Taking care of your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Although classic maintenance is designed to keep your Fiat Ducato running smoothly with 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 Fiat Ducato . To help you check that it is nothing serious, first we will highlight the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to discover the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Fiat Ducato? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Fiat Ducato
So we start our article with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Fiat Ducato . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. In fact, recent cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a significant 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 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. Nevertheless, in the long run, the oil will lose its effectiveness and will not lubricate the parts and control the temperature as well, which will bring about the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Fiat Ducato. 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 degrade and no longer rotate completely 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 block of your Fiat Ducato.
- Faulty hose wear: This case occurs specifically on Fiat Ducato 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 believe will bring about the plastic parts to wear out more quickly. Hoses are the first to be troubled 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 common, specifically present on Fiat Ducato’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 as well pre-wear out your tyres.
How to find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Fiat Ducato?
And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you discover the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Fiat Ducato . 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 fix your issue quickly. If your Fiat Ducato smells hot, don’t hesitate to browse our content on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be less complicated, 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 find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Fiat Ducato.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it might 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 case, change them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Fiat Ducato, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
If perhaps you have any additional questions about the Fiat Ducato, do not hesitate to consult our Fiat Ducato category.