Taking care of your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Although conventional routine service is supposed to keep your Opel Zafira running smoothly with time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. In this article we’re going to focus on your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible malfunction, that’s why our team has written this content page to help you in the event that you detect a burnt plastic smell caused by your Opel Zafira . To help you check that it is nothing serious, first we will detail the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to discover the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Opel Zafira? .

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The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Opel Zafira

So we commence our content with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Opel Zafira . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. Indeed, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a significant malfunction. Down 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. Indeed, 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. Nevertheless, as time passes, the oil will lose its performance and will not lubricate the auto parts and control the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Opel Zafira. 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 principally done of rubber, will deteriorate 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 Zafira.
  • Faulty hose wear: This case happens especially on Opel Zafira 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 auto 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 might melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less basic, especially present on Opel Zafira’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 originates from on a Opel Zafira?

And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you discover the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Opel Zafira . Now that you know the different possible origins of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to get rid of the tracks that don’t concern you and fix your problem quickly. If your Opel Zafira smells hot, don’t think twice to read our content page on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be less complicated, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and check 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 consult our content page to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Opel Zafira.
  • 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 replace it.
  • Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually check all your hoses to find out 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 Opel Zafira, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    To get more tips on the Opel Zafira, take a look at the Opel Zafira category.