I was driving yesterday and noticed that the center console was hot to the touch right by the gear shifter, sort of where the "R" and "B" letters are.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

Did you have the heat on? The vent to the back passes through there. I'm not sure what else is there to create heat (other than the light bulb).

 

I might have had the heat on.

 

There is a light bulb under that area, so you can see the letters easily at night.

 

Yes, that could be it too. The light bulb is directly to the rear of the B position. That does create a slight hot spot. It would be augmented by the heat being on. Although, I think the bulb is on only when the dash lights are on. So if this was during the day, it would have been off (I think).

 

There is also a solenoid that releases the shifter from the park position when you apply the brakes.

 

thats the spot where the mouse in the wheel is. Might be friction

 

A mouse in a wheel? Maybe that would explain the squeaking and the disappearance of my cheese.

 

I think you're on the right track here, especially since the American-bred mice in these later models are typically overweight and put more strain on the wheel bearings.

The first TCH's that were all built overseas have smaller, lighter, Japanese-bred mice. They've never updated the design of the wheel to account for the kind we grow over here.