Keeping an eye on your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless conventional maintenance is designed to keep your Buick Enclave running smoothly over time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. In this article 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 written this content to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell caused by your Buick Enclave . To help you check that it is nothing severe, 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 find the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Buick Enclave? .
The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Buick Enclave
So we start our content page with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Buick Enclave . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good sign. In fact, 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 main possible source of such an odor. In fact, 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 damaged, it as well has a second action as a temperature regulator. However, in the long run, 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 Buick Enclave. 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 degrade and no longer rotate totally on its axis. With the friction that this will cause 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 Buick Enclave.
- Faulty hose wear: This circumstance occurs especially on Buick Enclave that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your car unlike what you might think will cause the plastic parts to wear out more fairly quickly. Hoses are the first to be affected by 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 basic, especially present on Buick Enclave’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body parts that may have been bent may rub against one of your wheels and give off that burnt plastic smell. This may as well pre-wear out your tyres.
How to identify where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Buick Enclave?
And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you find the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Buick Enclave . 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 Buick Enclave smells hot, don’t think twice to read 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 find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not think twice to consult our content to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Buick Enclave.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not think twice 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 circumstance, change them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Buick Enclave, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
If you want more guides on the Buick Enclave, go to our Buick Enclave category.
