Taking care of your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Although standard maintenance is supposed to keep your Lexus IS running smoothly over time, some unforeseen 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 malfunction, that’s why our team has made this content page to help you in the event that you detect a burnt plastic smell caused by your Lexus IS . 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 locate the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Lexus IS? .
The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Lexus IS
So we commence our content page with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Lexus IS . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. In actual fact, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a important malfunction. Below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the main possible source of such an odor. In actual fact, the action 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 also has a second action as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, as time passes, the oil will lose its performance and will not lubricate the auto parts and control the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Lexus IS. 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 deteriorate 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 block of your Lexus IS.
- Faulty hose wear: This case happens especially on Lexus IS that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your vehicle contrary to what you might presume will cause the plastic auto parts to wear out more 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 might melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less basic, especially present on Lexus IS’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 also pre-wear out your tyres.
How to identify where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Lexus IS?
And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you locate the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Lexus IS . 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 problem quickly. If your Lexus IS smells hot, don’t think twice to read our content page on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be easier, 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 think twice to consult our content page to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Lexus IS.
- 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 think twice 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 case, replace them.
- Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Lexus IS, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
If you have any additional questions about the Lexus IS, do not hesitate to consult our Lexus IS category.
