Taking care of your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless classic maintenance is supposed to keep your Mitsubishi Outlander running smoothly over 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 created this content page to help you in case you notice a burnt plastic smell originating from your Mitsubishi Outlander . To help you verify that it is nothing serious, first we will highlight the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to find the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Mitsubishi Outlander? .
The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Mitsubishi Outlander
So we begin our content page with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Mitsubishi Outlander . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good signal. Indeed, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical malfunction. Below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the main possible origin of such an odor. Indeed, the function of gear or transmission oil is to lubricate the different components of your gearbox so that all the gears and pinions are not damaged, it as well has a second function as a temperature regulator. However, with time, the oil will lose its efficiency 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 Mitsubishi Outlander. 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 mainly made of rubber, will degrade and no longer rotate entirely on its axis. With the friction that this will trigger the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine block of your Mitsubishi Outlander.
- Defective hose wear: This circumstance arises especially on Mitsubishi Outlander 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 believe will trigger the plastic parts to wear out more quickly. Hoses are the first to be troubled 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 issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less common, especially present on Mitsubishi Outlander’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body 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 originates from on a Mitsubishi Outlander?
And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you find the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Mitsubishi Outlander . 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 solve your problem quickly. If your Mitsubishi Outlander smells hot, don’t hesitate to browse our content page on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be less complicated, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and verify 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 seek advice from our content page to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Mitsubishi Outlander.
- 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 change it.
- Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually verify all your hoses to discover if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, change them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Mitsubishi Outlander, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
Whenever you have any additional questions about the Mitsubishi Outlander, do not hesitate to consult our Mitsubishi Outlander category.
