Taking care of your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless standard routine service is designed to keep your Scion tC running smoothly with time, some unpredicted 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 malfunction, that’s why our team has written this article to help you in case you notice a burnt plastic smell caused by your Scion tC . To help you check that it is nothing severe, first we will detail the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to find the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Scion tC? .

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The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Scion tC

So we begin our article content with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Scion tC . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. Indeed, recent cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical malfunction. Down below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the most important possible source 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 broken, it also has a second action as a temperature regulator. However, over time, the oil will lose its effectiveness 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 Scion tC. 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 principally done of rubber, will decline 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 create a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Scion tC.
  • Defective hose wear: This circumstance occurs especially on Scion tC 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 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 may melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less common, especially present on Scion tC’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 Scion tC?

And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you find the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Scion tC . 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 problem quickly. If your Scion tC smells hot, don’t hesitate to browse our article 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 find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not hesitate to consult our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Scion tC.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may also make a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not hesitate to replace it.
  • Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually check all your hoses to find out 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 cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Scion tC, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    If you want more tutorials on the Scion tC, go to our Scion tC category.