Console overheating

[JODONNELL]

Anyone else have the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L?

My center console keeps over heating intermittently. It gets scalding hot 🔥🔥🔥. It overheated my phone, melted a pack of gum, makes my stainless steel coffee mugs/water bottles super hot to the touch. It almost feels like it’s going to catch on fire.

Dealership says they can’t find anything wrong 👀

Something is definitely wrong.

Wondering if this is happening to anyone else…

 

[FlyingAvocado]

There are some other threads which cover this as well. JeepCares has indicated that the key fob placement could be a factor: https://wljeepforum.com/index.php?threads/wireless-charger-not-working.681/#post-6075 - Some of the other explanation attempts in that thread, while well intended, aren't super great.

In the case of your stainless steel mugs and water bottles, I am wondering they are effectively turning the inductive charger into an induction cooktop on the metals and somehow the charger is turning on when it shouldn't. I suppose the question would be, if nothing is within 6" of the wireless charger, does it still do this -- if so, then something has to be wrong with the charging pad.

 

[FlyingAvocado]

Oh, on a similar note - some gum packs are lined with a foil, which could be behaving just the same as the mugs/bottles.

 

[21Limited]

Yes I had the same problem but it only heated up on the driver side with the heat on. Phone overheated as well. Did it 3 different times within a couple weeks. When I took it in, they couldn’t recreate it. It has now been in shop a couple weeks so don’t have any updates.

 

[SC300ES]

Wireless charging while using CarPlay usually overheats the phones. I don't think this is the OP's issue, is it?

 

[Sarge]

I have this problem, and also find the fan output to the second row center vents seems very low even when fully cranked. I suspect the ducting that goes from the heater blower (located in the lower front dash area) is not connected, and the hot air is heating the entire center tunnel between the passenger and driver seats. I seem to recall reading somewhere that this was someone else's problem as well.

My dealer refuses to take apart the console to check it unless I can find some kind of TSB for this issue. (it's a new model, so, uh, yeah.)

Have any of you noticed your second row center vents seem to have low volume air output, in addition to these heat problems?

I'm not sure how to compare our experiences without some tinsel and a video showing how low the output is, but when your hand is a foot away from the vent, you can barely feel it. The console only seems to get hot when the rear heat is cranked up, too. How much more 'evidence' they could need I don't know... Sheesh.

 

[SC300ES]

Sarge, doesn't the heat usually blow out from the floor instead of the center vents? Isn't this the case with GCL too?

 

[Sarge]

i cranked the rear heat and fan this morning in my 25 minute drive to the ski hill, and noticed the areas around the upper part of the console above the vents were also very hot, and air was coming out of various creases in the panels where it shouldn’t even be warm, so there has to be a disconnected duct in there.

The front cup holders and center front parts of the tunnel were also very warm. It should not be like that at all.

 

[Will]

Anyone else have the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L?

My center console keeps over heating intermittently. It gets scalding hot 🔥🔥🔥. It overheated my phone, melted a pack of gum, makes my stainless steel coffee mugs/water bottles super hot to the touch. It almost feels like it’s going to catch on fire.

Dealership says they can’t find anything wrong 👀

Something is definitely wrong.

Wondering if this is happening to anyone else…

Did you use wireless charger?

 

[Sarge]

I showed the dealer service manager, and he agreed something isn't right. They're going to look into it whenever Jeep will allow them to replace my totally defective Uconnect system (so they only have to year apart the center tunnel once).

 

[Kablemodem]

I don't put anything besides my phone in the wireless charging cubby. Anything I put in the cup holders is freezing cold.

 

[JeepCares]

Anyone else have the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L?

My center console keeps over heating intermittently. It gets scalding hot 🔥🔥🔥. It overheated my phone, melted a pack of gum, makes my stainless steel coffee mugs/water bottles super hot to the touch. It almost feels like it’s going to catch on fire.

Dealership says they can’t find anything wrong 👀

Something is definitely wrong.

Wondering if this is happening to anyone else…

Yes I had the same problem but it only heated up on the driver side with the heat on. Phone overheated as well. Did it 3 different times within a couple weeks. When I took it in, they couldn’t recreate it. It has now been in shop a couple weeks so don’t have any updates.

Hi all.

We would like to offer our assistance here to anyone planning to visit the dealer for the aforementioned concerns. Our team is in private message to get started. Thanks!

Kate
Jeep Cares

 

[Sarge]

In my case, I've also noticed very low output to the front seat floor vents (cold feet when it's -15F here in WY), in addition to the console heat/rear seat heat problems

My dealer is going to inspect all the ducting in the center tunnel when they get parts to hopefully repair my disaster of a Uconnect system. (neither I nor they want to tear that whole console apart more times than necessary.)

 

[Jrseidel]

In my case, I've also noticed very low output to the front seat floor vents (cold feet when it's -15F here in WY), in addition to the console heat/rear seat heat problems

My dealer is going to inspect all the ducting in the center tunnel when they get parts to hopefully repair my disaster of a Uconnect system. (neither I nor they want to tear that whole console apart more times than necessary.)

Now that it's colder outside, I've noticed very low output in the floor vents as well. That's where you want the heat blowing and my feet are cold too. I tried turning off the rear climate... not sure if it helps or not.

 

[Sarge]

In mine, I suspect there's a problem with the ducting that is affecting both the second row console vents (filling the console with heat) and the front floor vents concurrently.

They aren't going to tear into my console until they identify and start trying to replace the broken electrical modules in my defective Uconnect system, but hopefully I'll have some insight into this heat problem in a week or two.

 

[Will]

Mine is GCL limited 4x4, my digital cluster is very hot after a while. I guess it is because the fully digital cluster generates a lot of heat. But I am worried it will break in the summer by overheating.

 

[Sarge]

I've also noticed that my defroster SUCKS unless I set it to 'max defrost' with the dash button, at which point the temp goes straight to 'LAVA' and it also turns off the second row HVAC altogether (numbers in the rear seat control display all turn off completely and no air comes out).

Normally I'd like to set it with the dash/defrost position on a upper medium/higher setting for defrosting (winter demand in Wyoming with snow in the floor mats adding moisture), the vents on medium/low, and the footwells on medium/high.

When I try to do that, I feel cool air mixed throughout the cabin, the footwells have little to no air coming out, and the windshield and side windows just fog up, even if I have the fan on 'high'. It's by far the worst car I've ever had for controlling window fogging.

The only solution then is to push the 'max defrost' button, at which point it's like a blast furnace coming out the dash, which you have to turn off because you start sweating. There's no 'in between'. If anyone else is seeing this, let me know.

 

[dseffren]

There are some other threads which cover this as well. JeepCares has indicated that the key fob placement could be a factor: https://wljeepforum.com/index.php?threads/wireless-charger-not-working.681/#post-6075 - Some of the other explanation attempts in that thread, while well intended, aren't super great.

In the case of your stainless steel mugs and water bottles, I am wondering they are effectively turning the inductive charger into an induction cooktop on the metals and somehow the charger is turning on when it shouldn't. I suppose the question would be, if nothing is within 6" of the wireless charger, does it still do this -- if so, then something has to be wrong with the charging pad.

BMW had similar issues in the X5 and stopped offering the heated and cooked cup holders. It has to do with the metal mugs etc.

 

[Sarge]

BMW had similar issues in the X5 and stopped offering the heated and cooked cup holders. It has to do with the metal mugs etc.

The cupholders are nowhere near enough to the wireless charger to cause this, and I don't believe the wireless charger is even set to emit charge electricity unless it senses something on it to charge (which is also how the little red/blue light knows to switch color to indicate it is sensing the phone and sending charge to it).

The problem in mine is directly correlated at least partly by setting the heat on the second row to temp/fan on high. It's also possible that other HVAC settings in various cars are causing the blower to send hot air into that cavity.

 

[Bbiggers340]

Hi all.

We would like to offer our assistance here to anyone planning to visit the dealer for the aforementioned concerns. Our team is in private message to get started. Thanks!

Kate
Jeep Cares

I was told by the dealer that because of the way the heating channels run under the center console that’s what heats everything up. It’s just the way it’s designed and nothing can be done about it.