Keeping an eye on your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Although classic maintenance is designed to keep your Cadillac DTS running smoothly over time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle 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 article to help you in case you notice a burnt plastic smell coming from your Cadillac DTS . To help you check that it is nothing significant, first we will highlight the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to find the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Cadillac DTS? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Cadillac DTS
So we commence our content with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Cadillac DTS . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good sign. In fact, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a important breakdown. Below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the most important possible source of such an odor. In fact, 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 damaged, it as well has a second function as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, over time, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the auto parts and control the temperature as well, which will bring about the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Cadillac DTS. 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 degrade and no longer rotate entirely on its axis. With the friction that this will bring about 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 Cadillac DTS.
- Defective hose wear: This case occurs specifically on Cadillac DTS 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 bring about the plastic auto parts to wear out more fairly quickly. Hoses are the first to be impacted 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 possibly melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less basic, specifically present on Cadillac DTS’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto parts that may possibly have been bent may possibly rub against one of your wheels and give off that burnt plastic smell. This may as well pre-wear out your tyres.
How to find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Cadillac DTS?
And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you find the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Cadillac DTS . 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 problem quickly. If your Cadillac DTS smells hot, don’t hesitate to go through our article on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be less complicated, 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 replace it. Do not hesitate to consult our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Cadillac DTS.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may possibly also make a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not hesitate to replace 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 case, change them.
- Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Cadillac DTS, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
If you wish more tutorials on the Cadillac DTS, go to our Cadillac DTS category.
