Taking care of your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Although conventional maintenance is supposed to keep your Porsche Macan running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car 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 article to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell caused by your Porsche Macan . To help you verify that it is nothing severe, first we will outline the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to discover the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Porsche Macan? .

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The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Porsche Macan

So we begin our content with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Porsche Macan . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. In truth, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical malfunction. Below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the most important possible origin of such an odor. In truth, the action of gear or transmission oil is to lubricate the different components of your gearbox so that all the gears and pinions are not damaged, it also has a second action 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 trigger the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Porsche Macan. 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 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 Porsche Macan.
  • Defective hose wear: This case happens especially on Porsche Macan 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 believe will trigger the plastic parts to wear out more 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 melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less common, especially present on Porsche Macan’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body 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 identify where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Porsche Macan?

And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you discover the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Porsche Macan . Now that you know the different possible origins 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 Porsche Macan smells hot, don’t hesitate to go through our article 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 find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not hesitate to consult our article to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Porsche Macan.
  • 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 hesitate to change it.
  • Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually verify all your hoses to find out if any are frayed or melted. If this is the case, change them.
  • Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Porsche Macan, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    To discover more tips on the Porsche Macan, take a look at the Porsche Macan category.