Taking care of your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Although standard routine service is supposed to keep your Kia Rio running smoothly over time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. In this article we’re going to look at your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible breakdown, that’s why our team has made this article to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell coming from your Kia Rio . To help you check that it is nothing serious, first we will highlight the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to locate the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Kia Rio? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Kia Rio
So we commence our article with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Kia Rio . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. Obviously, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a major breakdown. Down below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the main possible source of such an odor. Obviously, the objective 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 also has a second objective as a temperature regulator. However, in the long run, 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 Kia Rio. You risk pre-wearing your gearbox if you don’t take care of it.
- The accessory belt: Although rarer, it is possible with wear and tear that your belt, which is principally done of rubber, will degrade 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 unit block of your Kia Rio.
- Faulty hose wear: This case occurs specifically on Kia Rio 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 presume will cause 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 melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less basic, specifically present on Kia Rio’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 find out where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Kia Rio?
And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you locate the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Kia Rio . 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 issue quickly. If your Kia Rio smells hot, don’t think twice to go through 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 think twice to consult our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Kia Rio.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may also make a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not think twice 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 case, change them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Kia Rio, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
To discover more tips on the Kia Rio, take a look at the Kia Rio category.
