Keeping an eye on your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless conventional maintenance is supposed to keep your Dodge Challenger running smoothly over time, some unpredicted 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 created this content to help you in case you notice a burnt plastic smell caused by your Dodge Challenger . To help you verify that it is nothing significant, first we will detail the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to locate the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Dodge Challenger? .

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The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Dodge Challenger

So we start our article with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Dodge Challenger . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good sign. In fact, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a important breakdown. Below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the main possible origin of such an odor. In fact, the action 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 also has a second action as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, over time, 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 Dodge Challenger. 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 principally made of rubber, will deteriorate and no longer rotate totally 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 Dodge Challenger.
  • Defective hose wear: This circumstance arises especially on Dodge Challenger that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your vehicle contrary to what you might presume will trigger 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 possibly melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less common, especially present on Dodge Challenger’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body parts that may possibly have been bent may possibly 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 Dodge Challenger?

And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you locate the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Dodge Challenger . 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 Dodge Challenger smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our content on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be easier, 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 replace it. Do not hesitate to seek advice from our content to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Dodge Challenger.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may possibly also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not hesitate to replace 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 trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Dodge Challenger, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    If you wish more guides on the Dodge Challenger, go to our Dodge Challenger category.