Keeping an eye on your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless conventional maintenance is supposed to keep your Jeep Gladiator running smoothly over time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. In this article 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 made this article to help you in case you identify a burnt plastic smell originating from your Jeep Gladiator . To help you check that it is nothing severe, first we will highlight the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to discover the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Jeep Gladiator? .
The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Jeep Gladiator
So we commence our content with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Jeep Gladiator . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. In actual fact, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a major malfunction. Down 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 function of gear or transmission oil is to lubricate the different elements of your gearbox so that all the gears and pinions are not broken, it also has a second function as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, with time, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the parts and control the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Jeep Gladiator. 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 Jeep Gladiator.
- Defective hose wear: This circumstance happens specifically on Jeep Gladiator 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 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 melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less general, specifically present on Jeep Gladiator’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 also pre-wear out your tyres.
How to identify where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Jeep Gladiator?
And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you discover the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Jeep Gladiator . Now that you know the different possible roots of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to eliminate the tracks that don’t concern you and fix your problem quickly. If your Jeep Gladiator smells hot, don’t hesitate to browse our article on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be less complicated, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and check 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 hesitate to consult our article to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Jeep Gladiator.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not hesitate to replace it.
- Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually check all your hoses to see if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, change them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Jeep Gladiator, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
To get more tips on the Jeep Gladiator, take a look at the Jeep Gladiator category.
