[Tyga11]

Has anyone had this happen? I was doing some spirited driving now that we have nice weather and I just got home.

Maybe for about an hour. The plastic where you rest your right leg when you are driving was so hot when I was pulling into my house I couldn't even touch it. I don't have full leather so it's plastic for me.

[chicagofan00]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

Has anyone had this happen? I was doing some spirited driving now that we have nice weather and I just got home.

Maybe for about an hour. The plastic where you rest your right leg when you are driving was so hot when I was pulling into my house I couldn't even touch it. I don't have full leather so it's plastic for me.

Was the heat turned on for the rear seats?

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by chicagofan00

Was the heat turned on for the rear seats?

No but I had my phone on the charger. Could that have been it? Would the heat extend to that plastic thing where you lay your leg?

[chicagofan00]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

No but I had my phone on the charger. Could that have been it? Would the heat extend to that plastic thing where you lay your leg?

I don't think that would have been it.

Only other time I remember reading something like this was when the heat was on for the rear seats.

Strange if that wasn't the case then…

[Tyga11]

I am running into this issue again...the past few days. After I drive for maybe 15 minutes the entire center console and the padding next to where your right leg rests (in my case plastic since I don't have full leather) heats up a very high temperature. I can feel the heat radiating.

Anyone else??

[NorCalAthlete]

Definitely doesn't sound normal. Maybe some heat shielding came loose or was forgotten entirely? They might be able to tell from underneath the car.

[TJR_///M3]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

I am running into this issue again...the past few days. After I drive for maybe 15 minutes the entire center console and the padding next to where your right leg rests (in my case plastic since I don't have full leather) heats up a very high temperature. I can feel the heat radiating.

Anyone else??

Is there the same heat build up on the passenger side?

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by TJR_///M3

Is there the same heat build up on the passenger side?

No not on the passenger side. I had my fiancé in the car and she said it wasn’t hot. I have a call into my service advisor to get scheduled….so bizarre

[TJR_///M3]

See this thread for good underbody pics:
https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...php?p=28418036
It could be the left side catalyst overheating but that would almost certainly throw a check engine warning light (which I assume you don't have).

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by TJR_///M3

See this thread for good underbody pics:
https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...php?p=28418036
It could be the left side catalyst overheating but that would almost certainly throw a check engine warning light (which I assume you don't have).

Thanks. No check engine or warning lights. I have an appt at 8am. I guess I’ll see what they say

[Tyga11]

Well I went for another drive to see if I was crazy and the plastic is so hot I can’t even rest my leg against it. There is so much heat emitting I had to blast the AC and it’s like 60 degrees here. Taking her in in the morning

[TJR_///M3]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

Thanks. No check engine or warning lights. I have an appt at 8am. I guess I’ll see what they say

Hope it works out OK.
Let us know what they say.

[Limegrntaln]

Crazy. I’ll be on the lookout.

[freshxdough]

Are your rear vents CLOSED and set to MAX HEAT?

And it can’t possibly be the “left catalyst”. Both of them are on the right side of the engine next to the exhaust. Only the exhaust pipe comes over to the left side for the equal length.

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by freshxdough

Are your rear vents CLOSED and set to MAX HEAT?

And it can’t possibly be the “left catalyst”. Both of them are on the right side of the engine next to the exhaust. Only the exhaust pipe comes over to the left side for the equal length.

The issue was the rear vents set at 'high' which caused the center console to heat up. I guess heat builds up there. The vents weren't closed though.

My SA said he has seen this with other BMW's...I felt like of stupid because I didn't think they were on but they were.

[freshxdough]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

The issue was the rear vents set at 'high' which caused the center console to heat up. I guess heat builds up there. The vents weren't closed though.

My SA said he has seen this with other BMW's...I felt like of stupid because I didn't think they were on but they were.

You can also help this by going into your climate settings and setting rear temperature to default every start up. Should set it at 72 every time and prevent max heat unless someone changes it.

[kjx]

This may not help you as much without you owning an infrared cam at your end but this is what the interior of my car looks like under infrared imaging about 10 mins after a drive (temp was set to Celicius):

[TJR_///M3]

Originally Posted by freshxdough

Are your rear vents CLOSED and set to MAX HEAT?

And it can’t possibly be the “left catalyst”. Both of them are on the right side of the engine next to the exhaust. Only the exhaust pipe comes over to the left side for the equal length.

Happy to be corrected and sorry for any confusion caused.
So these must be mufflers on each side of the transmission?
Could the left one be the heat source?

[NorCalAthlete]

Seems weird that climate controls would allow the console to get hot enough to burn you. Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen and a design flaw / overlooked item that someone should have caught in R&D.

[freshxdough]

Originally Posted by TJR_///M3

Happy to be corrected and sorry for any confusion caused.
So these must be mufflers on each side of the transmission?
Could the left one be the heat source?

OP already replied with what the issue was. Scroll up.


Upon further research on ETK. These are secondary catalytic converters. But no, this would no be the cause of OP center console to get hot to the touch. If this cat was really causing that much heat, I’d assume there’d be other issues like things melting, burning, potential fire hazard if it’s getting that hot to get the center console to be lava.

[freshxdough]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Seems weird that climate controls would allow the console to get hot enough to burn you. Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen and a design flaw / overlooked item that someone should have caught in R&D.

Happens on X vehicles as well. Its a situation that gets created unintentionally. If you set the rear vents to max heat and then close them, the air has nowhere to go. So the ducts become slightly pressurized and leak out heat under the center console creating large amounts of heat. It would so the same thing with cold air as well. In my opinion this is user error, not a flawed or hazardous design.

[NorCalAthlete]

Originally Posted by freshxdough

Happens on X vehicles as well. Its a situation that gets created unintentionally. If you set the rear vents to max heat and then close them, the air has nowhere to go. So the ducts become slightly pressurized and leak out heat under the center console creating large amounts of heat. It would so the same thing with cold air as well. In my opinion this is user error, not a flawed or hazardous design.

Accounting for user error is a big part of any design.

A QA engineer walks into a bar. He orders a beer. Orders 0 beers. Orders 99999999999 beers. Orders a lizard. Orders -1 beers. Orders a ueicbksjdhd.

First real customer walks in and asks where the bathroom is. The bar bursts into flames, killing everyone.

Think of it like "what should the transmission do if you try to shift into reverse while going 60 mph down the freeway?"

User error on climate controls should never result in injury.