Keeping an eye on your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless conventional maintenance is supposed to keep your BMW X4 running smoothly with time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle 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 written this content to help you in the event that you identify a burnt plastic smell caused by your BMW X4 . To help you verify that it is nothing significant, first we will outline the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to locate the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your BMW X4? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a BMW X4
So we commence our content with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a BMW X4 . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. In fact, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a important breakdown. Down 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 fact, 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 broken, it also has a second action as a temperature regulator. However, over time, the oil will lose its effectiveness and will not lubricate the auto parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will trigger the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your BMW X4. 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 specifically done of rubber, will decline and no longer rotate entirely on its axis. With the friction that this will trigger the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will generate a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your BMW X4.
- Faulty hose wear: This case happens especially on BMW X4 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 trigger 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 might melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less basic, especially present on BMW X4’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto 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 find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a BMW X4?
And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you locate the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your BMW X4 . 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 solve your problem quickly. If your BMW X4 smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our content on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be simpler, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and verify 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 to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a BMW X4.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it might also make a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not hesitate to change it.
- Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually verify all your hoses to find out if any are frayed or melted. If this is the case, change them.
- Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your BMW X4, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
In the event that you have any additional questions about the BMW X4, do not hesitate to consult our BMW X4 category.
