[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]

Continued Research

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]

How about it, C owners with the Nav unit?

...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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[Meister]

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.

Hmmm. That's at least a bit, if not a lot, warmer than mine. Go figure.

 

[HaTaX]

I'll check mine, but if you're looking for a temp device that can measure it, goto your local hobby store that sells radio controled gas cars. You can get an infared temp gun for under $30 that's accurate enough and will do the trick great.

I have one so I'll check it out in my car as well and report...

 

[tekhen]

I noticed this several months ago(winter). The knobs were fine but touching the surrounding areas was very warm.

When I get back, I'll recheck since I have yet to see my car since the NAV/Climate controls were replaced.

 

[SAPGuy]

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.

This is the best way I can describe it...perfect choice of words.

I drove from my home in southwestern Virginia last night to Philadelphia...just over 7 hours and about 500 miles. I paid particular attention to the heat buildup, just so I could provide an update. After last night, I need to amend some of the earlier remarks or expand on them. Also, I am more determined than ever to get an infrared thermometer, take many readings and plot them on a photograph.

The heat buildup was far more widespread last night, but the most intense heat was still around the three buttons that are placed between the fan control and the ventilation control knob. The heat in the most intense area around the A/C on/off button and the rear window defroster button was HOT, not warm, not moderate...but HOT. (Not the kind of heat to leave a mark, but more than just a casual buildup.) The heat didn't appear until after an hour or so of driving, and the lights were off...it was still daylight. The temperature buildup reached further upward, all the way into the lower part of the audio controls. When darkness fell, I tried alternating the panel lights from dim, to dark, to bright. I would leave each setting in place for about fifteen to twenty minutes, with no marked change in the temperatures. There is something causing this much heat, and I can't believe it's LEDs or very low wattage bulbs.

I will give another update once I secure the thermometer and get some quantifiable measurements.

 

[Meister]

I'd venture a guess-timate here that those without the Nav radio are encountering more heat than those of us with same.

Rationale: A cooling fan, absent in all other configurations, is added behind the panel as part of the Nav upgrade.

 

[eswalker]

heat buildup problem

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.

I too have noticed this issue. It occurs when I am on a long trip and I'm crankin up a Def Lepard CD for an hour or so, the CD starts to sound wierd and I have to stop it for 10-15 min. to let it cool down. I haven't taken it in for this problem yet. Ideas?

 

[eswalker]

heat buildup problem

I'd venture a guess-timate here that those without the Nav radio are encountering more heat than those of us with same.

Rationale: A cooling fan, absent in all other configurations, is added behind the panel as part of the Nav upgrade.

I have this problem too, but I do have the Nav system ('05 c) The heat buildup actually distorts my cd's if I am playing them for an hour or so at higher volumes.

 

[jconnolly1119]

I've had my 2006 SRT8 for about 5 months now. I have NAV and recently had to visit the service department to have a new AC controller installed. Wrong controller was installed from the factory (built 4/6/05) and have taken the car on two very long trips since. I also live in Orlando, so it stays pretty hot all the time. I haven't noticed much heat at all to be quite honest with you.....not from the NAV or the climate control area. I listen to my stereo pretty loud and have had it near max volume for over 8 hours on the hwy, and have no problems with playback to report at all.

 

[300sitnOn22s]

This issue also happens without the NAV. I have the base CD player, and after driving for 3 hours or so, the Climate controls, and the face of the CD player get extremely hot.

 

[jmac61]

How about it, C owners with the Nav unit?


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.

Well I have the NAV, and the issue. On my last 3 hour drive I burnt my thumb trying to dissipate the heat. Sure gets hot. On top of everything else the infra red sensor above the hot area gets thrown off. Even if the car gets cold the sensor gets warm from the panel and the car blows cod air unless you put it on max and override the sensor.