Taking care of your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Although conventional maintenance is supposed to keep your Toyota Avalon running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article 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 the event that you identify a burnt plastic smell caused by your Toyota Avalon . To help you verify that it is nothing severe, first we will outline the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to find the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Toyota Avalon? .

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The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Toyota Avalon

So we begin our article with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Toyota Avalon . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. In fact, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a major malfunction. Down below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the main possible origin of such an odor. In fact, 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 as well has a second objective as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, over time, the oil will lose its performance 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 Toyota Avalon. 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 decline 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 Toyota Avalon.
  • Faulty hose wear: This circumstance arises specifically on Toyota Avalon 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 troubled 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 basic, specifically present on Toyota Avalon’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 identify where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Toyota Avalon?

And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you find the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Toyota Avalon . 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 solve your problem quickly. If your Toyota Avalon smells hot, don’t think twice to go through our article on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be less complicated, 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 think twice to consult our article to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Toyota Avalon.
  • 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 think twice 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 Toyota Avalon, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    To find more tips on the Toyota Avalon, take a look at the Toyota Avalon category.