Taking care of your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Although standard routine service is designed to keep your Cadillac XTS running smoothly with time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article we’re going to look at your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible malfunction, that’s why our team has made this content page to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell originating from your Cadillac XTS . To help you check that it is nothing serious, first we will highlight the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to locate the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Cadillac XTS? .
The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Cadillac XTS
So we start our content with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Cadillac XTS . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. Obviously, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a important malfunction. 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. Obviously, 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 also has a second function as a temperature regulator. However, over time, the oil will lose its performance 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 XTS. 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 done of rubber, will decline and no longer rotate completely on its axis. With the friction that this will bring about the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine block of your Cadillac XTS.
- Faulty hose wear: This case occurs specifically on Cadillac XTS 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 presume will bring about the plastic auto parts to wear out more 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 possibly melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less common, specifically present on Cadillac XTS’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 also pre-wear out your tyres.
How to find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Cadillac XTS?
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 XTS . 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 fix your issue quickly. If your Cadillac XTS smells hot, don’t hesitate to go through our content page 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 find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not hesitate to consult our content page to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Cadillac XTS.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may possibly also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not hesitate 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 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 XTS, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
If perhaps you have any further questions about the Cadillac XTS, do not hesitate to consult our Cadillac XTS category.
