A vehicle that doesn’t have heat can be awful when temperatures drop. You need to begin troubleshooting your heating system is to see if heat is even being produced. The Columbia, SC Auto Repair Pro shows you how to troubleshoot your heating system issues.
A failing heater could be caused by many things. First you need to diagnose
whether engine heat makes
its way to the heater core. This is how your heating system works.
How Your Automotive Cooling and Heating System Works
Your engine uses a blend of fuel and air to create
mini-explosions. These explosions make a lot of heat in your
engine. This extreme heat build-up is handled by your cooling
system. Your cooling system needs a properly working water pump
to circulate a 50/50 blend of coolant and water through the engine.
The radiator releases part of the engine’s heat. Your thermostat decides
when the engine needs to be cooled, making it another very important component
of your cooling system. Add some high temp rubber hose and a heater
core to that and you have a heating system. A heater core is like
a radiator. The heater core moves engine heat into your car, keeping you
warm. A fan blows over the heater core
fins, moving that heated air. So that is basically the functions and
purposes of the cooling and heating systems. Now the Columbia SC Auto Repair
Pro will do some troubleshooting to see why your heater isn’t working right.
Getting Heat?
Here is a simple
test to see if your heater core is getting filled with the necessary heated
coolant. Drive at about 40 mph or so and
turn on the heater. Is there warmed air
making it through? Even a little will count. A small amount of heat coming through
indicates that the heater core is probably receiving hot coolant.
I Have Heat but It Won’t Blow
Now look at the heater fan. Turn the switch on
and check your vents. Switch between the
fan speeds and check the vents at each speed. Sometimes a fan works only on
some fan speeds. If there is no heat blowing at all at any speed, I
recommend checking your fuses.
No Heat at All
If no heat was detected during the heater core test, your heater
core is not properly circulating. Start with checking coolant
levels. If your coolant levels are good, you are probably looking at water
pump issues or a defective thermostat.
Have you been having recent issues with your car
overheating? If not overheating, you need to check the
thermostat. A thermostat must open and close circuits within your cooling
and heating systems. When it gets stuck, either too much or too
little coolant flows through the system. Replacing a thermostat is
pretty easy and considered a basic auto repair.
Click here for a detailed How To Replace Your Thermostat step by step tutorial.
If your thermostat is good, the issue is likely with the water
pump. Take a look at this piece by
the
Columbia, SC Auto Repair Pro about When to Replace a Water Pump.
When you have problems with your auto’s heater and need a
mechanic you can trust to look it over, come by our Columbia, SC auto repair
shop. We will fix your heater problems, cooling system trouble,
or any other auto repair for all cars, foreign or domestic. Our ASE
Certified Master Mechanic will serve all of your automotive needs. Contact
us to set an auto repair appointment that fits your schedule. Don’t get stuck in the cold! Sanford’s Automotive Service provides
the automotive cooling and heating
system repairs you need now!
