Taking care of your car on a regular basis is the best thing you can do. Although classic routine service is supposed to keep your Chevrolet Suburban 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 malfunction, that’s why our team has written this article to help you in the event you identify a burnt plastic smell caused by your Chevrolet Suburban . To help you verify that it is nothing serious, 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 discover the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Chevrolet Suburban? .
The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Chevrolet Suburban
So we start our guideline with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Chevrolet Suburban . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good indicator. In fact, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical malfunction. Below we will talk about 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 broken, it also has a second function as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, as time passes, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the 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 Chevrolet Suburban. 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 deteriorate 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 Chevrolet Suburban.
- Faulty hose wear: This circumstance arises specifically on Chevrolet Suburban 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 bring about the plastic parts to wear out more quickly. Hoses are the first to be troubled 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 general, specifically present on Chevrolet Suburban’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 also pre-wear out your tyres.
How to find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Chevrolet Suburban?
And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you discover the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Chevrolet Suburban . 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 Chevrolet Suburban smells hot, don’t think twice to browse our article on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be simpler, 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 think twice to seek advice from our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Chevrolet Suburban.
- 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 verify all your hoses to discover if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, replace them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Chevrolet Suburban, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
To discover more tips on the Chevrolet Suburban, take a look at the Chevrolet Suburban category.
