Keeping an eye on your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Although conventional routine service is designed to keep your Mercedes Benz Sprinter running smoothly with time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. Today we’re going to speak about 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 case you detect a burnt plastic smell originating from your Mercedes Benz Sprinter . To help you check that it is nothing severe, first we will outline the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to discover the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Mercedes Benz Sprinter? .
The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Mercedes Benz Sprinter
So we commence our article with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Mercedes Benz Sprinter . Generally speaking, 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 significant malfunction. 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. Indeed, the action 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 also has a second action as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, as time passes, the oil will lose its effectiveness and will not lubricate the parts and control the temperature as well, which will bring about the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Mercedes Benz Sprinter. 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 made of rubber, will deteriorate 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 generate a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Mercedes Benz Sprinter.
- Faulty hose wear: This case arises especially on Mercedes Benz Sprinter 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 believe will bring about the plastic parts to wear out more fairly 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 issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less general, especially present on Mercedes Benz Sprinter’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body 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 originates from on a Mercedes Benz Sprinter?
And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you discover the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Mercedes Benz Sprinter . 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 fix your issue quickly. If your Mercedes Benz Sprinter smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our article on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be easier, 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 replace it. Do not hesitate to consult our article to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Mercedes Benz Sprinter.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not hesitate to replace 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 case, change them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Mercedes Benz Sprinter, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
In the event that you have any additional questions about the Mercedes Benz Sprinter, do not hesitate to consult our Mercedes Benz Sprinter category.
