Keeping an eye on your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless conventional maintenance is supposed to keep your Audi S3 running smoothly with time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. Today we’re going to look at your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible breakdown, that’s why our team has written this content to help you in the event that you notice a burnt plastic smell originating from your Audi S3 . To help you check that it is nothing serious, 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 origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Audi S3? .
The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Audi S3
So we commence our article with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Audi S3 . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. Indeed, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a major breakdown. Down below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the main possible source of such an odor. Indeed, the action 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 action as a temperature regulator. However, with time, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the auto parts and control the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Audi S3. 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 mainly done of rubber, will deteriorate 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 unit block of your Audi S3.
- Faulty hose wear: This circumstance arises especially on Audi S3 that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your vehicle contrary to what you might think will cause the plastic auto 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 may melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less common, especially present on Audi S3’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto 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 comes from on a Audi S3?
And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you discover the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Audi S3 . Now that you know the different possible origins of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to get rid of the tracks that don’t concern you and resolve your issue quickly. If your Audi S3 smells hot, don’t hesitate to browse our content on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be simpler, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and check that your oil is reddish in colour and fluid enough. If you discover debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not hesitate to consult our content to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Audi S3.
- 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 hesitate to change it.
- Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually check all your hoses to discover if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, change them.
- Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Audi S3, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
Whenever you have any further questions about the Audi S3, do not hesitate to consult our Audi S3 category.
