Taking care of your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless conventional maintenance is supposed to keep your Ford Transit Connect 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 written this article to help you in the event that you identify a burnt plastic smell originating from your Ford Transit Connect . To help you verify that it is nothing severe, first we will highlight the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to discover the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Ford Transit Connect? .

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The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Ford Transit Connect

So we start our article content with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Ford Transit Connect . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good sign. In actual fact, recent cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a important malfunction. Down 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. In actual fact, the function 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 function as a temperature regulator. However, with time, the oil will lose its effectiveness 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 Transit Connect. 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 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 Transit Connect.
  • Faulty hose wear: This case occurs especially on Ford Transit Connect 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 cause the plastic auto parts to wear out more fairly 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 might melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less common, especially present on Ford Transit Connect’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto parts that might have been bent might 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 Transit Connect?

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 Transit Connect . 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 solve your problem quickly. If your Ford Transit Connect smells hot, don’t think twice to browse 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 find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not think twice to seek advice from our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Ford Transit Connect.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it might also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not think twice to change 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 case, 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 Transit Connect, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    If you have any further questions about the Ford Transit Connect, do not hesitate to consult our Ford Transit Connect category.