I just bought my 00 T4R Limited. 182,000 miles. Yeah really good shape for year. Zero rust, solid frame, just an all-around great looking at looks like it's be really good shape for year. Zero rest, solid Friday, just an all-around great looks like it's en well cared for. Found a few minor issues that I'm having no problem taking care of myself, but there is one thing that even with quite a bit of Internet research on and not able to come across any explanation or solution for.

After driving for about 15 minutes I experience ridiculously excessive heat coming from the center console. Specifically the transfer case shift boot. If I keep all of the windows rolled up it is barely noticeable, but is I so much as crack a window to create a "draft" it's like it starts sucking all that heat right up through the center console.

Has anyone else experienced or heard about this kind of problem? Could my transfer case be getting that hot? Possibly need serviced? Would they flew change reduce eat that much? I'm open to any and all ideas or suggestions.

Thank you in advance. I look forward to learning about these great trucks

There is a vent under the steering column. It was a surprise to me frankly. Also the truck always has airflow. Set the AC temp knob to cold and it seems to help keep air temp tolerable even if AC or Fan off.

Maybe something going on with the rear heater? I know my kids will bump it sometimes and I'll start noticing heat from the arm rest area. Never noticed the heat coming from the shift boot though.

Mine gets pretty warm. I've got a 5 speed so I just have a shift boot to insulate from the tranny and t case heat whereas the autos have plastic. It isn't excessive or require the AC to be on but it's warm.

If I were you I'd pull the console and make the hole to the tranny is sealed properly. I have a rubber type of gasket and metal hold down plate. I don't think it does much for heat but it keeps the noise and moisture at bay.

Another thing you might want to check is the catalytic converter heat shield. On certain stretches of highway my cat/exhaust gets pretty warm and it heats up the passenger side of the tranny tunnel and the passenger area floor. I've got all my heat shields but make sure you do and that they are fixed in the proper location.

This is a good place to start, assuming yours has rear heat.

Second thing I would do would be to check your transmission fluid. That's the transmission right under there and in other vehicles (Pickup) I would have heat come from there only when the transmission was working too hard or overheating.

I was wondering the same thing. (Tranny or transfer heat) I checked the Transmission fluid and it was full. Didn't smell burnt.

How was the color? Here's a reference:

When I wiped the dipstick off there was some black on it but there was also nwhat looked like nice bright red fluid. So I'm guessing the black was just some general dirt that was on the stick.

After about an hour of highway driving, my 5 speed starts just pouring in 100+ degree air through the floor under the shifters, it's because I don't have the rubber shifter boots installed, they really do catch a ton of the heat, or at least contain it in the shifter area.

Rear heater is the likely culprit. With the fan off and the windows up you won't notice it so much, but with the windows down you start pulling some air through that area and it will be obvious. If the lever is already all the way to the cold side, I'd start by capping it off and see if that fixes the problem.

Thanks! I think this is definitely where I'll start. Any advice on how to cap it off? It's my understanding that in my particular T4R there are not coolant lines in the console. Just air flow. Is this correct?

I pulled the center console to find that majority of the rubber boot where the transfer case shifter comes through was missing! So of course that's where the heat was coming from. My question is in regards to the amount of heat. Is it normal for the transmission and/or transfer case to get so incredibly hot?

Also, and advice for covering the hole in the floor. The boot that's damaged doesn't appear to be removable/replaceable. (I'm guessing that's why it got jacked up in the first place)

The dealer has pretty much any part that was ever made, although it makes it easier if you bring the old part in with you since it's an odd one and they probably won't know what you are talking about. Either that or raid the junkyard.

And yeah, transmissions get hot. Go under the vehicle and put your hand on the transmission after running it a while Please don't actually do that though lol.

The transmission temperature is typically between 160 and 180 degrees depending on load, so yeah, pretty hot.

I have the same issue as the OP, but mines a 2002 2wd automatic. My drink keeps warming up to dang fast!

I'll also check my rear heater settings & one day remove the center console to see if there are air leaks