Taking care of your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless conventional maintenance is designed to keep your Volkswagen Amarok running smoothly over time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle 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 written this article to help you in the event you notice a burnt plastic smell originating from your Volkswagen Amarok . To help you check that it is nothing severe, first we will detail the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to find the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen Amarok? .

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The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Volkswagen Amarok

So we start our guideline with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Volkswagen Amarok . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good indicator. In actual fact, recent cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a important breakdown. Below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the main possible source of such an odor. In actual 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 broken, it also has a second action as a temperature regulator. However, as time passes, the oil will lose its performance and will not lubricate the auto parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will bring about the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen Amarok. 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 principally done of rubber, will decline and no longer rotate entirely on its axis. With the friction that this will bring about the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine block of your Volkswagen Amarok.
  • Faulty hose wear: This case occurs specifically on Volkswagen Amarok that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle unlike what you might presume will bring about the plastic auto 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 problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less general, specifically present on Volkswagen Amarok’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 Volkswagen Amarok?

And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you find the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Volkswagen Amarok . 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 issue quickly. If your Volkswagen Amarok smells hot, don’t hesitate to browse our article on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be simpler, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and check 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 Volkswagen Amarok.
  • 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 check all your hoses to see if any are frayed or melted. If this is the case, replace them.
  • Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Volkswagen Amarok, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    Whenever you have any additional questions about the Volkswagen Amarok, do not hesitate to consult our Volkswagen Amarok category.