Taking care of your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless conventional routine service is supposed to keep your Renault Megane 3 running smoothly with time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car 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 identify a burnt plastic smell coming from your Renault Megane 3 . 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 car, then, in a second step, how to locate the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Renault Megane 3? .
The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Renault Megane 3
So we start our article with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Renault Megane 3 . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. Obviously, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a important breakdown. 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. Obviously, the objective 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 objective as a temperature regulator. However, with time, 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 Renault Megane 3. 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 mainly done of rubber, will deteriorate 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 generate a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Renault Megane 3.
- Defective hose wear: This case occurs specifically on Renault Megane 3 that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your car unlike what you might believe will trigger the plastic auto parts to wear out more quickly. Hoses are the first to be troubled by 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 problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less general, specifically present on Renault Megane 3’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 comes from on a Renault Megane 3?
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 Renault Megane 3 . Now that you know the different possible origins of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to get rid of the tracks that don’t concern you and resolve your problem quickly. If your Renault Megane 3 smells hot, don’t hesitate to go through our content 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 find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not hesitate to consult our content to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Renault Megane 3.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it might also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not hesitate to replace 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, replace them.
- Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Renault Megane 3, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
To discover more tips on the Renault Megane 3, take a look at the Renault Megane 3 category.
