Keeping an eye on your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Although standard routine service is supposed to keep your Chrysler 200 running smoothly with time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. Today 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 written this content page to help you in the event that you notice a burnt plastic smell originating from your Chrysler 200 . To help you check that it is nothing severe, 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 cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Chrysler 200? .
The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Chrysler 200
So we begin our content with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Chrysler 200 . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good sign. Obviously, modern vehicles 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 main possible origin of such an odor. Obviously, the objective 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 objective as a temperature regulator. However, in the long run, the oil will lose its performance 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 Chrysler 200. 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 deteriorate and no longer rotate entirely 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 unit block of your Chrysler 200.
- Faulty hose wear: This circumstance arises specifically on Chrysler 200 that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your vehicle unlike what you might believe will cause the plastic parts to wear out more 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 might melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less basic, specifically present on Chrysler 200’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 also pre-wear out your tyres.
How to identify where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Chrysler 200?
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 Chrysler 200 . Now that you know the different possible roots 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 problem quickly. If your Chrysler 200 smells hot, don’t think twice to go through our content page on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be simpler, 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 change it. Do not think twice to consult our content page to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Chrysler 200.
- 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 think twice to change 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 circumstance, change them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Chrysler 200, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
To find more tips on the Chrysler 200, take a look at the Chrysler 200 category.
