Taking care of your car on daily basis is the best thing you can do. Although classic routine service is designed to keep your Volkswagen Tiguan running smoothly over time, some unexpected breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article we’re going to look at your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible malfunction, that’s why our team has created this article to help you in the event you notice a burnt plastic smell caused by your Volkswagen Tiguan . To help you check that it is nothing severe, first we will outline the different things that can generate a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to locate the cause of this burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen Tiguan? .

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The different possible roots and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Volkswagen Tiguan

So we start our article content with the different possible roots of burnt plastic smell on a Volkswagen Tiguan . Generally, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good sign. Obviously, recent cars are full of it and it could be the sign of a important 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. Obviously, 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 as well has a second objective as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, with time, the oil will lose its efficiency and will not lubricate the auto parts and control the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Volkswagen Tiguan. 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 mainly made of rubber, will degrade 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 produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Volkswagen Tiguan.
  • Defective hose wear: This case happens specifically on Volkswagen Tiguan 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 believe will cause the plastic auto 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 possibly melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less common, specifically present on Volkswagen Tiguan’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body auto 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 identify where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Volkswagen Tiguan?

And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you locate the origin of the smell of burnt plastic on your Volkswagen Tiguan . 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 resolve your issue quickly. If your Volkswagen Tiguan smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our article 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 discover debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to replace it. Do not hesitate to seek advice from our article to identify how to change the gearbox oil on a Volkswagen Tiguan.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor condition, it may possibly also make a whistling sound if it is in poor condition. 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 case, replace them.
  • Body auto parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Volkswagen Tiguan, a body component, check all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    If you need more tutorials on the Volkswagen Tiguan, go to our Volkswagen Tiguan category.