Keeping an eye on your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Although conventional maintenance is designed to keep your Fiat Punto running smoothly over time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article 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 written this article to help you in the event that you detect a burnt plastic smell originating from your Fiat Punto . To help you verify 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 find the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Fiat Punto? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Fiat Punto
So we commence our article with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Fiat Punto . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good signal. Obviously, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a significant breakdown. Down below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the most important possible source of such an odor. Obviously, 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 damaged, 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 parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Fiat Punto. 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 done of rubber, will deteriorate and no longer rotate completely on its axis. With the friction that this will cause 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 Fiat Punto.
- Defective hose wear: This case happens specifically on Fiat Punto that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle contrary to what you might presume will cause 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 problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less common, specifically present on Fiat Punto’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 as well pre-wear out your tyres.
How to find out where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Fiat Punto?
And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you find the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Fiat Punto . 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 Fiat Punto smells hot, don’t think twice to read our article 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 think twice to consult our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Fiat Punto.
- 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 think twice 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 cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Fiat Punto, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
To get more tips on the Fiat Punto, take a look at the Fiat Punto category.
