cwoods817

Does anyone know why the console in my '03 SL500 is so cold while driving in the winter? I have the vent closed inside the console storage, but very cold, drafty air comes out of the console. Even after driving for an hour, the console feels very cold and makes my leg uncomfortably cold. The dealer says "that's the way it is designed".

RajS

<grin> ... It's kept cold so you can keep your beers or small Vodka bottle in there nice and chilled.

jettie1767

You know that there are vents in your console, right?

Scotsman

Noticed that as well. I have to keep my leg away from the console as it gets pretty cold. I'm guessing there must be cold air being pushed up to the vent whether it's open or closed.

cwoods817

Yes, I mentioned that I had the vent closed, but it doesn't help.

jasab

Same here,
Get a chill in the leg region, need to ramp up the heat to 24-26

jettie1767

That's interesting. I always have to turn off the AC because it's blowing too much heat and I'm getting roasted in the car...LOL!

cwoods817

Upon further review, I have found that the air being made available for the console storage vent is fully refrigerated air or just outside air. It does not go through the mixer where some heat is added to get it to a more reasonable temperature. I suspect that the entire console is used as a plenum which causes it to be soooo cold! They tell you to close the vent in the winter which exacerbates the problem causing a lot of cold air to seep out of the console. If all of this is true, what a ridiculous design! I guess you can't expect much for $100,000 these days.....

Scotsman

Noticed when you have the temp below max it's not so cold. Guessing when it's at max there is no hot air mixing so all goes down the console.

carlosfernandez

mI really don't understand what really you mean, sorry but could you explain a little bit more.

Scotsman

When I have the temp up as high as possible my left leg gets bloody cold touching the console but when I turn it down to 24c or so it's not as bad.

So I'm guessing when it's at max, the cold air is shut off and chills the console somehow but when below max it bleeds cold air in reducing the temp affecting the console. That make sense or am I just rambling on?!!

cwoods817

After much haranging with the service department, I took a digital thermometer, one that you aim at a surface and it will show you the surface temp, like the temp of the air coming our of an air vent, and it was 32F outside temp (Mr. Fernandez wouldn't know what that feels like!!), the surface of the side of the console was 54 degrees! That's after driving for 45 minutes! The ambient air in the car was 74, the surface temp of the door panels was 72! We took another '03 SL500 out for a test drive and it was the same! Thinking that they had fixed the problem, we test drove a new '05 SL500 and it too was the same! The solution at this point is to put the recirc air button on, turn off the ac compressor, and it gets up to 65...Still cold feeling on your leg. After taking the console apart, there is no way for warm air to mixed into the air that goes into the console air ducts that cool not only the console storage, but the storage areas behind the seats. You have to remember to push the recirc air button every 10 minutes because it shuts itself off and allows more cold outside air into the console..What a stupid design.... The BMW 645 convertible looks nicer and nicer...and warmer....

carlosfernandez

It's true I don't know that kind of temp in Puerto Rico but I concurr with you about the design of the console and the recirc but turns off itself ( that's stupit too I agree).