Keeping an eye on your car on a regular basis is the best thing you can do. Although standard routine service is designed to keep your Mercedes Classe M running smoothly with time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article 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 content to help you in case you notice a burnt plastic smell originating from your Mercedes Classe M . To help you check that it is nothing significant, first we will highlight the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to discover the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Mercedes Classe M? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Mercedes Classe M
So we begin our guideline with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Mercedes Classe M . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. Indeed, recent cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a major malfunction. Below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the most important possible source 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 as well has a second action as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, as time passes, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the auto parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Mercedes Classe M. 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 principally made of rubber, will degrade and no longer rotate entirely on its axis. With the friction that this will cause 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 M.
- Faulty hose wear: This circumstance arises especially on Mercedes Classe M that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your vehicle unlike what you might think will cause 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 possibly melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less general, especially present on Mercedes Classe M’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto 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 comes from on a Mercedes Classe M?
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 M . 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 fix your problem quickly. If your Mercedes Classe M smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our content 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 find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not hesitate to seek advice from our content to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Mercedes Classe M.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may possibly also make a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not hesitate to replace 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, replace them.
- Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Mercedes Classe M, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
To discover more tips on the Mercedes Classe M, take a look at the Mercedes Classe M category.
