Keeping an eye on your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless classic maintenance is supposed to keep your Jeep Liberty running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article 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 made this content page to help you in case you notice a burnt plastic smell originating from your Jeep Liberty . To help you verify that it is nothing serious, first we will highlight the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to discover the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Jeep Liberty? .

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The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Jeep Liberty

So we start our article with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Jeep Liberty . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. In 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 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. However, over 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 Jeep Liberty. 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 decline 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 produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Jeep Liberty.
  • Defective hose wear: This circumstance arises specifically on Jeep Liberty that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle contrary to what you might think will cause the plastic auto parts to wear out more fairly quickly. Hoses are the first to be troubled by 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 general, specifically present on Jeep Liberty’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 comes from on a Jeep Liberty?

And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you discover the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Jeep Liberty . Now that you know the different possible roots of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to get rid of the tracks that don’t concern you and resolve your issue quickly. If your Jeep Liberty smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our content page 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 see debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not hesitate to seek advice from our content page to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Jeep Liberty.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it might also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not hesitate to change 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 circumstance, replace them.
  • Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Jeep Liberty, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    If you want more tutorials on the Jeep Liberty, go to our Jeep Liberty category.