Taking care of your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless standard maintenance is designed to keep your BMW X6 running smoothly with time, some unexpected 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 malfunction, that’s why our team has made this article to help you in case you notice a burnt plastic smell originating from your BMW X6 . To help you verify that it is nothing serious, first we will outline the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to find the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your BMW X6? .
The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a BMW X6
So we commence our guideline with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a BMW X6 . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good signal. In truth, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a important malfunction. 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 objective 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 objective as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, as time passes, the oil will lose its performance and will not lubricate the parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your BMW X6. 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 made 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 generate a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your BMW X6.
- Faulty hose wear: This case arises specifically on BMW X6 that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your car unlike what you might think 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 might melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less basic, specifically present on BMW X6’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 find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a BMW X6?
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 BMW X6 . 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 solve your issue quickly. If your BMW X6 smells hot, don’t think twice to go through our article on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be less complicated, 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 replace it. Do not think twice to consult our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a BMW X6.
- 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 think twice to replace 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 case, change them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your BMW X6, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
In the event that you have any further questions about the BMW X6, do not hesitate to consult our BMW X6 category.
