Taking care of your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Although conventional maintenance is supposed to keep your Toyota Matrix running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. In this article we’re going to look at 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 detect a burnt plastic smell caused by your Toyota Matrix . To help you verify that it is nothing severe, first we will outline the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to discover the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Toyota Matrix? .
The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Toyota Matrix
So we begin our guideline with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Toyota Matrix . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. Obviously, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a important breakdown. Down below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the most important possible origin of such an odor. Obviously, 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. Nevertheless, over time, the oil will lose its efficiency 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 Matrix. 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 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 Matrix.
- Defective hose wear: This circumstance occurs specifically on Toyota Matrix that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your vehicle unlike what you might think will cause the plastic auto parts to wear out more 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 issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less general, specifically present on Toyota Matrix’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto 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 originates from on a Toyota Matrix?
And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you discover the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Toyota Matrix . 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 Matrix 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 verify that your oil is reddish in colour and fluid enough. If you see debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not hesitate to consult our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Toyota Matrix.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it might also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not hesitate to replace 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, change them.
- Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Toyota Matrix, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against
If you need more tutorials on the Toyota Matrix, go to our Toyota Matrix category.
