HVAC unit gets HOT!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,102
Likes: 470
From: Newark Delaware
HVAC unit gets HOT!
I have a '99 convertible that I acquired in May. I put a refurbished HVAC control unit in over the summer and it seemed to work fine for A/C and for heat so far but heat has only been used for short trips around town. Last night, we returned from a trip about two hours away and it is winter so had the heater on. I noticed that the face of the climate control unit was very hot to the touch. I mean so hot that you couldn't leave your finger on it for more than a few seconds.
Is this normal? I would not think so. If it is not normal, what might be causing it to heat up? It is a simple plug-in install, although I did just put in a new stereo so had removed it for that install. The stereo was not similarly hot, nor anything else, except for the parts of the bezel that were immediately adjacent to the climate control unit. Curiouser and curiouser . . . Any thoughts?
Is this normal? I would not think so. If it is not normal, what might be causing it to heat up? It is a simple plug-in install, although I did just put in a new stereo so had removed it for that install. The stereo was not similarly hot, nor anything else, except for the parts of the bezel that were immediately adjacent to the climate control unit. Curiouser and curiouser . . . Any thoughts?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,345
Likes: 1,123
From: Dyer, IN
I have a '99 convertible that I acquired in May. I put a refurbished HVAC control unit in over the summer and it seemed to work fine for A/C and for heat so far but heat has only been used for short trips around town. Last night, we returned from a trip about two hours away and it is winter so had the heater on. I noticed that the face of the climate control unit was very hot to the touch. I mean so hot that you couldn't leave your finger on it for more than a few seconds.
Is this normal? I would not think so. If it is not normal, what might be causing it to heat up? It is a simple plug-in install, although I did just put in a new stereo so had removed it for that install. The stereo was not similarly hot, nor anything else, except for the parts of the bezel that were immediately adjacent to the climate control unit. Curiouser and curiouser . . . Any thoughts?
Is this normal? I would not think so. If it is not normal, what might be causing it to heat up? It is a simple plug-in install, although I did just put in a new stereo so had removed it for that install. The stereo was not similarly hot, nor anything else, except for the parts of the bezel that were immediately adjacent to the climate control unit. Curiouser and curiouser . . . Any thoughts?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,388
Likes: 405
From: Horseshoe Bend ID
OK,
I'll take a stab. You have a 99 so it's the old school unit (not the digital display) which has been refurbished. You were driving at night so the lights were on...maybe they put in the wrong (way too many watts) bulbs. Try it on A/C and Heat with the lights OFF and see what happens.
Cheers,
Gunner
I'll take a stab. You have a 99 so it's the old school unit (not the digital display) which has been refurbished. You were driving at night so the lights were on...maybe they put in the wrong (way too many watts) bulbs. Try it on A/C and Heat with the lights OFF and see what happens.
Cheers,
Gunner
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,786
Likes: 7
From: Iowa
its the incandescent bulbs that provide the illumination. mine was the same way. the window controls and everything else were warm to the touch, the climate control was as you said, it would be uncomfortably hot to hold a button down for any length of time.
2 of my bulbs burned out leaving the CC really bad looking. I wanted an upgrade anyway. I replaced all the lights with LEDs and the heat issue is gone, LEDs produce virtually no heat, no source of significant heat in the HVAC except for the bulbs.
2 of my bulbs burned out leaving the CC really bad looking. I wanted an upgrade anyway. I replaced all the lights with LEDs and the heat issue is gone, LEDs produce virtually no heat, no source of significant heat in the HVAC except for the bulbs.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
its the incandescent bulbs that provide the illumination. mine was the same way. the window controls and everything else were warm to the touch, the climate control was as you said, it would be uncomfortably hot to hold a button down for any length of time.
2 of my bulbs burned out leaving the CC really bad looking. I wanted an upgrade anyway. I replaced all the lights with LEDs and the heat issue is gone, LEDs produce virtually no heat, no source of significant heat in the HVAC except for the bulbs.
2 of my bulbs burned out leaving the CC really bad looking. I wanted an upgrade anyway. I replaced all the lights with LEDs and the heat issue is gone, LEDs produce virtually no heat, no source of significant heat in the HVAC except for the bulbs.
100% Especially considering the bezel and the Radio were not also hot, those bulbs get amazingly hot! To be safe you could check that little duct that is in the tunnel on the passenger side to makes sure it's intact I guess...
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,102
Likes: 470
From: Newark Delaware
Yes, the guy I got the refurbished unit from says that they do get hot from the bulbs. I took it out today during daytime so illumination was not on and no heating up, so I guess that it is the bulbs.
Tstar:
I see you do the HVAC conversion to LEDs and fix the dim display problem. The display is fine on this one but I would be interested in converting to LEDs - what is the cost for just an LED conversion?
K9Leader
Tstar:
I see you do the HVAC conversion to LEDs and fix the dim display problem. The display is fine on this one but I would be interested in converting to LEDs - what is the cost for just an LED conversion?
K9Leader
I always reflow the SMT resistors for the Dim Display anyway just in case.