Taking care of your car permanently is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless classic maintenance is supposed to keep your Volkswagen Passat running smoothly over time, some unpredicted 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 malfunction, that’s why our team has made this content to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell coming from your Volkswagen Passat . To help you check that it is nothing severe, first we will highlight the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to discover the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen Passat ? .
The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Volkswagen Passat
So we begin our article with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Volkswagen Passat . Generally speaking, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good sign. In truth, modern vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a significant 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 truth, the objective 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 also has a second objective as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, in the long run, the oil will lose its effectiveness and will not lubricate the auto parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen Passat . 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 specifically made of rubber, will deteriorate and no longer rotate entirely 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 Volkswagen Passat .
- Defective hose wear: This case occurs specifically on Volkswagen Passat that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your car contrary to what you might think will cause the plastic auto 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 may melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less common, specifically present on Volkswagen Passat ‘s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto parts that may have been bent may rub against one of your wheels and give off that burnt plastic smell. This may also pre-wear out your tyres.
How to identify where the smell of burning plastic originates from on a Volkswagen Passat ?
And now, to finish our content, we’re going to try to help you discover the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Volkswagen Passat . Now that you know the different possible origins 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 Passat smells hot, don’t think twice to browse our content 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 find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not think twice to consult our content to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Volkswagen Passat .
- Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may also make a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not think twice to change it.
- Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually check all your hoses to find out if any are frayed or melted. If this is the case, change them.
- Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Volkswagen Passat , a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
To find more tips on the Volkswagen Passat , take a look at the Volkswagen Passat category.
