Keeping an eye on your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Although conventional routine service is designed to keep your Nissan Navara running smoothly over time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. Today we’re going to look at 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 you detect a burnt plastic smell originating from your Nissan Navara . To help you check that it is nothing significant, first we will outline the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to find the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Nissan Navara? .

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The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Nissan Navara

So we begin our content page with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Nissan Navara . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. Obviously, modern cars 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. Obviously, 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, as time passes, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Nissan Navara. 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 completely on its axis. With the friction that this will cause the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Nissan Navara.
  • Faulty hose wear: This case occurs especially on Nissan Navara that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your car contrary to what you might presume will cause the plastic parts to wear out more fairly 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 melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less common, especially present on Nissan Navara’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 Nissan Navara?

And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you find the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Nissan Navara . 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 Nissan Navara smells hot, don’t think twice to browse 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 replace it. Do not think twice to seek advice from our content to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Nissan Navara.
  • 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 think twice 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 cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Nissan Navara, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    If perhaps you have any further questions about the Nissan Navara, do not hesitate to consult our Nissan Navara category.