Taking care of your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless conventional maintenance is supposed to keep your GMC Canyon running smoothly over time, some unpredicted 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 breakdown, that’s why our team has written this content page to help you in the event you detect a burnt plastic smell originating from your GMC Canyon . To help you verify that it is nothing serious, first we will outline the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to find the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your GMC Canyon? .

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The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a GMC Canyon

So we commence our content with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a GMC Canyon . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. Obviously, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical breakdown. Below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the most important possible origin of such an odor. Obviously, 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 broken, it also has a second function as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, over time, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will bring about the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your GMC Canyon. 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 done of rubber, will degrade and no longer rotate completely on its axis. With the friction that this will bring about the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your GMC Canyon.
  • Faulty hose wear: This case happens especially on GMC Canyon 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 think will bring about the plastic 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 may possibly melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less basic, especially present on GMC Canyon’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 also pre-wear out your tyres.

How to find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a GMC Canyon?

And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you find the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your GMC Canyon . 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 GMC Canyon smells hot, don’t hesitate to go through our content page 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 find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not hesitate to consult our content page to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a GMC Canyon.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may possibly also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not hesitate 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 parts: Last but not least, the last element that can bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your GMC Canyon, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    If you have any additional questions about the GMC Canyon, do not hesitate to consult our GMC Canyon category.