Both C5 & C6
Interior heat
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,617
Likes: 167
Tech Contributor
Cruise-In 11 Veteran
NCM Ambassador
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'10
It is a by product of the front engine, rear transmission and long torque tube and the exhaust that runs along that area.. The radio surround area and console area can get warm. I've never noticed it to be a problem but other owners have. I don't know how much is variation between cars vs. how much is variation in the sensitivity of the owners.
I've driven my car on multi-thousand mile road trips and one 1,200 mile stint was in greater than 100 degree temperatures and while under the console lid got warm, I never really felt it in the cabin.
You can add insulation in the cabin under the carpet and you can consider a thicker coated tunnel plate (this is a stiffening plate bolted over the area where the torque tube is. The thought is that a thicker ceramic coated plate will better dissipate the heat as well as better shield the exhaust temperatures from the occupant.
I've driven my car on multi-thousand mile road trips and one 1,200 mile stint was in greater than 100 degree temperatures and while under the console lid got warm, I never really felt it in the cabin.
You can add insulation in the cabin under the carpet and you can consider a thicker coated tunnel plate (this is a stiffening plate bolted over the area where the torque tube is. The thought is that a thicker ceramic coated plate will better dissipate the heat as well as better shield the exhaust temperatures from the occupant.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Common, and to me, it does get a bit over-warm. There are two forum vendors who sell complete insulation kits. Both, obviously, require you to take the seats out, and a lot of other stuff. Then, you put down their stuff, and it supposedly gets cooler inside. I'm almost there to try it out......almost.....
But then again, it helps in the winter. And in the summer, well, the tops already down, it's hot out, and I can't tell that it's hot FROM the tunnel, engine, trans or sun!
No kidding.
But then again, it helps in the winter. And in the summer, well, the tops already down, it's hot out, and I can't tell that it's hot FROM the tunnel, engine, trans or sun!
No kidding.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 753
Likes: 47
From: Clearfield Utah
Common, and to me, it does get a bit over-warm. There are two forum vendors who sell complete insulation kits. Both, obviously, require you to take the seats out, and a lot of other stuff. Then, you put down their stuff, and it supposedly gets cooler inside. I'm almost there to try it out......almost.....
But then again, it helps in the winter. And in the summer, well, the tops already down, it's hot out, and I can't tell that it's hot FROM the tunnel, engine, trans or sun! No kidding.
But then again, it helps in the winter. And in the summer, well, the tops already down, it's hot out, and I can't tell that it's hot FROM the tunnel, engine, trans or sun!
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Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 10,089
Likes: 14
The transmission is in the rear, not under the console.
The source of the heat is the two exhaust pipes that run directly under that area. I installed Elite Engineering's tunnel plate on my 2005 to stop the radiated heat from the exhaust pipes reaching the tunnel. That dropped console temperature about 20 degrees. Then later while doing soundproofing for better stereo sound, I added insulation under the carpeting too. That helped some more. Now the console area is merely warm instead of being hot enough to be uncomfortable to the driver's right leg.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,108
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Exoticvette's insulation kit cured my heat problem and reduced the road noise. The divider helped even more. Not as quiet as my STS, but a whole lot better than original.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 19,574
Likes: 167
From: Frederick, MD
I have installed a thermal abs tunnel plate from elite engineering and the insulation kit from crazy cowboy - big difference in the heat reduction in the console area and the cup holder does not melt my ice cubes anymore. The reason I did this in the first place was to reduce the heat in the trunk. I went on the trip to Palm Springs Ca in August (118) at six pm, long story short - we had 5 cans of soda explode in the trunk from the heat generated by the mufflers, transaxel and a black car on a black road. The cans were on the carpet under the trunk partition. I never thought that the trunk would get that hot. It is insulated now and no problems.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,081
Likes: 29
From: Murfreesboro TN
Common, and to me, it does get a bit over-warm. There are two forum vendors who sell complete insulation kits. Both, obviously, require you to take the seats out, and a lot of other stuff. Then, you put down their stuff, and it supposedly gets cooler inside. I'm almost there to try it out......almost.....
But then again, it helps in the winter. And in the summer, well, the tops already down, it's hot out, and I can't tell that it's hot FROM the tunnel, engine, trans or sun! No kidding.
But then again, it helps in the winter. And in the summer, well, the tops already down, it's hot out, and I can't tell that it's hot FROM the tunnel, engine, trans or sun!
No kidding.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,304
Likes: 4
From: foothills of Northern California
Do the math dude. What? a giant engine in a little car, plz. I can totally deal with the amount of heat that creeps into the cabin. Put the top down or turn on the AC buddy. 
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 30,699
Likes: 11
From: Ocala FL
I though the install was pretty easy, but then again I pretty much just watched Dan (Crazy Cowboy) do the job. It helps to be close by to the vendor.
In all seriousness, I would do it myself if I had to do it again. However, it is not for the faint of heart. Seeing the interior of your car spread out all over the garage floor can be some what traumatic the first time you experience it. Summoning the courage to yank stuff apart can also be a little disconcerting.
It helps to be close by to the vendor.In all seriousness, I would do it myself if I had to do it again. However, it is not for the faint of heart. Seeing the interior of your car spread out all over the garage floor can be some what traumatic the first time you experience it. Summoning the courage to yank stuff apart can also be a little disconcerting.
