Keeping an eye on your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Although standard routine service is supposed to keep your Ford E Series running smoothly over time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. Today we’re going to look at your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible malfunction, that’s why our team has written this article to help you in the event you identify a burnt plastic smell caused by your Ford E Series . To help you check that it is nothing serious, first we will outline the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to locate the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Ford E Series? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Ford E Series
So we start our article with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Ford E Series . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. Indeed, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical malfunction. Below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the main possible origin of such an odor. Indeed, 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 damaged, it as well has a second action as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, as time passes, the oil will lose its effectiveness 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 Ford E Series. 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 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 Ford E Series.
- Faulty hose wear: This circumstance occurs specifically on Ford E Series that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your car contrary to what you might believe will trigger the plastic parts to wear out more fairly quickly. Hoses are the first to be affected by 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, specifically present on Ford E Series’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 identify where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Ford E Series?
And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you locate the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Ford E Series . 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 problem quickly. If your Ford E Series smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our article on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be easier, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and check that your oil is reddish in colour and fluid enough. If you find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not hesitate to consult our article to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Ford E Series.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may possibly also make 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 find out if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, change them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Ford E Series, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
If perhaps you have any further questions about the Ford E Series, do not hesitate to consult our Ford E Series category.
