Nissan Repair: 98 Nissan Pathfinder - hot floorboard, fuel pressure regulator, muffler shops

Question
My college aged daughter told me the driver side floorboard has gotten very hot while driving over the past few days. She is in Georgia with car and I'm in CA. She also mentions the 'check engine' light has been coming on recently. Any thoughts on diagnosis as she takes car into a shop for local evaluation?

Answer
Paul,

The converter has probably overheated.  This is the thing that looks like a muffler under the vehicle.  It is a monolithic block of ceramic that reduces exhaust pollution.  If the engine runs too rich, like a stuck injector or a bad fuel pressure regulator, it will cause the converter to melt and that will make the floor board hot.  I would first have the code read and then get that problem corrected.  The converter should be looked at by a muffler shop.  No need for a factory converter.  If she is in Georgia there are plenty of muffler shops that can cut the old one(s) off and weld new ones on.  Now, this advice is just my opinion from what I have been asked.  A shop will still have to narrow down the problem.  These are the two most common problems that would cause this.  Another thing that could cause this is if the vehicle ran over something and knocked the heat shield off the converter/exhaust or even bent it up where it was touching the floor board.  Email me back and let me know how it goes.