Hi,

today driving home, 1,5 hour drive Sunny weather 20c, i noticed my shifter had turned into a heating ellement. feeling around the center console i found my ashtrays to hot to touch. I could be wrong, the gearbox makes a different sound bit like humming low fequency resonating.

Daimler xj series 3 v12 1989

W.

 

On my car the lower air vents and rear vents are stuck on high heat no matter what. There is also hot air blowing out from the pasngr side of the center console, and it heats up the shifter knob and ashtrays if I leave it on for any period of time. Might be a simpler fix if that's it.

 

Is this heat thing a new development?

To *some* extent, in my Series III experience, hot ashtrays and gearshift is normal after a long drive. It's just the way the heat radiates upward from the transmission and drivetrain. The gearshift assembly is bolted directly to the transmission tunnel. But it's hard to say or describe what might be a normal, expected amount of heat.

Stretching out on a limb just a bit, if the gearshift really feels excessively hot, I wonder if you have a ground problem. If the main ground cables are dirty the electrons will take an easier patch to ground....often the transmission shift cable or the throttle cable. A little unusual but not unheard of.

Not sure what to make of the humming resonance. Any change in actual transmission behavior? A failing transmission might prodce more heat....which means more heat radiating upward.

Cheers
DD

 

This happened to me. A poor engine ground caused my shifter cable to swell and seize up to the point I had to replace it.

In your case I'd check your ground straps and I'd remove the side panels and see if the tubing that supplies the rear vent became dislocated too.

 

I'd add one more. The oil soaked pad over the transmission
is gone or has become more of an air dam than intended.


Although, when I did my transplant, I tossed it, and did not
put anything in it's place. No ill effects as I can feel or hear.
The latter, ? anyway. Two of my ear aids bit the dust. Ancient
one returned to service. it seems the "best of the lot".


But, I sure would check the transmission cooler lines. Blown BW would be really bad news!!!


Carl

 

Thanks for the info and pointers to what might cause the problem.

on the subject of relative heat, ashtrays and shifter are close to " to hot to touch"
i will look in to into it next week as i will replace the heater core, at that time most of the bits will have to come out anyway.

i'll keep you posted.

W.

 

I agree with Doug that the problem is likely to be a poor ground connection. The Series 3 V12 does not produce the heat effect you describe (I have owned more than a few of them).