Keeping an eye on your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless standard routine service is supposed to keep your Mercedes A class running smoothly with time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. Today we’re going to talk about your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible malfunction, that’s why our team has written this content to help you in the event you identify a burnt plastic smell originating from your Mercedes A class . 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 motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to find the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Mercedes A class? .

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The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Mercedes A class

So we start our content with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Mercedes A class . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. Obviously, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a significant malfunction. Below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the most important possible source of such an odor. Obviously, 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 as well has a second action as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, with 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 Mercedes A class. 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 deteriorate 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 unit block of your Mercedes A class.
  • Defective hose wear: This circumstance arises specifically on Mercedes A class 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 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 basic, specifically present on Mercedes A class’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 Mercedes A class?

And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you find the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Mercedes A class . Now that you know the different possible roots of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to get rid of the tracks that don’t concern you and solve your issue quickly. If your Mercedes A class smells hot, don’t think twice to go through our content 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 discover debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not think twice to seek advice from our content to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Mercedes A class.
  • 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 think twice to replace it.
  • Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually verify all your hoses to discover if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, replace them.
  • Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Mercedes A class, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    If you have any additional questions about the Mercedes A class, do not hesitate to consult our Mercedes A class category.