Taking care of your car on a regular basis is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless classic maintenance is supposed to keep your Kia Sedona running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. Today we’re going to speak about your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible breakdown, that’s why our team has written this article to help you in the event you detect a burnt plastic smell caused by your Kia Sedona . To help you verify that it is nothing serious, first we will detail the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to find the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Kia Sedona? .

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

So we start our guideline with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Kia Sedona . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. In actual fact, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical breakdown. Down below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the main possible source 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 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 Kia Sedona. 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 cause the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will create a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine block of your Kia Sedona.
  • Faulty hose wear: This circumstance occurs especially on Kia Sedona 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 cause the plastic auto parts to wear out more quickly. Hoses are the first to be affected 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 issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less basic, especially present on Kia Sedona’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 Kia Sedona?

And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you find the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Kia Sedona . 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 fix your problem quickly. If your Kia Sedona smells hot, don’t hesitate to go through our article on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be less complicated, 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 Sedona.
  • 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 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 circumstance, change them.
  • Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Kia Sedona, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    If you want more guides on the Kia Sedona, go to our Kia Sedona category.