Keeping an eye on your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless standard routine service is designed to keep your Renault Trafic 3 running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article 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 created this content page to help you in case you notice a burnt plastic smell originating from your Renault Trafic 3 . To help you check that it is nothing significant, first we will highlight the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to discover the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Renault Trafic 3? .
The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Renault Trafic 3
So we commence our article with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Renault Trafic 3 . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. Indeed, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical malfunction. Below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the most important possible origin of such an odor. Indeed, 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 efficiency 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 Trafic 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 specifically made of rubber, will degrade and no longer rotate completely 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 Trafic 3.
- Faulty hose wear: This circumstance arises specifically on Renault Trafic 3 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 presume will trigger the plastic auto parts to wear out more 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 problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less basic, specifically present on Renault Trafic 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 also pre-wear out your tyres.
How to identify where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Renault Trafic 3?
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 Trafic 3 . 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 resolve your issue quickly. If your Renault Trafic 3 smells hot, don’t think twice to browse our content page on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be less complicated, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and check 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 seek advice from our content page to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Renault Trafic 3.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it might also make a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not think twice to replace it.
- Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually check all your hoses to see if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, change them.
- Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Renault Trafic 3, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
If you have any additional questions about the Renault Trafic 3, do not hesitate to consult our Renault Trafic 3 category.
