Keeping an eye on your car all the time is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless classic maintenance is supposed to keep your Volkswagen T-Cross running smoothly with time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual motor vehicle budget. Today we’re going to talk about 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 case you identify a burnt plastic smell originating from your Volkswagen T-Cross . To help you verify that it is nothing severe, first we will outline the different things that can create a burnt plastic smell on your motor vehicle, then, in a second step, how to find the origin of this burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen T-Cross? .

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The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Volkswagen T-Cross

So we begin our article content with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Volkswagen T-Cross . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is hardly ever a good indicator. In actual fact, modern cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a important breakdown. Down below we will review the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the most important possible origin of such an odor. In actual 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 also has a second objective as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, in the long run, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the parts and control the temperature as well, which will trigger the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen T-Cross. 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 made of rubber, will deteriorate and no longer rotate entirely on its axis. With the friction that this will trigger 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 T-Cross.
  • Faulty hose wear: This circumstance arises specifically on Volkswagen T-Cross that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In fact, storing your vehicle contrary to what you might think will trigger the plastic 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 may possibly melt. The risk of this problem is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less basic, specifically present on Volkswagen T-Cross’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 also pre-wear out your tyres.

How to identify where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Volkswagen T-Cross?

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 T-Cross . 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 solve your problem quickly. If your Volkswagen T-Cross smells hot, don’t think twice to go through 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 find out debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not think twice to seek advice from our article to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Volkswagen T-Cross.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may possibly also produce a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not think twice to change 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 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 T-Cross, a body part, verify all wheel arches, that no part rubs against

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