Little metal cylinder under dash getting HOT

[wasco]

I’ve been trying to install Sebring convertible seats in my ‘68 and having trouble getting the solenoids for the seat locks to work. They are supposed to be triggered off the door jamb switches. Tracing back into the dash, I find this little metal cylinder with yellow, yellow w/black and pink wires connected to it - clearly has something to do with the courtesy lights. I can’t find it on the wiring diagram anywhere and notice it gets really hot. Test light on the pink is bright, but the yellow and yellow/black is very dim. What is this part and is the heat an indication it’s bad?

 

[BLK 68 R/T]

That’s the time delay for your ignition light and map light. They do get hot. It’s a capacitor with a thermal switch inside so when it cools off to a certain point, it opens up, and the light goes out.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

It's a time delay relay... It turns on a little light for the ignition switch & the headlight switch for about 20 seconds after the dome light has been activated... Close the door, wait 20-30 seconds & the light goes out... The heat is normal, current flow heats a bi-metallic strip which is what opens & closes the contacts...

 

[1 Wild R/T]

That’s the time delay for your ignition light and map light. They do get hot. It’s a capacitor with a thermal switch inside so when it cools off to a certain point, it opens up, and the light goes out.

They might have changed to something electronic but originally they were a bi-metallic strip....

 

[Nacho-RT74]

That’s the time delay for your ignition light and map light. They do get hot. It’s a capacitor with a thermal switch inside so when it cools off to a certain point, it opens up, and the light goes out.

It looks like a Capacitor, but is not.