Taking care of your car on a regular basis is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless standard routine service is designed to keep your Mazda CX 3 running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article 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 created this content page to help you in the event that you notice a burnt plastic smell caused by your Mazda CX 3 . To help you verify that it is nothing serious, first we will detail the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to locate the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Mazda CX 3? .

smell-burnt-plastic-mazda-cx-3

The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Mazda CX 3

So we commence our article with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Mazda CX 3 . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. In truth, recent cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a important breakdown. 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. In truth, 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 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 parts and control the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Mazda CX 3. 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 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 produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Mazda CX 3.
  • Faulty hose wear: This circumstance occurs especially on Mazda CX 3 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 cause 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 Mazda CX 3’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 identify where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Mazda CX 3?

And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you locate the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Mazda CX 3 . 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 fix your issue quickly. If your Mazda CX 3 smells hot, don’t hesitate to browse 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 replace it. Do not hesitate to seek advice from our content page to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Mazda CX 3.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may possibly also make 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 see 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 Mazda CX 3, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    If you wish more tutorials on the Mazda CX 3, go to our Mazda CX 3 category.