Keeping an eye on your car on a regular basis is the best thing you can do. Although conventional maintenance is designed to keep your Toyota Yaris 2 running smoothly over time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article 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 written this content page to help you in the event you detect a burnt plastic smell originating from your Toyota Yaris 2 . To help you verify that it is nothing significant, first we will detail 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 Toyota Yaris 2? .
The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Toyota Yaris 2
So we start our article with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Toyota Yaris 2 . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good sign. In fact, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a significant breakdown. Down below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the most important possible source of such an odor. In fact, the action 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 action as a temperature regulator. However, in the long run, the oil will lose its effectiveness and will not lubricate the parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Toyota Yaris 2. 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 specifically done of rubber, will decline 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 unit block of your Toyota Yaris 2.
- Defective hose wear: This circumstance occurs specifically on Toyota Yaris 2 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 presume will cause the plastic parts to wear out more 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 might melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less common, specifically present on Toyota Yaris 2’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 as well pre-wear out your tyres.
How to identify where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Toyota Yaris 2?
And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you locate the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Toyota Yaris 2 . 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 issue quickly. If your Toyota Yaris 2 smells hot, don’t think twice to read our content page 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 seek advice from our content page to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Toyota Yaris 2.
- 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 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 parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Toyota Yaris 2, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
If you have any further questions about the Toyota Yaris 2, do not hesitate to consult our Toyota Yaris 2 category.
