Taking care of your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Although conventional maintenance is supposed to keep your Chevrolet Malibu running smoothly over time, some unpredicted 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 identify a burnt plastic smell originating from your Chevrolet Malibu . 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 motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to find the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Chevrolet Malibu? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Chevrolet Malibu
So we start our article with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Chevrolet Malibu . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good indicator. Indeed, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical breakdown. Down below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the main possible source of such an odor. Indeed, 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. Nevertheless, over time, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the auto parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Chevrolet Malibu. 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 totally 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 block of your Chevrolet Malibu.
- Defective hose wear: This circumstance happens specifically on Chevrolet Malibu that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your car contrary to what you might presume will cause the plastic auto 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 might melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less basic, specifically present on Chevrolet Malibu’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto 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 find out where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Chevrolet Malibu?
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 Chevrolet Malibu . 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 resolve your issue quickly. If your Chevrolet Malibu smells hot, don’t hesitate to browse 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 discover debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not hesitate to seek advice from our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Chevrolet Malibu.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it might also make a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not hesitate to change it.
- Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually verify all your hoses to discover if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, replace them.
- Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Chevrolet Malibu, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
If perhaps you have any additional questions about the Chevrolet Malibu, do not hesitate to consult our Chevrolet Malibu category.
