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 Classe A 4 running smoothly over time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. In this article we’re going to focus on your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible malfunction, that’s why our team has made this content to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell originating from your Mercedes Classe A 4 . To help you check that it is nothing severe, first we will highlight the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to discover the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Mercedes Classe A 4? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Mercedes Classe A 4
So we commence our article content with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Mercedes Classe A 4 . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good signal. In actual fact, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a important malfunction. Down 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 actual 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 also has a second function as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, over time, the oil will lose its performance and will not lubricate the parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will trigger the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Mercedes Classe A 4. 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 deteriorate and no longer rotate totally 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 block of your Mercedes Classe A 4.
- Defective hose wear: This circumstance happens specifically on Mercedes Classe A 4 that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your car unlike what you might think will trigger the plastic parts to wear out more fairly quickly. Hoses are the first to be suffering from 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 common, specifically present on Mercedes Classe A 4’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 find out where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Mercedes Classe A 4?
And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you discover the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Mercedes Classe A 4 . 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 solve your issue quickly. If your Mercedes Classe A 4 smells hot, don’t hesitate to go through our content 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 discover debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not hesitate to consult our content to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Mercedes Classe A 4.
- 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 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 trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Mercedes Classe A 4, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
To discover more tips on the Mercedes Classe A 4, take a look at the Mercedes Classe A 4 category.
