Taking care of your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Although classic routine service is supposed to keep your Toyota Avensis running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. Today we’re going to talk about your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible breakdown, that’s why our team has created this content page to help you in the event you identify a burnt plastic smell coming from your Toyota Avensis . 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 discover the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Toyota Avensis? .
The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Toyota Avensis
So we commence our content with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Toyota Avensis . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good signal. In fact, modern 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 source of such an odor. In fact, the function of gear or transmission oil is to lubricate the different components of your gearbox so that all the gears and pinions are not broken, it also has a second function as a temperature regulator. However, with time, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the 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 Avensis. 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 principally made of rubber, will degrade and no longer rotate totally on its axis. With the friction that this will cause the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will create a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine block of your Toyota Avensis.
- Defective hose wear: This circumstance arises especially on Toyota Avensis that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle contrary to what you might think will cause the plastic 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 Toyota Avensis’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 identify where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Toyota Avensis?
And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you discover the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Toyota Avensis . Now that you know the different possible origins of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to get rid of the tracks that don’t concern you and resolve your issue quickly. If your Toyota Avensis smells hot, don’t hesitate to browse our content page 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 change it. Do not hesitate to seek advice from our content page to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Toyota Avensis.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it might also make a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not hesitate to change 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 circumstance, replace them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Toyota Avensis, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
To discover more tips on the Toyota Avensis, take a look at the Toyota Avensis category.
