Keeping an eye on your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless standard maintenance is designed to keep your Renault Laguna running smoothly with time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article we’re going to speak about your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible breakdown, that’s why our team has created this article to help you in the event that you detect a burnt plastic smell originating from your Renault Laguna . 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 origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Renault Laguna? .

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The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Renault Laguna

So we commence our article content with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Renault Laguna . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. In fact, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical breakdown. Down below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the most important possible source of such an odor. In fact, 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 broken, it also has a second action as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, with time, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the auto parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Renault Laguna. You risk pre-wearing your gearbox if you don’t take care of it.
  • The accessory belt: Nevertheless rarer, it is possible with wear and tear that your belt, which is specifically made of rubber, will degrade and no longer rotate totally on its axis. With the friction that this will cause the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine block of your Renault Laguna.
  • Faulty hose wear: This circumstance occurs specifically on Renault Laguna that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle contrary to what you might believe will cause the plastic auto 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 general, specifically present on Renault Laguna’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 Renault Laguna?

And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you discover the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Renault Laguna . 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 fix your problem quickly. If your Renault Laguna smells hot, don’t think twice to read 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 see debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not think twice to seek advice from our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Renault Laguna.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not think twice to change 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 Laguna, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    To get more tips on the Renault Laguna, take a look at the Renault Laguna category.