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2025 C3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (stock)
Now this worries me...
Last time I had the Vette out was pretty hot, around 90° ... It was running great, water temp gage was a solid 180°. Was driving around with the windows down but decided to roll them up and put on the air 🙂. When I touched the toggle switch to turn up the fan speed it was burning hot. It made me flinch like touching a hot stove it was so hot. So I immediately thought if the toggle is that hot the wires must be ready to burst into flames 😳. I have noticed on hot days my console area, shifter and plastic top, does get quite hot but not burn your finger hot. Any ideas what could cause this? Exhaust pipes touching the transmission tunnel maybe... Something going on in the electrical system...?
I would think if it's electrical, it would have burnt down by now. I would be pulling the sides off your console. checking the lower shift boot. could be perished and allowing a lot of hot air through. the foam seal at the front of the tunnel, (bell housing area). and is the factory padding still over the tunnel (under the console). pipes hitting the tunnel? Missing the exhaust bracket at the rear trans mount? incorrect exhaust pipes. but I'm finding the pipe thing far less likely than the first 3 I mentioned.
unless your fan switch carries all the amps the fans use. the switch contacts or connector on switch is a high resistance point that could heat up. if so, time to do relays for the fans.m is the toggle switch hotter than the stuff around it?
Last edited by derekderek; May 22, 2021 at 08:54 AM.
If you think it is high amperage draw through the switch causing the heat, unhook one end of the switch and put your VOM in between using the 10A setting. Now turn on the fan and record what current you are pulling through the switch. As derekderek said, if you are drawing several amps through this switch it would be time to use relays IMO.
Remove the fuse when it is hot....see if it cools down. Then do the relay as other members suggested.
Also....my A.T. shifter handle got very warm but not hot enough to get finger-burning.
Solution for me:
I will add a second layer of heavy duty HVAC wrap over the tunnel area...just for fun......while I have the carpet out of the car to pressure-wash it.
The floorboard/tunnel area went from 135*F down to 95*F on a 90*F day in traffic....same with the inner firewall and lower half of the steering column
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.