Taking care of your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Although standard routine service is designed to keep your Volkswagen Polo 4 running smoothly with time, some unforeseen 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 page to help you in case you notice a burnt plastic smell coming from your Volkswagen Polo 4 . To help you check that it is nothing serious, first we will outline the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to find the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen Polo 4? .
The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Volkswagen Polo 4
So we begin our guideline with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Volkswagen Polo 4 . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. Indeed, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a significant malfunction. Below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:
- Transmission oil: This is the main possible origin of such an odor. Indeed, 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 broken, it as well has a second function as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, in the long run, the oil will lose its performance and will not lubricate the parts and regulate the temperature as well, which will trigger the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen Polo 4. 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 done of rubber, will deteriorate 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 generate a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Volkswagen Polo 4.
- Faulty hose wear: This circumstance arises especially on Volkswagen Polo 4 that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your car unlike what you might presume will trigger 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 issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
- A body component: Less general, especially present on Volkswagen Polo 4’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 find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Volkswagen Polo 4?
And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you find the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Volkswagen Polo 4 . 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 fix your problem quickly. If your Volkswagen Polo 4 smells hot, don’t hesitate to browse our content page 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 discover debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not hesitate to seek advice from our content page to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Volkswagen Polo 4.
- 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 hesitate 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, replace them.
- Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can trigger the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Volkswagen Polo 4, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against
If you need more tutorials on the Volkswagen Polo 4, go to our Volkswagen Polo 4 category.
