I just noticed for the first time how hot the left track on the passenger seat gets after idling the car for 15-20 minutes. It's so hot I can barely touch it. I know the pre-cats are right under there, but I'm wondering if this is normal or should I be checking for missing or damaged heat shields, etc?

 

clogged cats?

 

Do you normally idle your car for 20 minutes?
And ya- I guess that sounds a little extreme...
does the exh. overheat light ever go on?? It's a temp sensor just under the passenger seat... youd think it would if things are getting that hot..

 

If your OEM exhaust has more than 85K miles on it, I'd recommend upgrading to:

- downpipe (replaces 1st catalytic converter)
- performance main catalytic converter (rated for the rotary engine's heat output)
- catback exhaust

all can be obtained from rx7.com, rx7store.com, etc..

 

With the legendary Washington DC area traffic jams, yes, 20 minutes of idling is not only possible, but likely. No overheat light yet.

The heat is very localized, centered right around the bolt under the carpeted flap, that holds the track to the floor. I have plans to install a Bonez downpipe and perf. main cat, probably sooner than later.