Keeping an eye on your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless conventional maintenance is designed to keep your Citroen C4 Picasso running smoothly over time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. In this article we’re going to focus on your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible breakdown, that’s why our team has created this content page to help you in case you identify a burnt plastic smell caused by your Citroen C4 Picasso . To help you verify that it is nothing severe, first we will detail the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to discover the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Citroen C4 Picasso? .

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The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Citroen C4 Picasso

So we commence our content page with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Citroen C4 Picasso . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. In truth, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a important breakdown. 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 truth, 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 broken, 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 regulate the temperature as well, which will trigger the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Citroen C4 Picasso. You risk pre-wearing your gearbox if you don’t take care of it.
  • The accessory belt: Nevertheless rarer, it is possible with wear and tear that your belt, which is mainly made of rubber, will degrade and no longer rotate entirely on its axis. With the friction that this will trigger the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will create a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Citroen C4 Picasso.
  • Faulty hose wear: This case arises especially on Citroen C4 Picasso that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your car contrary to what you might believe will trigger 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 issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less general, especially present on Citroen C4 Picasso’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 find out where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Citroen C4 Picasso?

And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you discover the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Citroen C4 Picasso . 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 fix your issue quickly. If your Citroen C4 Picasso smells hot, don’t hesitate to read 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 discover debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not hesitate to seek advice from our content page to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Citroen C4 Picasso.
  • 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 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 case, change them.
  • Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Citroen C4 Picasso, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    If you have any additional questions about the Citroen C4 Picasso, do not hesitate to consult our Citroen C4 Picasso category.