be possible for you to create a small "leak" of conditioned air into that area to cool it. Someone with a service manual may be able to scope out the liklihood of that for you, or look around yourself if you'll have the dash open to install your thermometer.

[SAPGuy]

Originally Posted by marlinspike

Is it around the climate control or around the stereo?

The heat buildup is focused strictly around the climate controls. I have checked around the radio/CD/MP3 area for heat, and the console surface temps are perfectly normal (no real differentiation from the temperature inside the car).

[HEMEEE]

Originally Posted by SAPGuy

The heat buildup is focused strictly around the climate controls. I have checked around the radio/CD/MP3 area for heat, and the console surface temps are perfectly normal (no real differentiation from the temperature inside the car).

Agreed... I have the Nav/SGII system in mine as well and that area is cool even on long trips... the heat build-up is lower and only on the surround of the climate controls, even on short trips. Since many report this I have tended to ignore it.

[Meister]

Originally Posted by HEMEEE

Agreed... I have the Nav/SGII system in mine as well and that area is cool even on long trips... the heat build-up is lower and only on the surround of the climate controls, even on short trips. Since many report this I have tended to ignore it.

Thanks for the come back, HEMEEE. Does that area ever get actually hot on your Hemi, with the rest of the dash area cool? On mine it never has, though that is the warmest area on my dash as well.

[HEMEEE]

Originally Posted by Meister

Thanks for the come back, HEMEEE. Does that area ever get actually hot on your Hemi, with the rest of the dash area cool? On mine it never has, though that is the warmest area on my dash as well.

Using 'unbearable to touch' as the gauge for "hot", no... but I would describe it as extremely warm and noticeably different than any other area on the stack.