Keeping an eye on your car on a regular basis is the best thing you can do. Although standard routine service is designed to keep your Opel Mokka running smoothly over time, some unforeseen 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 breakdown, that’s why our team has written this article to help you in the event that you detect a burnt plastic smell caused by your Opel Mokka . 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 discover the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Opel Mokka? .
The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Opel Mokka
So we begin our article with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Opel Mokka . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. In actual fact, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a significant breakdown. 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. In actual 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, over 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 Opel Mokka. 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 degrade 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 produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Opel Mokka.
- Faulty hose wear: This circumstance happens especially on Opel Mokka 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 trigger the plastic parts to wear out more 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 problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less general, especially present on Opel Mokka’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 as well pre-wear out your tyres.
How to find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Opel Mokka?
And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you discover the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Opel Mokka . 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 Opel Mokka smells hot, don’t hesitate 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 hesitate to seek advice from our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Opel Mokka.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may 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 check 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 Opel Mokka, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
In the event that you have any further questions about the Opel Mokka, do not hesitate to consult our Opel Mokka category.
