Keeping an eye on your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Although standard routine service is supposed to keep your Alfa Romeo 159 running smoothly over time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article we’re going to talk about your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible breakdown, that’s why our team has created this article to help you in the event that you identify a burnt plastic smell caused by your Alfa Romeo 159 . To help you check that it is nothing severe, first we will highlight the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to find the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Alfa Romeo 159? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Alfa Romeo 159
So we start our content with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Alfa Romeo 159 . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. In truth, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a significant breakdown. Down below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the most important possible origin of such an odor. In truth, the function of gear or transmission oil is to lubricate the different components of your gearbox so that all the gears and pinions are not broken, it also has a second function 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 cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Alfa Romeo 159. 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 specifically done of rubber, will decline and no longer rotate entirely on its axis. With the friction that this will cause the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine block of your Alfa Romeo 159.
- Faulty hose wear: This circumstance happens specifically on Alfa Romeo 159 that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your vehicle unlike what you might think will cause the plastic parts to wear out more fairly quickly. Hoses are the first to be troubled by this phenomenon. The rubber will disintegrate little by little and with the rise in heat of the fluid that circulates in it, it may melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less common, specifically present on Alfa Romeo 159’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body parts that may have been bent may rub against one of your wheels and give off that burnt plastic smell. This may also pre-wear out your tyres.
How to find out where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Alfa Romeo 159?
And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you find the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Alfa Romeo 159 . Now that you know the different possible roots 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 Alfa Romeo 159 smells hot, don’t think twice to go through our article on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be easier, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and check 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 article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Alfa Romeo 159.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not think twice to change it.
- Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually check all your hoses to see if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, change them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Alfa Romeo 159, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
To discover more tips on the Alfa Romeo 159, take a look at the Alfa Romeo 159 category.
