Keeping an eye on your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Although standard routine service is designed to keep your Volkswagen New Beetle running smoothly with time, some unforeseen breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. In this article we’re going to focus on your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible malfunction, that’s why our team has written this article to help you in the event you identify a burnt plastic smell coming from your Volkswagen New Beetle . To help you verify that it is nothing severe, first we will detail the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to find the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen New Beetle? .

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The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Volkswagen New Beetle

So we start our article with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Volkswagen New Beetle . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good indicator. In fact, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a critical malfunction. Down below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the main possible origin of such an odor. In fact, the objective 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 objective as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, as time passes, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the 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 New Beetle. 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 degrade and no longer rotate totally on its axis. With the friction that this will bring about the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will create a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine block of your Volkswagen New Beetle.
  • Faulty hose wear: This case arises especially on Volkswagen New Beetle that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your vehicle contrary to what you might think will bring about the plastic parts to wear out more fairly 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 may possibly melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less basic, especially present on Volkswagen New Beetle’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 find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Volkswagen New Beetle?

And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you find the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Volkswagen New Beetle . 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 problem quickly. If your Volkswagen New Beetle 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 verify 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 hesitate to seek advice from our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Volkswagen New Beetle.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may possibly 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 discover if any are frayed or melted. If this is the case, replace them.
  • Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can bring about the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Volkswagen New Beetle, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

    To discover more tips on the Volkswagen New Beetle, take a look at the Volkswagen New Beetle category.