Taking care of your car on a regular basis is the best thing you can do. Although standard maintenance is supposed to keep your Tesla Model Y running smoothly with time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. Today 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 made this article to help you in the event that you notice a burnt plastic smell caused by your Tesla Model Y . To help you verify that it is nothing serious, first we will detail the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to locate the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Tesla Model Y? .

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The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Tesla Model Y

So we start our article content with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Tesla Model Y . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good signal. In actual fact, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical breakdown. 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. In actual fact, the objective 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 as well has a second objective as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, with 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 Tesla Model Y. You risk pre-wearing your gearbox if you don’t take care of it.
  • The accessory belt: Although rarer, it is possible with wear and tear that your belt, which is mainly made of rubber, will degrade and no longer rotate completely on its axis. With the friction that this will cause the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine block of your Tesla Model Y.
  • Faulty hose wear: This circumstance occurs especially on Tesla Model Y that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your vehicle contrary to what you might believe will cause the plastic auto 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 may melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less general, especially present on Tesla Model Y’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 as well pre-wear out your tyres.

How to find out where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Tesla Model Y?

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 Y . Now that you know the different possible roots 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 Tesla Model Y smells hot, don’t hesitate to go through our article on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be easier, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and verify 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 hesitate to consult our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Tesla Model Y.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may also produce 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 see if any are frayed or melted. If this is the circumstance, replace them.
  • Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Tesla Model Y, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    In the event that you have any further questions about the Tesla Model Y, do not hesitate to consult our Tesla Model Y category.