Taking care of your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Although standard maintenance is supposed to keep your Nissan Terrano running smoothly with time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article 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 page to help you in the event that you identify a burnt plastic smell coming from your Nissan Terrano . To help you verify that it is nothing serious, first we will outline the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to locate the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Nissan Terrano? .

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

So we commence our guideline with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Nissan Terrano . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. In fact, recent vehicles 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 origin of such an odor. In fact, the action 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 as well has a second action as a temperature regulator. However, with time, the oil will lose its effectiveness 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 Nissan Terrano. 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 decline 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 generate a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Nissan Terrano.
  • Faulty hose wear: This case occurs specifically on Nissan Terrano that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your car unlike what you might presume will cause the plastic auto 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 issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less basic, specifically present on Nissan Terrano’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto parts that may have been bent may rub against one of your wheels and give off that burnt plastic smell. This may as well pre-wear out your tyres.

How to find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Nissan Terrano?

And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you locate the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Nissan Terrano . 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 issue quickly. If your Nissan Terrano smells hot, don’t think twice to read our content page on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be easier, 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 replace it. Do not think twice to seek advice from our content page to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Nissan Terrano.
  • 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 replace 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 case, replace them.
  • Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Nissan Terrano, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    To get more tips on the Nissan Terrano, take a look at the Nissan Terrano category.