Taking care of your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Although conventional routine service is supposed to keep your Acura TL running smoothly with time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. Today we’re going to focus on your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible malfunction, that’s why our team has written this content page to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell coming from your Acura TL . To help you verify that it is nothing significant, first we will detail the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to find the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Acura TL? .

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The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Acura TL

So we start our content page with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Acura TL . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. In truth, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a major malfunction. Below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the most important possible origin of such an odor. In truth, the action of gear or transmission oil is to lubricate the different elements of your gearbox so that all the gears and pinions are not damaged, it as well has a second action as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, in the long run, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the parts and control the temperature as well, which will bring about the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Acura TL. You risk pre-wearing your gearbox if you don’t take care of it.
  • The accessory belt: Although rarer, it is possible with wear and tear that your belt, which is mainly made of rubber, will deteriorate and no longer rotate entirely on its axis. With the friction that this will bring about the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will create a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine block of your Acura TL.
  • Faulty hose wear: This case occurs specifically on Acura TL that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle contrary to what you might believe will bring about the plastic parts to wear out more fairly quickly. Hoses are the first to be suffering from this phenomenon. The rubber will disintegrate little by little and with the rise in heat of the fluid that circulates in it, it may possibly melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less common, specifically present on Acura TL’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body parts that may possibly have been bent may possibly rub against one of your wheels and give off that burnt plastic smell. This may as well pre-wear out your tyres.

How to identify where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Acura TL?

And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you find the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Acura TL . Now that you know the different possible origins of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to eliminate the tracks that don’t concern you and fix your problem quickly. If your Acura TL smells hot, don’t think twice to browse our content page on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be easier, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and verify that your oil is reddish in colour and fluid enough. If you see debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not think twice to consult our content page to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Acura TL.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may possibly also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not think twice to change it.
  • Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually verify all your hoses to see if any are frayed or melted. If this is the case, replace them.
  • Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Acura TL, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    In the event that you have any additional questions about the Acura TL, do not hesitate to consult our Acura TL category.