I noticed last week that the sides of the console were ice cold and even felt damp. Now I had been driving in a lot of traffic with the A/C on.... but still, is this Normal??? Anybody else notice/have this occur?

 

Yes I believe it is normal, or at least mine does it to.

 

talking about the aluminum trimming? yes.

 

Yes, the aluminum which in turn is then just about touching the sides of the seats which are also damp.

"Normal"??? This does not seem right. Not where I actually feel dampness. I've noticed this after a short - 40 min. trip. What happens when you're driving for hours??? A puddle
??

 

I've noticed the aluminum is cold and the cupholders and deep center console are practically refrigerated, but I've never noticed any dampness at all.

 

Is it very humid where you are? If so, then that doesn't surprise me. Sounds like the cold air cooling the back seats is creating condensation on the aluminum trim. Just like ice water does on a glass. Maybe closing the rear vents will prevent the console from getting so cold and alos help cool the front faster. That is, if you don't have anyone riding in the back.

 

Yup I noticed it also. I also believe it is due to the ducts sending cold air to the back seats. I tried closing off the rear vent to see if it changes, and did not notice a difference. The dampness is the humid air condesing on the trim. I notice the water in the holder stays nice and cool.

Question, is will it keep the coffee warm in the winter??

 

I sure hope so

 

i might be crazy but i think i recall someone posting about the "cooled" center console. something about the ducts nearby or something
-j

 

I can testify that after 2 trips from VA to NY and 1 from NJ to VA, no puddles here! I also have the same color combo as you. Cold aluminum trim and drinks, but no puddles.

 

Do ya think it should be added to list of options - "drink cooler" on console?

 

No, then they would have wanted to charge us more!!

 

yes.

 

Remember that the rear seat A/C vents are on the back of the center console so there's ductwork running just underneath most likely. I like to think of the "refrigerated" center console as another hidden feature.

Is there actually dampness in your car when this happens? Hopefully it just feels damp because it's cool relative to the rest of the surfaces around. Actually dampness/condensation would be something worth a trip to the dealer.

 

I agree. The longest trip in my car was from NY to Atlanta w/ the AC on the whole time. The aluminum trim did get cold to the touch, and my drinks stayed cold, but I did not notice any dampness on either of the front seats though.

If it is noticeable, then I would definitely get it checked out. Hopefully, it is not a problem.

edit:
Just found this thread.
http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88178
Two scenarios:
-Either there are ppl w/ defective AC's.
-This is normal to all TL's and I have not cranked it up to "Polar" mode yet.

 

If you think about it, since this seems to be "powered" by the rear vents, I'd think that we'd also have a "drink heater" for those hot drinks on that cold winter morning!

 

my drinks don't stay refrigerated. i'm taking it to the dealer.

 

I agree with this - the HVAC sends air to the rear center outlet, so it will make adjoining surfaces cold, and warm in winter. If the air let into the car is sufficently humid, condensation on the colder aluminum is certainly possible, although it has not happened here. But I always drive a mile before cutting on the air, with the windows open forst.

 

can't overcome the laws of physics.

 

If you are getting dampness, it may be because your auto system is using recirculated air rather than outside air. Change it to outside air and see if that helps.

 

Absolutely correct. Many people seem unaware that they are in "recirc" mode and they get moisture everywhere in their car, windows and console. I see them on the freeways wiping their windows with towels! Come on folks...we've had fresh air heaters since the early 1950s.

 

 

???

 

If it bothers you, you can turn off the rear vents and problem solved.

 

yes every tl does it is normal.

 

I was recently returning from a trip and noticed the condensation. The A/C was on (not recirc.), but the sunroof was open. Closing the rear vent did not change the problem. Has anyone had the problem when all of the windows are closed?

 

I have this too, and it is pretty annoying. Has anyone tried to insulate their console (except of course near the drink holders).

 

I think any condensation should take place on the heat exchanger. When the warm, moist air passes through the cooled metal fins, moisture should condense there. Thats why there is often a puddle of water under a car when the A/C is on. When the air returns to the cabin, it should be cooler and dryer.

If it's humid and you are running A/C and have a window open, you could see condensation on any cold metal. But why would you do that?

 

This is actually the complete opposite of what the laws of physics would tell you. The evaporator coils which sit inside the HVAC unit inside the car get cold when the air conditioning is turned on. Depending on the relative humidity outside, water will condense on these coils and turn to ice. This is why the A/C compressor must cycle on and off... It's a kind of a defrost cycle. If enough ice forms, it will completely block the air flow. This used to happen on my Integra. With the climate control set to "fresh air" the evaporator coils have an essentially unlimited supply of moist air. However, when you set the controls to recirculate, by constantly running the same air over the coils, you remove more and more of the water in the air, making the air dryer and dryer. Dry air doesn't fog windows.

This is why when you turn on your defroster in the winter, the A/C and the recirculate option kicks on. The A/C cools the air, condenses moisture, and expels dry air, it's then run through a heater core to make it comfy for us.

The key to windows that don't fog is DRY air and the quickest way to get there is with the A/C on and the recirculate button pressed.

That said, back on topic. The plenum for the rear vents IS the center console. The aluminum trim is a very good conductor, so it will cool to approach the temperature of the air passing just below it. Just as the cold evaporator coils in the air conditioning condense water and cause that puddle under your car in the parking lot on a hot summer day, water will condense on the aluminum trim, depending on the relative humidity and dew point of the air inside the cabin.

There are a few things you can do to mitigate this problem. 1) Move somewhere that the air is dryer 2) Run the A/C with the recirculate button active (amber light glowing) 3) Rip your entire center console apart and insulate the underside of the plenum where the aluminum trim is. 4) Rest your arm on the aluminum trim to keep its temperature above the dew point.

The dealer will not be able to do anything for you, just as airlines do not compensate for weather delays, your local Acura dealer cannot control the dew point or relative humidity for the area you're driving.

All that said, some Acura engineer should've thought that running a cold plenum close to a good conductor could cause condensation. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

...a much more concise way of saying what I did above