Keeping an eye on your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless conventional maintenance is supposed to keep your Audi A6 running smoothly with time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. Today we’re going to speak about your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible breakdown, that’s why our team has made this content page to help you in the event you notice a burnt plastic smell caused by your Audi A6 . To help you check that it is nothing significant, first we will highlight the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to discover the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Audi A6? .

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The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Audi A6

So we begin our guideline with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Audi A6 . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. In actual fact, recent cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a significant breakdown. Below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the most important possible source of such an odor. In actual fact, the function 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 also has a second function as a temperature regulator. However, with time, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will bring about the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Audi A6. You risk pre-wearing your gearbox if you don’t take care of it.
  • The accessory belt: Nevertheless rarer, it is possible with wear and tear that your belt, which is principally done of rubber, will decline and no longer rotate totally 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 Audi A6.
  • Defective hose wear: This case occurs specifically on Audi A6 that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle unlike what you might believe will bring about the plastic parts to wear out more 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 might melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less general, specifically present on Audi A6’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body parts that might have been bent might rub against one of your wheels and give off that burnt plastic smell. This may also pre-wear out your tyres.

How to identify where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Audi A6?

And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you discover the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Audi A6 . 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 resolve your issue quickly. If your Audi A6 smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our content page 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 find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not hesitate to consult our content page to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Audi A6.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it might also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not hesitate to change it.
  • Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually check all your hoses to find out if any are frayed or melted. If this is the case, change them.
  • Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Audi A6, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    If you wish more guides on the Audi A6, go to our Audi A6 category.