Keeping an eye on your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless standard maintenance is designed to keep your Opel Grandland X running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. Today we’re going to talk about your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible malfunction, that’s why our team has created this article to help you in case you notice a burnt plastic smell coming from your Opel Grandland X . To help you check that it is nothing severe, first we will highlight the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to find the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Opel Grandland X? .
The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Opel Grandland X
So we commence our guideline with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Opel Grandland X . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good indicator. In actual fact, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical malfunction. Down below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the main possible source of such an odor. In actual 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 damaged, it also has a second function as a temperature regulator. However, in the long run, the oil will lose its performance 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 Opel Grandland X. 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 specifically done of rubber, will decline and no longer rotate totally on its axis. With the friction that this will cause 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 Opel Grandland X.
- Faulty hose wear: This case arises especially on Opel Grandland X 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 think will cause the plastic parts to wear out more fairly quickly. Hoses are the first to be suffering from 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 issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less common, especially present on Opel Grandland X’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body 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 originates from on a Opel Grandland X?
And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you find the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Opel Grandland X . Now that you know the different possible roots of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to get rid of the tracks that don’t concern you and solve your issue quickly. If your Opel Grandland X smells hot, don’t think twice to read our article 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 change it. Do not think twice to consult our article to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Opel Grandland X.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it might also make a whistling sound if it is in poor state. 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 cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Opel Grandland X, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
If you need more tutorials on the Opel Grandland X, go to our Opel Grandland X category.
