Keeping an eye on your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless classic maintenance is supposed to keep your Subaru Legacy running smoothly over time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article we’re going to focus on your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible breakdown, that’s why our team has made this content to help you in the event you notice a burnt plastic smell originating from your Subaru Legacy . To help you check that it is nothing serious, 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 Subaru Legacy? .

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The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Subaru Legacy

So we begin our article with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Subaru Legacy . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good indicator. Obviously, recent cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a major breakdown. Down below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the main possible origin of such an odor. Obviously, the action 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 also has a second action as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, over time, the oil will lose its effectiveness 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 Subaru Legacy. 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 made of rubber, will deteriorate and no longer rotate entirely 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 Subaru Legacy.
  • Defective hose wear: This case arises especially on Subaru Legacy 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 presume will cause 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 issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less basic, especially present on Subaru Legacy’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 find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Subaru Legacy?

And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you find the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Subaru Legacy . 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 solve your problem quickly. If your Subaru Legacy smells hot, don’t think twice to go through our content 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 change it. Do not think twice to seek advice from our content to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Subaru Legacy.
  • 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 change 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 case, replace them.
  • Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Subaru Legacy, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    To find more tips on the Subaru Legacy, take a look at the Subaru Legacy category.