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Question for Electronics Wiz

2K views 17 replies 12 participants last post by  AZpueblo 
#1 ·
So here's an off the wall concern of mine for an automotive electronics wiz to answer. There is a Challenger at a dealership in Phoenix I'm interested in. It's been on the lot for quite a while. They have had 120 degree days there. The car obviously sits outside, windows up, no sunshade on the windshield. So the thought occurred to me that since the inside temps probably reached 140 plus degrees for days, does that kind of heat soak have a detrimental effect on the electronics longevity?
 
#3 ·
Automotive electronics are designed to operate under severe operating conditions, including those under the hood, so no. What I would be concerned about is the interior vinyl and or leather. I would go over it with a fine tooth comb for cracking, splits or discoloration. Extreme heat releases gasses from interior components such as plastic that can also discolor other components so I would check for that also.
 
#4 ·
It would only possibly be an issue if the electronics were being used in those temps. Just sitting at those temps is probably similar to running temps. Most electronics go through torture tests of heat, cold, humidity, etc. They have to warranty those items, they have to survive temperature, vibration, g forces, etc. A Guy
 
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#6 ·
I've been in Phoenix for decades and never had a radio, electronic fuel injection, an engine controller, or anything electronic go bad.

Every auto manufacturer tests their vehicles in the extreme desert heat, usually in a metal enclosure with a roof [in order to block the wind] with the engine running at idle for hours during the heat of the day.

If your concern were valid, places like Phoenix, Palm Springs, Yuma, Barstow, and elsewhere would be full of broken cars/trucks/vans/motorcycles and they have the same statistical longevity as vehicles from cooler climates.
 
#7 ·
I bought my car in mesa, AZ and it sat on the lot for a year. They had to replace the battery because it sat so much. Everything works perfectly. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
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#8 ·
BTW, what kind of mileage are you getting from your 3.6? I've had four 5.7s and I've pretty much gotten it out of my system, must be age, so I'm looking at an SXT Plus. But if it doesn't get close to rated mileage I might as well get a 5.7 6-speed again. I've gotten consistently 21 mpg on my work loop and 27-28 on I-10 to Phoenix and back on my 6-speeds. My auto 5.7 got pretty much rated.
 
#11 ·
The vast majority of cars here start out with a dealership window tint and then live life in a carport or garage and if out in the open have a windshield sunshade. My concern with this particular vehicle is that it has no tint, sat on a lot for quite a while. These cars have a computer for every separate function practically. I just went through that with my Ram. Even the master power window switch has it's own computer. Mine fried. So the normal temps here in summer would be about 105 degrees. Which means interior temps on a vehicle out in the open with the windows down a bit and a sunshade would be about 120 degrees. This car sat with the windows full up, no sunshade, no tint, in record 120 degrees for days and days. That makes the interior temp nutty extreme. So that's the difference between this one and owned vehicle's that have been afforded some mitigation to the extreme temps.
 
#13 ·
I'd be more concerned about water spots etching themselves in the windows, those are really hard to remove.
 
#14 ·
It's a dry heat, so the answer is no... :nerd:
 
#15 ·
What about the underhood electronics? A cabin temperature of 140F [60C] is one thing, but there are lots of electronics under the hood and the ambient temperature is far higher with the engine running in proximity to them.

Modern electronics deal with heat fairly well. If they didn't, much of the American South would be a no-drive zone.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Not sure if this applies but back in 2002 I bought a brand new Passat with an information screen in the cluster above the steering wheel. It was high tech for its time. After owning the car for a while I noticed that some of the segments in the display quit working when the car got hot being closed up all day in the sun. After I ran the AC for a while and cooled the car off inside the segments started working again. Electronics are affected by heat but if Dodge did their do diligence in testing there shouldn't be a problem. The Uconnect system is still relatively new and we don't really know how long they will last. All that being said if there has been any issues with heat and the Uconnect system, even in the slightest way, I can guaranty we would have heard about it, especially on this forum [emoji846]. I wouldn't be worried about the unknown. If everything checks out in the Uconnect when you test drive the car then I would not worry about it. But that is just me.


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