Taking care of your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Although classic maintenance is designed to keep your Peugeot 205 running smoothly with time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. Today 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 created this content to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell caused by your Peugeot 205 . To help you check that it is nothing significant, first we will outline the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to find the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Peugeot 205? .

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The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Peugeot 205

So we start our article with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Peugeot 205 . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good indicator. In actual fact, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a important malfunction. Below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the most important possible source of such an odor. In actual fact, the objective 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 objective as a temperature regulator. However, in the long run, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the parts and control the temperature as well, which will bring about the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Peugeot 205. 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 specifically done of rubber, will degrade and no longer rotate completely on its axis. With the friction that this will bring about the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will create a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine block of your Peugeot 205.
  • Defective hose wear: This case arises specifically on Peugeot 205 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 think will bring about the plastic 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, specifically present on Peugeot 205’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 find out where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Peugeot 205?

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 Peugeot 205 . 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 fix your issue quickly. If your Peugeot 205 smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our content on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be easier, 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 hesitate to seek advice from our content to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Peugeot 205.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it might also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not hesitate 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 parts: Last but not least, the last element that can bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Peugeot 205, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    If you have any further questions about the Peugeot 205, do not hesitate to consult our Peugeot 205 category.