Taking care of your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless standard routine service is supposed to keep your Ford F 350 running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. Today we’re going to focus on your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible malfunction, that’s why our team has created this content to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell coming from your Ford F 350 . To help you verify that it is nothing significant, first we will detail the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to discover the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Ford F 350 ? .
The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Ford F 350
So we begin our content with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Ford F 350 . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. In fact, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a important malfunction. 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. In fact, the function 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 function as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, in the long run, the oil will lose its efficiency 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 F 350 . 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 specifically made of rubber, will deteriorate 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 block of your Ford F 350 .
- Defective hose wear: This case arises especially on Ford F 350 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 presume will trigger the plastic 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 melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less common, especially present on Ford F 350 ‘s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body parts that may have been bent may 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 Ford F 350 ?
And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you discover the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Ford F 350 . Now that you know the different possible origins of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to get rid of the tracks that don’t concern you and fix your problem quickly. If your Ford F 350 smells hot, don’t think twice to go through our content on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be easier, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and verify 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 think twice to seek advice from our content to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Ford F 350 .
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not think twice to replace it.
- Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually verify all your hoses to see if any are frayed or melted. If this is the case, replace them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Ford F 350 , a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
If you wish more guides on the Ford F 350 , go to our Ford F 350 category.
