Keeping an eye on your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless classic routine service is designed to keep your Tesla Model S running smoothly over time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. Today 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 made this article to help you in case you notice a burnt plastic smell caused by your Tesla Model S . To help you check that it is nothing severe, first we will highlight the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to locate the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Tesla Model S? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Tesla Model S
So we commence our article with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Tesla Model S . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good indicator. Obviously, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a important malfunction. Down 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. Obviously, the objective 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 objective as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, as time passes, the oil will lose its effectiveness and will not lubricate the parts and control the temperature as well, which will bring about the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Tesla Model S. 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 deteriorate and no longer rotate totally on its axis. With the friction that this will bring about 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 Tesla Model S.
- Defective hose wear: This case arises specifically on Tesla Model S that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your car contrary to what you might think will bring about the plastic parts to wear out more fairly quickly. Hoses are the first to be impacted 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 basic, specifically present on Tesla Model S’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body 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 Tesla Model S?
And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you locate the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Tesla Model S . 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 Tesla Model S smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our article on this topic.
- Transmission oil: Nothing could be easier, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and check that your oil is reddish in colour and fluid enough. If you discover debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not hesitate to seek advice from our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Tesla Model S.
- 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 hesitate to replace it.
- Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually check all your hoses to discover if any are frayed or melted. If this is the case, replace them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Tesla Model S, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
If you wish more guides on the Tesla Model S, go to our Tesla Model S category.
