Taking care of your car on a regular basis is the best thing you can do. Although classic routine service is supposed to keep your Mini Mini 3 running smoothly with time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article we’re going to talk about your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible breakdown, that’s why our team has written this content to help you in the event that you detect a burnt plastic smell originating from your Mini Mini 3 . 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 Mini Mini 3? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Mini Mini 3
So we commence our article content with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Mini Mini 3 . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. In actual fact, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical breakdown. Below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the main possible origin of such an odor. In actual fact, the objective 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 objective as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, as time passes, the oil will lose its effectiveness 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 Mini Mini 3. 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 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 Mini Mini 3.
- Defective hose wear: This case occurs specifically on Mini Mini 3 that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle contrary to what you might think will trigger 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 problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less common, specifically present on Mini Mini 3’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 comes from on a Mini Mini 3?
And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you discover the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Mini Mini 3 . Now that you know the different possible roots of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to eliminate the tracks that don’t concern you and resolve your issue quickly. If your Mini Mini 3 smells hot, don’t think twice to browse our content 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 change it. Do not think twice to consult our content to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Mini Mini 3.
- 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 think twice 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 case, change them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Mini Mini 3, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
If you want more tutorials on the Mini Mini 3, go to our Mini Mini 3 category.
