Keeping an eye on your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Although conventional maintenance is designed to keep your Volkswagen Multivan running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. Today 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 made this content page to help you in the event that you notice a burnt plastic smell originating from your Volkswagen Multivan . 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 find the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen Multivan? .
The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Volkswagen Multivan
So we commence our article with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Volkswagen Multivan . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good signal. Indeed, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical breakdown. Below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the most important possible source of such an odor. Indeed, the action of gear or transmission oil is to lubricate the different elements of your gearbox so that all the gears and pinions are not broken, it as well has a second action as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, in the long run, the oil will lose its performance and will not lubricate the parts and control the temperature as well, which will bring about the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen Multivan. 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 made of rubber, will decline and no longer rotate completely on its axis. With the friction that this will bring about 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 Volkswagen Multivan.
- Defective hose wear: This case happens specifically on Volkswagen Multivan 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 believe will bring about the plastic 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 may melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less general, specifically present on Volkswagen Multivan’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body parts that may have been bent may 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 Volkswagen Multivan?
And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you find the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Volkswagen Multivan . 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 problem quickly. If your Volkswagen Multivan smells hot, don’t hesitate 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 find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not hesitate to consult our content page to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Volkswagen Multivan.
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may also make 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 find out if any are frayed or melted. If this is the case, change them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Volkswagen Multivan, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
If you have any additional questions about the Volkswagen Multivan, do not hesitate to consult our Volkswagen Multivan category.
