I recently purchased a new CLK430 convertible and I noticed that metal part of the shifter heats significantly after a long drive (1 hour +). Also, the cup holder compartment, wood around the shifter, and ashtray will follow by heating up somewhat. Is this normal?

I'd like to post this again before it gets buried... Does anyone know if it is normal for the metal portion of the shifter to get hot after a 1 hour+ drive as well as the wood surrounding it, the cupholder compartment and the ashtray??? This is my first experience with driving a car with an engine over 2.5 liter and rear wheel drive... sorry for being paranoid...

I know what you are talking about....I sometimes feel the heat too, I hope someone can answer this as well

It happens both with the top on and off... Also, the heat will continue to build up while the car is parked, before it actually cools off. The metal portion of the shifter eventually gets pretty hot and given enough time, so does the rest of the console and cup holders. My friend has a 325i which is also RWD and has none of these symptoms. Is this normal for this model or should I have it checked?

My 1995 C280 does it also. Very hot in the cupholder compartment, the shifter console, and the little pocket below the ashtray.
I think it's just normal heat build-up from the transmission being directly below that location.

__________________
2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)

David C Klasse - does your CLK 320 do that as well? Does anyone else have a CLK model that does this (or does not??)

I'm not sure, I'll check it out and get back to you.

__________________
2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)

David C Klasse - thanks, I appreciate it. Also, if any other owners or technicians observed this problem (or do not have this problem in their CLK) please let me know - I'd like to have peace of mind or know if I should have the car looked at... Thanks again.

My CLK sometimes heats up in the same area. It is does not get so hot that that you cannot touch it, but pretty warm. It seems to have something to do with the ambient temp, type of driving, and wind speed and direction. It seems if the wind is blowing a certain direction on the hiway, the console temp goes up. May be creating a dead air spot or something.
There is a lot of insulation in the console area, but the tranny is close by, and the exhaust runs pretty close (getting rid of 275 hp worth of gasses). Perhaps there is some insulation missing or moved in your car ?
By the way, even though the shifter is on the console, there is no hole through to the tranny, all messages are sent electronically.
I would say that if it seems too hot to you, have the dealer look at it. That is what warranty is for.

The console gets pretty warm - not too hot to touch. What raises my suspicion is that the cup holder compartment gets pretty hot (especially when the car has resting periods - i.e. drive for 1/2 hour, stop for half hour and then drive and stop again - like running errands on a weekend) - You'd expect Mercedes to design that correctly. Also, the bottom (metal) portion of the shifter gets pretty hot, sometimes even too hot to touch for more than 5 seconds... I went to the dealer today and they said it was normal - any feedback on that?