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Joined: Aug 2000
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82 |
Last night I had the car (99 SE Sport MTX) up to about 85 for a while. I don't normally drive faster than 70, although this certainly isn't the first time I've had it beyond the speed limit. Point is, the floor of the car got pretty hot after a couple minutes of sustained speed. Never experienced this before, and I'm worried- the car has 72000 miles on it and if the cat is going to go out, it had better hurry. Or is it something else?
'99 Contour SE Sport V6, 5spd, Dark Blue / Blue
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Joined: Sep 2000
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Yes the cat could definitely be the culprit. Possible exhaust leak too, but that should be audible.
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Joined: Jun 2001
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the whole exhaust system got hot including the cat, the floor got hot from the radiated heat from the hot pipes. Floor shouldn't get super hot, because the heatshields should take care of that, so you might want to make sure all the heat shields are in place under the car.
The heat shields are going to be the stainless steel sheets lining the recesses of the floor where the exhasut pipes are routed, the entire channel the pipes are mounted in should be lined with heat shielding all the way back to the rear axle.
If all the heat shielding is in place then I'd say you have nothing to worry about unless as mentoined before, you have an exhaust leak.
"careful man, there's a beverage here."
e-mail: boseraq@hotmail.com
aol IM: madhat1412
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Joined: Aug 2000
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No abnormal noises to indicate exhaust leak. What's got me worried is that there is such a drastic difference between 70-75 and 80-85 mph. Doing 70= fine. Doing 80=hot. Realizing that the engine does have to work harder by square due to wind resistance, it still seems strange. Especially because it never used to do it.
'99 Contour SE Sport V6, 5spd, Dark Blue / Blue
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Joined: Sep 2001
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Try checking the boot on the bottom of the steering column. The boot on my 95 was loose for some reason and it was letting hot air.
Once I reseated the boot, no more hot air.
Its worth a try.
RL
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 101
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Check the cat and make sure it isn't plugged.
I bought a Regal (sorry) once with a blown motor and after test driving the new engine I put in, the ground glowed RED from the cat being plugged(obviously why the engine overheated).
A year later I power washed my SHO engine and unknowingly got some water into the spark plug recesses. On my way back from the powerwasher, the car ran like a two-stroke engine and later found out it blew my cat into pieces inside. Rattled alot, but no check engine light.
So, I guess my point is, check the cat to be sure...
Jim
98 EO CSVT #761
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