Taking care of your car on a regular basis is the best thing you can do. Although conventional maintenance is supposed to keep your Peugeot 309 running smoothly with time, some unpredicted 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 malfunction, that’s why our team has created this content to help you in case you identify a burnt plastic smell originating from your Peugeot 309 . To help you check that it is nothing severe, first we will detail 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 309? .

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The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Peugeot 309

So we commence our article with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Peugeot 309 . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. Indeed, recent 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. Indeed, 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 also 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 309. 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 done of rubber, will degrade and no longer rotate totally 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 309.
  • Defective hose wear: This circumstance occurs specifically on Peugeot 309 that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your vehicle unlike what you might believe will trigger the plastic auto parts to wear out more fairly quickly. Hoses are the first to be affected 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 issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less common, specifically present on Peugeot 309’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto parts that may have been bent may 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 309?

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 309 . 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 solve your issue quickly. If your Peugeot 309 smells hot, don’t think twice to browse 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 think twice to seek advice from our content to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Peugeot 309.
  • 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 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 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 309, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    If you want more tutorials on the Peugeot 309, go to our Peugeot 309 category.