Keeping an eye on your car on a regular basis is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless standard routine service is designed to keep your Suzuki Alto running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle 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 written this content to help you in the event that you notice a burnt plastic smell originating from your Suzuki Alto . To help you verify that it is nothing serious, first we will highlight the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to discover the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Suzuki Alto? .

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The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Suzuki Alto

So we begin our guideline with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Suzuki Alto . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. In actual fact, modern vehicles 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. In actual fact, the function 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 function as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, as time passes, the oil will lose its performance and will not lubricate the parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will trigger the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Suzuki Alto. 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 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 create a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Suzuki Alto.
  • Faulty hose wear: This case occurs specifically on Suzuki Alto that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle unlike what you might believe will trigger the plastic parts to wear out more quickly. Hoses are the first to be affected 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 problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less basic, specifically present on Suzuki Alto’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body 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 identify where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Suzuki Alto?

And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you discover the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Suzuki Alto . 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 resolve your problem quickly. If your Suzuki Alto smells hot, don’t hesitate to browse 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 change it. Do not hesitate to consult our content to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Suzuki Alto.
  • 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 change 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, change them.
  • Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Suzuki Alto, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    In the event that you have any further questions about the Suzuki Alto, do not hesitate to consult our Suzuki Alto category.