Center Console very hot
 

Hi Guys,

Would anybody know what could be the cause of the center console (the area in the middle of the car where the gear shifter, cup holder) heating up after driving the car for a bit be?

I just came back from vacation after a month of not touching the car at all, and prior to this it's never had this issue before. It's gotten hot enough that when I picked up my house keys which were left in the cup holder after an hour of driving, the keys felt like they have been left under the sun.

I did a search online and couldn't really find any similar problems with my vehicle. Any help would be appreciated!

Oh and for those of you who might suggest it's somehow related to the engine, I've checked and the engine temperature's been consistently below the half way marker, so closer to the C than it is to H.

Thanks for reading.

Car: 06 nissan 350z

It could be the proximity of the catalytic converter to the center console which could be causing such problems - some small roadsters (can't remember if it was the mx-5 or s2000 off the top of my head) share that issue to some extent [source: Phil Edmondston's Lemon Aid Guide to Cars]

Oh, if that's the case then I really shouldn't worry about it then. weird thing is that it's never done this before, and only have started to recently. Which is the reason why I'm worried and don't think it's normal.

Ya the MX5 had this issue.

My car does this too. I think it's just a combination of the exhaust and the transmission. While I don't want to say it's "normal," it's nothing to be concerned about. The only real side effect it has is that because it's right where my cup holders are, it warms up my drinks faster than usual. :(

the cats are not under the center console of your car. the exhaust is tho and the heat is most likely exhaust heat