Keeping an eye on your car on a regular basis is the best thing you can do. Although classic maintenance is designed to keep your Dodge Charger running smoothly over time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car 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 article to help you in the event that you detect a burnt plastic smell originating from your Dodge Charger . To help you check that it is nothing significant, first we will highlight the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to discover the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Dodge Charger? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Dodge Charger
So we begin our article with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Dodge Charger . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good sign. In truth, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a significant 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 truth, the action 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 as well has a second action as a temperature regulator. However, in the long run, the oil will lose its effectiveness and will not lubricate the auto parts and control the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Dodge Charger. 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 decline 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 produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine block of your Dodge Charger.
- Faulty hose wear: This case happens specifically on Dodge Charger 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 think will cause the plastic auto parts to wear out more fairly 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 problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less common, specifically present on Dodge Charger’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto parts that may possibly have been bent may possibly rub against one of your wheels and give off that burnt plastic smell. This may as well pre-wear out your tyres.
How to find out where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Dodge Charger?
And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you discover the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Dodge Charger . Now that you know the different possible roots of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to eliminate the tracks that don’t concern you and resolve your issue quickly. If your Dodge Charger smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our article 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 see debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not hesitate to consult our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Dodge Charger.
- 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 check all your hoses to see if any are frayed or melted. If this is the case, change them.
- Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Dodge Charger, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
In the event that you have any further questions about the Dodge Charger, do not hesitate to consult our Dodge Charger category.
