Taking care of your car on a regular basis is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless standard maintenance is supposed to keep your Nissan Qashqai running smoothly with time, some unforeseen 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 breakdown, that’s why our team has made this content to help you in the event that you detect a burnt plastic smell originating from your Nissan Qashqai . To help you verify that it is nothing serious, first we will detail the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to find the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Nissan Qashqai? .

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The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Nissan Qashqai

So we commence our article content with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Nissan Qashqai . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. In fact, recent cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a important breakdown. Down below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the most important possible source of such an odor. In 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 broken, it also has a second function as a temperature regulator. However, with time, the oil will lose its performance and will not lubricate the auto parts and control the temperature as well, which will trigger the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Nissan Qashqai. 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 principally made 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 create a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Nissan Qashqai.
  • Faulty hose wear: This circumstance happens specifically on Nissan Qashqai that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your car unlike what you might presume will trigger the plastic auto 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 might melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less basic, specifically present on Nissan Qashqai’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto parts that might have been bent might rub against one of your wheels and give off that burnt plastic smell. This may also pre-wear out your tyres.

How to identify where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Nissan Qashqai?

And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you find the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Nissan Qashqai . Now that you know the different possible origins of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to eliminate the tracks that don’t concern you and fix your issue quickly. If your Nissan Qashqai smells hot, don’t think twice to read our content 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 find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not think twice to seek advice from our content to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Nissan Qashqai.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it might also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not think twice to replace it.
  • Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually verify all your hoses to find out if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, change them.
  • Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Nissan Qashqai, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    If you wish more guides on the Nissan Qashqai, go to our Nissan Qashqai category.