smoking......or heating?
 

I just got a 83 rx-7 and it was stored for about a year. When I started it and let it run for about 35 40 min I knowticed white smoke coming from the center counsol where the window buttons are. The engine temp gauge was normal and it smelt like burning wires. I turned the car off and knowticed that the rear window defrost was on the whole time. I talked to my dad and he said he had a truck that once has a catalytic convertor that got clogged and got so how it was glowing red. I remembered from when I looked under the car that the convertor was right beneath the spot where it was smoking and where the heat was coming from. Could the catalytic convertor be causing this problem or was it the fact the rear window defrost was on for a long period of time? Any help or ideas would be great.

start it up again and look under the car to see if theres any smoke

Are you thinking maybe the exhaust has holes in it? I thought of that too. The guy told me he already had to replace the catalytic convertor so maybe its going bad again who knows.

Another thing I forgot to mention was the some metal was that the seat rails on the counsol side were hot this is why I expected either the catalytic convertor or a hole in the exhaust somewhere.

Did it smell like exhaust, or like burned wires, or like insulation or carpet burning.

You could have a short to the rear window defroster, causing the wires to burn some insulation. If the exhaust was leaking, I don't know if there's holes in the floor for it to come up. If the cat converter was clogged or overheating, it could get hot enough to melt the insulation or carpet. You could maybe pull the fuse to the rear defroster and see if anything changes, or if it still comes on.

Honestly the smell was very odd. It smelt like carpet insulation, and burnt wires but like I said the seat rails were hot. What I instantly thought of was that something beneath the car was burning. I never checked under the car right after I turned it off though :wallbash: But thats because I saw the defrost was on. I didn't smell exhaust though. I'll try pulling the fuses to the rear window defrost and let it run for a while, it still has old gas in it. Another this is I was just going to take the cat convertor off and hollow it out and run a pipe through it faking the presence of one. But I'll try the fuse first to save time and money, do you think though that the wires would burn enough to make the seat rails hot?

if the power wire was shorted through the seat rail, maybe, but I'm not sure. Sounds like you just have to locate the source of the smell/smoke.

yea like I said it was coming from the center counsol.........The car is still in storage or else I would be looking at it. but the cat convertor is a definite possibility too. There isn't any other suggestions any of you have? White94RX? cuz i really don't want to tear into the whole wiring section ripping up the carpet and everything but I may have to :mad:

does anybody know of any other site or anything that may be able to help with this problem via email or whatever?

This is kinda one of those problems that is a little hard to solve over the internet. You're gonna have to run the car or whatever and just hunt for where it's coming from like the good old fashioned way.

Actually turn the key on but don't crank it. If it's wiring related, it should still happen. If not crank the car and then smell for it. That would help you narrow it down if it's electrical or like mechanical like cat or something.