Keeping an eye on your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Nevertheless classic routine service is supposed to keep your Volkswagen T-roc running smoothly over time, some unpredicted 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 breakdown, that’s why our team has written this content page to help you in case you detect a burnt plastic smell caused by your Volkswagen T-roc . 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 discover the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen T-roc? .

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The different possible origins and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Volkswagen T-roc

So we start our content page with the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell on a Volkswagen T-roc . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. In actual fact, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a significant breakdown. Down 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. In actual fact, 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 damaged, it as well has a second action as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, with time, the oil will lose its effectiveness 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 T-roc. 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 mainly 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 produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Volkswagen T-roc.
  • Faulty hose wear: This circumstance occurs especially on Volkswagen T-roc 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 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 general, especially present on Volkswagen T-roc’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 T-roc?

And now, to finish our content page, we’re going to try to help you discover the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Volkswagen T-roc . Now that you know the different possible roots of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to eliminate the tracks that don’t concern you and fix your issue quickly. If your Volkswagen T-roc smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our content page 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 see debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not hesitate to consult our content page to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Volkswagen T-roc.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it may possibly 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 verify all your hoses to see 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-roc, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    If you need more guides on the Volkswagen T-roc, go to our Volkswagen T-roc category.