If you're concerned that your car heater core is not working, here's what might be wrong:
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- Low coolant level
- Thermostat issues
- Heater core problems
- Blower motor malfunction
Nothing can be more frustrating than starting your car in the morning during a chilly day and realizing that the heater is not working. It could be a problem related to many components within your vehicle, and identifying the faulty components can help you save a lot of time and effort.
This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you identify the potential culprits behind your ice-cold heater. It walks you through a step-by-step process of diagnosing the issue and provides recommendations about what must be fixed.
Why is it critical to address heater core problems?
Before we dive into the details of situations where your car heater is not working, you must get a general idea of why having a reliable heater core in your vehicle is important.
The heater core is a significant component within the heating system, and if your car is not blowing warm air, it can make your car driving experience very uncomfortable. This is not a significant issue for those driving in cool weather, but it can be very hard if you're driving in severe, extreme winter.
That's why it's always recommended that you check on the heating system, specifically the heater core, as the winter season approaches. This way, you address the problem immediately before you are stuck in nowhere without a hater.
My car heater is not working, what might be wrong?
Now you have a general idea about why having a reliable heater core in your car is important. The next step is to understand why your vehicle's heating system is not working.
The heating system is connected to many components, and any of those components could lead to situations where your car is not blowing warm air. Therefore, you must understand and identify the most common culprits that could be leading to heater problems in your car.
The following list highlights the four most common reasons why your car is not heating up:
1- Low coolant level
The first and most common reason why your vehicle is not heating up is when you have a low coolant level. It might be surprising to those who don't know the connection between the cooling system and the heater to hear that the coolant prevents your car from heating up.
The heater core is connected to the cooling system, and as the coolant gets hot when it absorbs the extra temperature from the engine, it can blow this hot air toward the core and help your car warm up.
Therefore, if there's not enough coolant in the system, the heater core will not receive the required energy and heat to warm up your car. Therefore, you might start complaining that my car heater is not working.
2- Thermostat issues
Since the heating system is connected closely to the cooling system, it is common to see that a bad thermostat can easily lead to heat or problems in your car.
If you don't already know, the thermostat allows the coolant to pass around the engine when needed and when the temperature exceeds the maximum threshold. If the engine is at an optimum temperature, the thermostat closes the gate and prevents the colon from running.
As you might notice, the thermostat plays a significant role in how much heat your coolant has and when it absorbs the heat from the engine. That's why it's unsurprising that the heater will not work in your vehicle when the thermostat is not working properly, and the coolant is not absorbing the required heat.
3- Heater core problems
In addition to problems with the coolant and the cooling system, sometimes you might have a problem with the heater core. In other words, the heater core is not designed to last forever, and there will be a point time when you have to replace it as it malfunctions.
The heater core can get clogged with coolant because of debris and contaminants over use time. That's why when the heater core goes bad, you'll notice additional symptoms like a sweet smell and wet floors in your vehicle.
This indicates a coolant leak in your car, but you can't immediately say it's a bad heater core because it could be another issue with the cooling system. However, regardless of why the coolant leaks, it is critical to understand that this situation is very severe and might lead to safety issues if you or any of your passengers have a respiratory system problem.
4- Blower motor malfunction
Finally, your car heater will not work if you have a problem with the blower motor. The blower motor will typically not result in your car blowing cold air. Still, it might lead to weaker airflow because of blockage or other problems preventing air from circulating in the heating system.
That's why if you suspect your heating system is working but doesn't get enough flow, the problem might be related to the blower motor and should be something you start with when you're diagnosing.
How do you diagnose and repair heater problems?
As you might notice, several problems could be wrong with the heating system in your vehicle if it's not working. Therefore, diagnosing the problem must be done in a way that helps you identify the most common problems first, and then, if you fail to do so, you can check with your mechanic.
To diagnose any problems in your heating system, you can do the following:
1- Check the coolant level
Checking the coolant level is very easy. It involves finding a war by referring to your vehicle owner's manual and looking at the reservoir to see if the fluid inside is at the proper level. In other words, you must see if the fluid is between the minimum and maximum marks.
If you confirm the coolant level is low, you must top it up immediately. This involves finding the right color that suits your vehicle and also detecting any potential leaks that your vehicle might be suffering from, which might lead to further problems in the future.
2- Perform a thermostat test
If you confirm that you have sufficient coolant, then the next step is to check on the thermostat. There are plenty of ways to check if the thermostat is working. Some might involve touching the heater hoses and seeing if things are getting warmed up.
This way, you can know whether the thermostat is stuck open because if the coolant is not heating up, it won't be able to heat the heater system, so your vehicle will not have a working heating system.
3- Diagnose the heater core
Once you confirm that the thermostat is in good shape, the next step is to look at the hero cord. You can check for signs of potential coolant leaks within your vehicle cabin. Simply observe any potential wet areas and any potential fluid leaks or sweet smells within the vehicle cabin to see if the coolant is leaking inside the car.
4- Inspect the blower motor
Checking the blower motor is not very complicated. You can turn on the heating system and monitor how the blower motor performs. If there is difficulty circulating air inside the car, the air is coming very weak. It might be a problem related to the heater blower motor, and it might require either cleaning it up or replacing it, depending on the mechanic's decision.
My car heater is not working—final Thoughts.
Dealing with heating system problems can be very frustrating, especially if you're about to start your winter season. This article provided recommendations about identifying any potential causes behind your car heater not working.
Once you identify the faulty component, you must address it as soon as possible to avoid dealing with situations where you drive your car in areas where no heat might impact your safety.
If the problem is severe and requires significant repairs, it might be the perfect time to sell your car and buy a better one with a perfectly working heating system—looking for somebody to buy your broken car? Call Cash Cars Buyer at 773-791-4363.
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