What could be making a smell like burning plastic... what could be making a smell like burning plastic either under or in dash cant tell

Are you loosing radiator fluid. sometimes the heater core will rupture and you will smell burn odor. also check for strange rubbing sounds or screeching coming from the blower fan motor. or engine exhaust manifolds are hot when car is on, make sure nothing is leaning on them which will cause a burn odor. Any odor coming from outside will find it's way inside through the fresh air vents.

I would take it to an accredited ac specialist shop if you have to. The burning plastic smell is from a shorted wire ( ac compressor solenoid or thermostat under the dash)

Have a look under the van and see if you have any plastic melted to the exhaust. (like a plastic shopping bag)
If you don't see anything, I would look close around the exhaust under the hood to make sure no wires are making partial contact with the hot exhaust.
Final check would be the wires from the O2 sensors making contact with the exhaust.
You will have them before and after the converter Fairly close to the engine and no farther back than the driver seat area.

sound like you have had a circuit over load from a short and now there will be burnt wires under the dash . Check for what wires have burnt and then check the fuse size for that circuit as it should have burnt out before the wires did.

vechicle could be burning oil.or look under hood for valve cover gasket leaks. oil leaking on hot engine and exhaust manifold will cause burn smell.check drive belt could be slipping.make sure brakes not dragging or if you replace brakes pads you will smell burn smell until new brake shoes or pads break in.

Burnt smell after starting 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. Turned key starter turned over slowly then started drove car however strong electrical burning smell after starting pulled over seen smoke coming from under vehicle. Car wouldn't start even with a jump starter just clicking sound then nothing while horrible smell of burnt electrical from under the hood. Towed it home it just clicked once. Lights, horn, flashers dash and power locks all working fine never had any problems. Thoughts starter or ??

You will need to check where the liquid is coming from, It may be anything from Air Con, Fuel, Transmission Fluid etc..

The fact you smell burning plastic could be 3 things..

1, Brake pads could smell and burn down if they are on too tight (Had this problem with a trailer). Hence when you apply the brakes it could be squirting brake fluid out due to too much pressure.
- Check brake fluid

2, If the smell and liquid is inside the car (front pass side) it could be the air ducts. Under the dashboard you have air ducts etc for the fans and in car cooling (brother had issue with this)

3, Whatever the fluid is, it could possibly drip onto something hot, unusual for liquid to smell like plastic though, Auto transmission oil smells like fish.

Best bet would be the brakes. Next time you smell it just smell in the wheel mag and see if you can smell it, check the engine fluids often and dont use A/C (Air Con) as that does drip fluid (normal). If it is the brakes smelling you will need to have the lines bled out, tyre places may be able to do this, and possibly new brake pads

Good luck

It may be blower motor failure,I would suggest you replace the blower motor and also replace the blower resistor.The motor is located under the passenger side of the dash,Remove the plastic cover to access it.The resistor is located on the same side also.

sounds like a short is melting wire coating,also check fuse box for any melted fuse holders,

you could have a short in the wire harness that runs up your steering column. i would check under the dash for worn,frayed or burnt wires immediately. you have a great potential for an electrical fire. good luck. please rate this solution