Taking care of your car on a regular basis is the best thing you can do. Although classic routine service is designed to keep your Mazda MX 5 Miata running smoothly with time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. Today 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 the event you detect a burnt plastic smell coming from your Mazda MX 5 Miata . To help you check 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 find the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Mazda MX 5 Miata? .

smell-burnt-plastic-mazda-mx-5-miata

The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Mazda MX 5 Miata

So we start our guideline with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Mazda MX 5 Miata . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. In fact, recent cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical breakdown. 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 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, as time passes, the oil will lose its performance and will not lubricate the parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will bring about the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Mazda MX 5 Miata. 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 mainly done of rubber, will decline and no longer rotate totally on its axis. With the friction that this will bring about 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 MX 5 Miata.
  • Faulty hose wear: This circumstance happens especially on Mazda MX 5 Miata that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your car contrary to what you might believe will bring about the plastic parts to wear out more quickly. Hoses are the first to be troubled 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 general, especially present on Mazda MX 5 Miata’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body 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 originates from on a Mazda MX 5 Miata?

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 Mazda MX 5 Miata . 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 Mazda MX 5 Miata smells hot, don’t think twice to read 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 discover debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not think twice to seek advice from our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Mazda MX 5 Miata.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it might also make a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not think twice to change it.
  • Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually check all your hoses to discover if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, change them.
  • Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Mazda MX 5 Miata, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    If you need more tutorials on the Mazda MX 5 Miata, go to our Mazda MX 5 Miata category.