Taking care of your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Although conventional routine service is supposed to keep your Bmw Serie 3 running smoothly over time, some unforeseen 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 created this content page to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell caused by your Bmw Serie 3 . To help you verify that it is nothing serious, first we will highlight the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to find the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Bmw Serie 3? .
The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Bmw Serie 3
So we commence our article with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Bmw Serie 3 . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good sign. Obviously, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a major breakdown. 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. Obviously, 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, over time, 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 Bmw Serie 3. 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 decline and no longer rotate completely 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 Bmw Serie 3.
- Faulty hose wear: This circumstance occurs especially on Bmw Serie 3 that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your car contrary to what you might believe will cause 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 may possibly melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less general, especially present on Bmw Serie 3’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 also pre-wear out your tyres.
How to identify where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Bmw Serie 3?
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 Bmw Serie 3 . 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 solve your issue quickly. If your Bmw Serie 3 smells hot, don’t think twice to read 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 Bmw Serie 3.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may possibly 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 verify 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 Bmw Serie 3, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
To find more tips on the Bmw Serie 3, take a look at the Bmw Serie 3 category.
