Keeping an eye on your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Although classic routine service is designed to keep your Cadillac Escalade running smoothly over time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. In this article 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 written this content page to help you in the event that you identify a burnt plastic smell coming from your Cadillac Escalade . To help you verify that it is nothing significant, first we will detail the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to locate the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Cadillac Escalade? .
The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Cadillac Escalade
So we begin our article with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Cadillac Escalade . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good indicator. In actual fact, recent 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 origin of such an odor. In actual 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 broken, it as well has a second function as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, with time, the oil will lose its effectiveness 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 Cadillac Escalade. 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 principally done 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 unit block of your Cadillac Escalade.
- Faulty hose wear: This case arises especially on Cadillac Escalade that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle 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 common, especially present on Cadillac Escalade’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 as well pre-wear out your tyres.
How to identify where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Cadillac Escalade?
And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you locate the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Cadillac Escalade . 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 fix your issue quickly. If your Cadillac Escalade smells hot, don’t think twice to browse our content page 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 content page to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Cadillac Escalade.
- 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 Cadillac Escalade, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
To find more tips on the Cadillac Escalade, take a look at the Cadillac Escalade category.
