Taking care of your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Although classic routine service is supposed to keep your Renault Grand Espace running smoothly with time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. Today we’re going to look at your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible malfunction, that’s why our team has written this content page to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell caused by your Renault Grand Espace . To help you verify that it is nothing significant, first we will outline the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to discover the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Renault Grand Espace? .

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The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Renault Grand Espace

So we begin our guideline with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Renault Grand Espace . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. Indeed, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical malfunction. Down below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the main possible origin 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 broken, it as well has a second function as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, over time, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the auto parts and control the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Renault Grand Espace. 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 decline and no longer rotate completely on its axis. With the friction that this will cause 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 Renault Grand Espace.
  • Faulty hose wear: This circumstance happens especially on Renault Grand Espace 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 cause the plastic auto parts to wear out more fairly 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 might melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less general, especially present on Renault Grand Espace’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto parts that might have been bent might 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 originates from on a Renault Grand Espace?

And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you discover the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Renault Grand Espace . 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 problem quickly. If your Renault Grand Espace smells hot, don’t think twice to read our content page on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be simpler, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and verify that your oil is reddish in colour and fluid enough. If you see debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not think twice to consult our content page to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Renault Grand Espace.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it might 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 see 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 cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Renault Grand Espace, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    If you need more tutorials on the Renault Grand Espace, go to our Renault Grand Espace category.