one thing i noticed, the driver side doesn't seem to be leaking as much hot air when i drive during the day.

When i drive it at night, i turn on my low beams and the console lights up, after like 10 minutes or so i feel a hot air gushing in.
i touch the speedometer screen thing and it is hot. i'm wondering would it be that because the lights in the meter components turn on causing a lot of heat to be generated. my steering column was taken apart recently. if not put back together properly, u think the heat from the lights would leak out?

i noticed this trend and i drove it tonight on the highway with the low beams on, then switched to DRLs , i noticed a difference.

weird eh?!

 

Its not coming from the trans. its coming from the exhaust - it runs down the right side of the trans. tunnel where you said the heat is coming from. The S2000 has little insulation and after it saturates the car just becomes hot down there. Best thing to do is turn on the AC and run it to the foot wells when it gets too hot to just cool off that area.

That's one thing, but I still don't know about heat flowing from the firewall with your car.

 

i drove my friends 06 last night and there's also a slight flow of heat coming in from beneath the steering column. and his car is almost stock.

so i'm wondering maybe it's supposed to be like that. he said he didn't notice it until i told him last night lol. i guess it's not a big deal.
i guess that answers my questions whether it's supposed to be liek that or not.

and thanks saki n jrz for your answers! the passenger side is definitely either the exhaust heat or tranny heat seeping through . i can feel it!
i'm thinking of stuffing some insulation between the carpet lining and the leather cover on the side. seems like that's where the hot air is coming in.

 

there is not a "leak of heat" into the car. The ENgine and Tranny are evry close to the firewall. The entire transmission is under the firewall and tunnell which runs fro the front to the back of the interior of the S. All this heat is is from transfer of the Hot Motor, Tranny and Exhaust to the steel from the firewall and transmission tunnel. Think of a cup of coffee(ceramic mug). When you fille the mug up it gets hot on the outside. At the top of the firewall in the S interior there is nothing to insulate from this heat escaping into the car. The best thing to try would be a heat sheilding on the Motor side of the firewall that would go down into the transmission tunnel. If you have seen an indycar intake it is wrapped in a Gold Foil which is for heat insulation. Either that or getting to the interior part ofthe firewall and insulating there. MY01 is no different and has the same hot spot

 

I've began testing of insulating the firewall and trans tunnel. I used water heater insulation as it looked the most easy to apply. I cut two 1.5" X 2.5" pieces for both sides of the trans tunnel. I then duct taped the edges to seal up the itchy fiberglass. There is very little to insulate on the firewall that will transfer heat the way it's designed. Most heat is from the tunnel.

I've taken the car on a 200 mile cruise to the Pocono's since and I'd say it was very helpful. I didn't notice any discomfort at all but, I didn't really make any stops more than 5 minutes. Might of been about 80% efficient. Only problem is that if you let the car sit for over 20 minutes, it'll eventually absorb heat anyway since I haven't sealed those pieces. When I eventually swap out my crappy ACT clutch, I'd bet a single big piece with just a hole opening for the shifter will eliminate this nuisance once and for all.

Here are some pics

 

If anyone has a solution to this heat problem it would be great if there was a DIY. I am looking to get this heat issue resolved too. I hate how hot it is.