Taking care of your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless classic routine service is supposed to keep your Ford Ranger running smoothly over time, some unexpected 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 created this content to help you in the event that you identify a burnt plastic smell caused by your Ford Ranger . 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 locate the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Ford Ranger? .
The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Ford Ranger
So we begin our content page with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Ford Ranger . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good indicator. In actual fact, recent 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. In actual 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 auto parts and control the temperature as well, which will trigger the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Ford Ranger. 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 done of rubber, will deteriorate and no longer rotate completely on its axis. With the friction that this will trigger the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will generate a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Ford Ranger.
- Defective hose wear: This circumstance happens specifically on Ford Ranger that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle unlike what you might believe will trigger the plastic auto parts to wear out more quickly. Hoses are the first to be impacted 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 Ranger’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 originates from on a Ford Ranger?
And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you locate the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Ford Ranger . 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 Ford Ranger smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our content 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 hesitate to consult our content to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Ford Ranger.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may possibly also make a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not hesitate 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 trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Ford Ranger, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
To find more tips on the Ford Ranger, take a look at the Ford Ranger category.
