Taking care of your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless standard maintenance is supposed to keep your Kia Forte running smoothly over time, some unpredicted 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 article to help you in the event that you detect a burnt plastic smell caused by your Kia Forte . To help you verify that it is nothing significant, first we will detail the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to discover the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Kia Forte? .

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The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Kia Forte

So we start our article content with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Kia Forte . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good sign. In fact, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a important malfunction. Below we will talk about 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 broken, it as well has a second function as a temperature regulator. However, as time passes, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the parts and control the temperature as well, which will trigger the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Kia Forte. 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 mainly done of rubber, will deteriorate and no longer rotate totally on its axis. With the friction that this will trigger 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 Kia Forte.
  • Faulty hose wear: This case happens especially on Kia Forte 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 trigger 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 possibly melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less common, especially present on Kia Forte’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 as well pre-wear out your tyres.

How to find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Kia Forte?

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 Kia Forte . 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 Kia Forte smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our article 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 article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Kia Forte.
  • 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 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 case, change them.
  • Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Kia Forte, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    If you want more tutorials on the Kia Forte, go to our Kia Forte category.