Recently I've noticed my center console, particularly right in front of the shift lever, under the cupholders, getting very hot. Almost too hot to touch, hot enough to radiate to my leg and get my attention, and hot enough to make me worry about plastic melting. I first noticed it a couple weeks ago on a trip where I was travelling on a two lane highway, occasionally making passes, on a hot day. Since then, though, I've realized it will happen with very mild engine revs too, if it is even just warm out. If the temperature is low, though (like driving home in the rain last night), or sometimes if I run the a/c for quite a while, then the console will go back to being cold to the touch (not even warm -- just cold), which is probably what it should be all the time.

Any ideas? I changed to a Spoon header and Carsound cat this spring, which is my first thought. But I drove those hundreds of miles without noticing this heat. Is it normal for a header like that, with no heat shields, to get very hot beyond some ambient temperatures? Could it be a problem with the cat -- plugged so it's overheating maybe? What about an exhaust leak around the cat (I've listened but not been able to look for one closely)?

Any suggestions are appreciated.


[Modified by 98R-1003 US, 5:57 PM 7/10/2002]

 

I suspect a leak...

but wouldnt you hear that?

 

My CRX was just doing the samething. The top end power on the car was pretty crappy too. I gutted the cat as a temporary thing just to see if that was the problem. Afterward I gain a lot of top end power, better gas mileage and the heat on the center console dropped a huge amount. Try pulling the cat and check if you can see through it. On mine you could hardly see light from the other end.

 

Has your car been tuned ever? Do you know if it is running rich? If it is running rich - you will fugg up the cat with carbon deposits.

Take it off and examine it as suggested.

 

Hmmm, I was wondering about that. No, it hasn't been tuned, and yes, I think it does run rich based on the smoke I sometimes see at full throttle. I'd like to have it tuned, but I can't do it and don't know who can do it for me...

Can the carbon deposits be cleaned out, or are they permanent?


[Modified by 98R-1003 US, 6:15 PM 7/10/2002]

 

Ive noticed my shifter, and the console area near there gets pretty damn hot, but never really payed much attention to it. Is it possible that its related to the shifter or heat radiating up in that area?

 

wouldnt this just be a lack of a heat shield where the stock header used to have one? my car used to get really hot on long drives and literally my drinks sitting in the cupholder would get warm. since I put my stocker header back, I have noticed it getting warm on long trips but no where near as warm as before. (keep in mind I'm usually going through 100+ degree weather when I go on long trips)

 

I don't think mine ever got this hot with the stock exhaust. It's so obvious when it gets hot that I'm sure I would have noticed before (I've had the car four years). I always used to keep CDs there, but I'm afraid they'll melt now. But mostly I want to find out if this is indicating a problem or not. I want to pull the cat, but I'm not sure if I can do it myself so I might have to go to a shop.

 

In thinking more about this, if the car has been running rich for a while, wouldn't it have plugged the stock cat too? It has 70k+ miles on it. I'm not sure what a plugged one would look like, but I can see light through it, either by looking through it or shining a flashlight through it.

 

Well, the header doesnt have any heat shields but did you also remove the stock heat shield that runs on the underside of the car? I removed mine when I put on a catback exhaust and the console area would get pretty damn hot after a long drive. You will likely *hear* it or smell it if you have a leak, so most likely you are either running lean (probably not, but check your plugs) or you removed the heat shield. To remedy this problem, how about wrapping your heatshield with heat resistant fabric tape instead of wrapping the header (if you dont want to promote rust)?

You can also insulate the interior transmission tunnel/console area.


[Modified by Yell00ITR, 7:26 PM 7/10/2002]

 

I don't think any heat shields were removed other than the ones attached to the stock exhaust parts. The A pipe does have heat shields all around, as does the cat; the Spoon has none but the Carsound heatshield is on there.

As for the leak, if there is one I think it must be small, because there certainly isn't any big noticeable noise or smell.

[edit -- corrected "A pipe" reference]


[Modified by 98R-1003 US, 12:14 AM 7/12/2002]

 

there is your answer. as i said previously.

 

My center console gets really hot, My car has been tuned twice and its running rich I believe. The reason is because I had it tuned after installing the AEM Fuel Rail & Reg. Both items were tuned. Could this be why my console is hot after a good drive? It never heated up before.

 

What are my chances of any problems with this overheating?

 

I notice the "hole" right above the e-brake when the e-brake is down gets hot once in a while, esp. after some hard driving.
I suspect it is normal due to the fact that the exhaust is right under that area, and it happens on my parent's car too.
Anyone else can vertify this?

 

the e-brake thing has been getting hotter and hotter for me and my car is bone stock...wtf. the dealer will be replacing my heat shields when they come in but they did not tell me which ones were fugged up.

as for the cup holders, no problems there, but will check it when I have the R out again.

 

Same thing here!

 

Just for reference, I haven't noticed any heat there on my car (stock cat-back).

 

I agree it's a possibility -- the part that has me wondering, though, is that I didn't notice any heat for the first month with the new header/cat, and I'm sure there were warm days and hard driving (I even did some car-control-clinic track laps during that time). So it seems like something that just started, which sounds more like a leak or plugged cat. I'm sure the lack of heat shields doesn't help though!

 

my R is bone stock, so I might try to ask the dealer about it and hope it is "normal"...
But thanks for everyone's input

 

One simple thing to check - remove the center console, and check that the lower rubber boot around the shifter hasn't come loose from the body of the car. This happened to me somehow, and let lots of hot air in from the cat area up into the cabin. This may not be it, but it only requires five minutes to do.