Taking care of your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Although standard routine service is supposed to keep your Peugeot 306 running smoothly with time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. In this article 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 created this content to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell caused by your Peugeot 306 . To help you verify that it is nothing severe, first we will outline the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to locate the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Peugeot 306? .

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The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Peugeot 306

So we start our content with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Peugeot 306 . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good indicator. Indeed, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical breakdown. 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. 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 damaged, it as well has a second function as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, over time, the oil will lose its performance 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 306. 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 made of rubber, will decline and no longer rotate totally on its axis. With the friction that this will bring about the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will generate a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine block of your Peugeot 306.
  • Faulty hose wear: This case happens especially on Peugeot 306 that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your vehicle contrary to what you might presume will bring about the plastic parts to wear out more fairly 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 possibly melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less general, especially present on Peugeot 306’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body 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 identify where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Peugeot 306?

And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you locate the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Peugeot 306 . Now that you know the different possible roots of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to eliminate the tracks that don’t concern you and solve your issue quickly. If your Peugeot 306 smells hot, don’t think twice to read our content on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be less complicated, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and verify 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 think twice to consult our content to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Peugeot 306.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may possibly also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not think twice to replace it.
  • Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually verify 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 bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Peugeot 306, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    If you need more guides on the Peugeot 306, go to our Peugeot 306 category.