[eightrac]

Looked at the upstream converter (directly in front of the engine) while on mountain mode with engine running? My Volt's converter glows a bit directly where the manifold connects to the converter. I doubt there is anything wrong with it, just noticed that it happens.

 

[caronjeff]

Many posts remark about a burning smell after heavy ICE usage, mountain mode, or other. Probably just general debris, oil stains, asphalt blobs etc. burning off that converter.

 

[AtomicPowered]

Catalytic convertor can run at 800 to 1200 degrees. New cars have them near the exhaust manifold in the engine compartment. Older cars had one or more under the front floor and had a warning to not stop the car over tall grass or leaves.
Yes they can give off a rosy glow. Can get a bad burn if you are working close before they cool. They are a big theft item. Maybe not as much now they are in the engine compartment.

 

[freshcut]

Looked at the upstream converter (directly in front of the engine) while on mountain mode with engine running? My Volt's converter glows a bit directly where the manifold connects to the converter. I doubt there is anything wrong with it, just noticed that it happens.

That's normal. You have hot exhaust gasses from an engine under load entering into a device designed to change the exhaust byproducts into safer substances which result in even hotter gasses exiting the converter due to the reaction. When an engine is under load the gasses leaving the engine can approach well over 1000*F, occasionally exceeding 2000*F. Running those gasses through the converter causes a slight increase inside the converter. This will cause some things to get hot enough to glow. The converter is usually the first. This is also why most manuals recommend that you do not park over leaves/grass since contact with the exhaust and in particular the converter can ignite stuff.