A Faulty Heater Core Will Make It Difficult to Heat Your Car
The holidays are here and so is the cooler weather. You may have already used your car’s heater to warm the interior air. If you noticed that the air wasn’t as warm as it normally is, you may have a problem with the heater core. The heater core is a series of tubes through which hot engine coolant runs. When you turn up the heat in your automobile, the air flows over the hot tubes to heat up. Total Auto Care is going to list the signs of a faulty heater core below. If you’ve noticed any of the symptoms, bring your vehicle to our shop for a heater core inspection.
Cold/Lukewarm Air
As we mentioned above, if the heater core is malfunctioning you may end up with lukewarm or cold air in your vehicle’s cabin. This points to a leaking heater core that doesn’t have any hot engine coolant in its tubes to warm the air. Unfortunately, you will not be able to get hot air blowing out of the vents until you get the heater core replaced.
Coolant Leaks
The place where the coolant is leaking is underneath the passenger-side dashboard. This is where the heater core is located. Check the floorboard on this side of your vehicle for moisture. If it is wet, this is most likely engine coolant dripping out of leaking heater core tubes.
Foggy Windows
Another sign that your heater core has gone bad is foggy windows. If the heater core is leaking, the air blowing through the vents is moist with coolant. Once it reaches the dry air inside your vehicle’s cabin, it can cause the windows to fog up. Unfortunately, your defroster also uses the heater core for heat, so turning it on will not resolve the problem.
Overheating Engine
When the heater core leaks, your engine loses precious coolant. As a result, the engine will overheat even though you can’t get hot air inside the vehicle. It’s important to avoid driving your automobile when it is overheating. Continuing to drive an overheated engine will damage it.
Sweet/Musty Odors
Finally, you may be able to smell the heater core leak. If you turn on the heater and you smell sweet and musty odors flowing out of the vents, this is the smell of engine coolant.Call Total Auto Care in North Branch, MN, today if you are having problems heating your automobile. We’d be happy to inspect the heater core and replace it if necessary.