Keeping an eye on your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless standard maintenance is designed to keep your Toyota Yaris 3 running smoothly over time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. Today we’re going to focus on 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 case you notice a burnt plastic smell coming from your Toyota Yaris 3 . To help you check that it is nothing severe, first we will outline the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to locate the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Toyota Yaris 3? .

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The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Toyota Yaris 3

So we begin our guideline with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Toyota Yaris 3 . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good sign. Obviously, modern cars 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. Obviously, the function of gear or transmission oil is to lubricate the different elements of your gearbox so that all the gears and pinions are not damaged, it as well 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 trigger the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Toyota Yaris 3. You risk pre-wearing your gearbox if you don’t take care of it.
  • The accessory belt: Nevertheless rarer, it is possible with wear and tear that your belt, which is mainly done of rubber, will decline and no longer rotate completely on its axis. With the friction that this will trigger 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 3.
  • Faulty hose wear: This circumstance happens specifically on Toyota Yaris 3 that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your car contrary to what you might presume will trigger the plastic parts to wear out more quickly. Hoses are the first to be affected 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 possibly melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less common, specifically present on Toyota Yaris 3’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body parts that may possibly have been bent may possibly 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 comes from on a Toyota Yaris 3?

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 3 . 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 issue quickly. If your Toyota Yaris 3 smells hot, don’t think twice to browse our content page on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be less complicated, 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 replace it. Do not think twice to consult our content page to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Toyota Yaris 3.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may possibly also make a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. Do not think twice to replace 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, change them.
  • Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Toyota Yaris 3, a body part, check all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    If you want more guides on the Toyota Yaris 3, go to our Toyota Yaris 3 category.