Keeping an eye on your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Although standard routine service is designed to keep your Kia Sportage running smoothly over time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. Today we’re going to focus on your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible breakdown, that’s why our team has written this content page to help you in the event you detect a burnt plastic smell originating from your Kia Sportage . To help you verify that it is nothing serious, first we will outline 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 Sportage? .
The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Kia Sportage
So we commence our article with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Kia Sportage . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. Indeed, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a important breakdown. Down below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the most important possible origin of such an odor. Indeed, 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. Nevertheless, as time passes, 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 Sportage. 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 specifically made of rubber, will decline and no longer rotate entirely 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 Sportage.
- Defective hose wear: This circumstance arises especially on Kia Sportage that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle unlike what you might presume will cause the plastic 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 may possibly melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less general, especially present on Kia Sportage’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 Sportage?
And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you find the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Kia Sportage . 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 resolve your issue quickly. If your Kia Sportage smells hot, don’t think twice to browse our content page 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 think twice to seek advice from our content page to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Kia Sportage.
- 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 think twice 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 parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Kia Sportage, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
If you have any further questions about the Kia Sportage, do not hesitate to consult our Kia Sportage category.
