Taking care of your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Although classic maintenance is designed to keep your Peugeot 208 running smoothly over 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 made this content to help you in the event you identify a burnt plastic smell originating from your Peugeot 208 . To help you check that it is nothing serious, first we will detail the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to find the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Peugeot 208? .
The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Peugeot 208
So we begin our content with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Peugeot 208 . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good indicator. Obviously, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a important malfunction. 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. Obviously, 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. Nevertheless, as time passes, the oil will lose its performance and will not lubricate the auto parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will trigger the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Peugeot 208. 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 decline 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 Peugeot 208.
- Faulty hose wear: This circumstance occurs specifically on Peugeot 208 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 auto parts to wear out more 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 may possibly melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less common, specifically present on Peugeot 208’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto parts that may possibly have been bent may possibly 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 Peugeot 208?
And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you find the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Peugeot 208 . 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 issue quickly. If your Peugeot 208 smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our content 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 discover debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not hesitate to consult our content to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Peugeot 208.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may possibly 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 discover if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, replace them.
- Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Peugeot 208, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
If you want more guides on the Peugeot 208, go to our Peugeot 208 category.
