Taking care of your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Although classic routine service is supposed to keep your Citroen Saxo running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. Today we’re going to talk about your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible breakdown, that’s why our team has made this content to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell originating from your Citroen Saxo . To help you check that it is nothing serious, first we will highlight the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to find the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Citroen Saxo? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Citroen Saxo
So we start our article with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Citroen Saxo . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. In fact, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a major breakdown. Down below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the most important possible origin of such an odor. In fact, the function of gear or transmission oil is to lubricate the different elements of your gearbox so that all the gears and pinions are not broken, it as well has a second function as a temperature regulator. However, as time passes, the oil will lose its performance and will not lubricate the parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will bring about the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Citroen Saxo. 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 specifically made of rubber, will degrade and no longer rotate totally on its axis. With the friction that this will bring about 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 Citroen Saxo.
- Defective hose wear: This circumstance happens especially on Citroen Saxo that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle unlike what you might presume will bring about the plastic parts to wear out more quickly. Hoses are the first to be suffering from 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 issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less basic, especially present on Citroen Saxo’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 as well pre-wear out your tyres.
How to identify where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Citroen Saxo?
And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you find the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Citroen Saxo . 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 problem quickly. If your Citroen Saxo smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our content 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 replace it. Do not hesitate to seek advice from our content to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Citroen Saxo.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not hesitate to replace 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 bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Citroen Saxo, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
Whenever you have any additional questions about the Citroen Saxo, do not hesitate to consult our Citroen Saxo category.
