Taking care of your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless classic routine service is supposed to keep your Ford F 150  running smoothly with time, some unforeseen 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 malfunction, that’s why our team has made this article to help you in the event you detect a burnt plastic smell coming from your Ford F 150  . To help you verify 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 cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Ford F 150 ? .

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The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Ford F 150 

So we start our content with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Ford F 150  . Generally, 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 malfunction. Below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the main 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 broken, it as well has a second action as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, over time, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the auto parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Ford F 150 . 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 degrade and no longer rotate totally on its axis. With the friction that this will cause 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 Ford F 150 .
  • Faulty hose wear: This circumstance arises especially on Ford F 150  that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your car unlike what you might believe will cause the plastic auto parts to wear out more 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, especially present on Ford F 150 ‘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 identify where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Ford F 150 ?

And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you discover the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Ford F 150  . 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 fix your issue quickly. If your Ford F 150  smells hot, don’t think twice to browse our article on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be simpler, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and verify 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 think twice to consult our article to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Ford F 150 .
  • 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 think twice to replace it.
  • Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually verify all your hoses to find out if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, change them.
  • Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Ford F 150 , a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    If you want more guides on the Ford F 150 , go to our Ford F 150  category.