Hi,

I removed the center console in my 2000 XJ to replace the broken plastic bracket with a metal one and cleaned all the parts while I was there. The air duct that runs through the console has a foam pad stuck to it at the rear end which turned into sticky slime over the last 20 years.
Now my question is should I replace the foam or just leave it without foam? Should I use a different material? It seems to be that way because of heat maybe? There is a metal box with an electrical connector under it, does anyone know what that is and if it gets hot?

Has anyone ever even thought about this little detail?

Thanks!

 

The console in my 2000 XJ does get pretty warm under the glove box, although it doesn't seem hot enough to melt electrical connectors. The funny part is my 2000 WJ doesn't have this heat duct. Just a tiny one under the passenger's seat. If you put something under the seat, it blocks all the heat back there. That electrical box in my WJ is an inertia sensor for the airbags. It just contains a weight on a spring that closes a contact if it moves forward hard enough in a sudden stoppage. It has an arrow painted on it to show the front. You should probably replace that foam seal with something like the seal for the heater core. High density foam.

 

Thanks for the answer! Heater core insulation foam should do a good job!