# Center console gets hot



## borellsoffun (May 26, 2004)

I have an 87 QW. When i've been driving longer distances, I notice my center console and E-brake get very warm. Seems unusual to me. Maybe my car is missing exhaust heat shield or insulation?
Other Q owners notice this or is this unique to my car?


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## Wereweazle (Oct 8, 2008)

Sounds like you're getting engine heat come through the transmission linkage tunnel. There should be a rubber boot that attaches to the end of the tunnel on the engine bay side and secures to the linkage. It helps prevent road noise and other things. I know mine's ripped so I get a ton of road noise in 3rd and 5th because pushing the linkage "forward" separated the front half of the boot from the half attached to the firewall. I haven't taken my Quantum on a long drive in a very long time so I'm not sure if heat is getting in and causing an issue too. But if you're noticing heat around those areas, that's the first thing I'd think of to check out as it's the biggest opening leading to the biggest cause of heat in the car: the engine.


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## TheWolfsburg (Sep 22, 2007)

borellsoffun said:


> I have an 87 QW. When i've been driving longer distances, I notice my center console and E-brake get very warm. Seems unusual to me. Maybe my car is missing exhaust heat shield or insulation?
> Other Q owners notice this or is this unique to my car?


I am dealing with the exact same thing. I thought it might be a miss, so I gave it a tune up, and verified tthat the timing was spot on (replaced roto/dis/wires/plugs). That was not the issue. I noticed it was the cat that was under there getting super hot. On one trip, it got so hot that I THINK it heated up the underside and got to the fuel pump some how. Pump quit working, made a buzzing sound when trying to start back up. Towed to the gas station. I had a .25 tank of gas, I filled it up and she started right up, and drove me 2 hours back home without issue. wierd. So I cut out the cat and clamped in a stright pipe. worked perfect. No heating. Then to pass inspection I have a dummy, hollowed out cat installed, and now the heating is back. tried to quit on me once a month ago on a trip, but I pulled over and filled up, then it work fine again. It still gets warm, but not hot anymore like when I had a real cat on it. 


I would like to hear more peoples opinion on this:thumbup:


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## VW Nevada (Feb 28, 2008)

*Mine Too.*

My center console doesn't heat up, but the parking handle will. 

It only heats up if I'm running a vacuum on the HVAC system. (i.e. sunroof tilted and vents open). Then heat gets sucked through the parking brake handle from the tunnel. If everything is closed and I'm running the A/C (i.e. Running a positive pressure from the HVAC system) I don't get any heat at all from the tunnel at all. 

I'm guessing it's just a seal problem where the parking brake cable comes through the floor. If your console is getting hot I'd bet there is s seal problem where your shift linkage comes through the floor.


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## TheWolfsburg (Sep 22, 2007)

my ebrake handle area is what i meant.


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