Taking care of your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless conventional maintenance is designed to keep your Mercedes Benz M Class running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. Today we’re going to look at your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible malfunction, that’s why our team has made this article to help you in the event you notice a burnt plastic smell originating from your Mercedes Benz M Class . To help you check that it is nothing severe, first we will outline the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to find the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Mercedes Benz M Class? .

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The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Mercedes Benz M Class

So we commence our content page with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Mercedes Benz M Class . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good signal. Indeed, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical malfunction. 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 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 effectiveness and will not lubricate the auto parts and control the temperature as well, which will trigger the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Mercedes Benz M 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 specifically done of rubber, will deteriorate and no longer rotate completely on its axis. With the friction that this will trigger the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will generate a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Mercedes Benz M Class.
  • Defective hose wear: This circumstance arises specifically on Mercedes Benz M Class 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 trigger the plastic auto 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 melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less basic, specifically present on Mercedes Benz M Class’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto parts that may have been bent may 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 comes from on a Mercedes Benz M Class?

And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you find the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Mercedes Benz M Class . Now that you know the different possible origins 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 Mercedes Benz M Class smells hot, don’t hesitate to browse our article on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be simpler, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and check that your oil is reddish in colour and fluid enough. If you find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not hesitate to consult our article to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Mercedes Benz M Class.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not hesitate to change it.
  • Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually check all your hoses to find out if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, change them.
  • Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Mercedes Benz M Class, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    If you wish more tutorials on the Mercedes Benz M Class, go to our Mercedes Benz M Class category.