As summer comes into view, you’ll likely notice that most drivers aren’t too worried about their car’s heater. It worked this last year, and the year before that, why wouldn’t it work this year? Well, fine drivers, life tends to throw curveballs at you, and guess what, your heater isn’t working properly anymore. Ha!
But don’t worry, heaters aren’t the mysterious beast most make them out to be. Heating systems consist of a heater core, a heater fan, the car’s coolant system, and your HVAC controls. As hot coolant is drawn into the heater core, the heater fan, controlled by the HVAC controls, blows that heat into the cabin as the cooled coolant returns back to the system. Though a simple system, a number of issues can arise causing your heating system to not function properly.
And now is the perfect time to learn what can go wrong and decipher if your car’s heater is kaput.
Faulty Thermostat
A faulty or broken thermostat is the most common cause of your car’s failing heat. Stuck open or stuck closed, the part can not only cause issues with your heat but also with your engine’s cooling system. One becomes an issue of comfort, the other becomes an issue of “Oh no, I’ve borked my engine.”
Low Antifreeze/Coolant
The second-most common issue is low antifreeze or coolant. When your coolant/antifreeze levels drop, the hot fluid can’t make it to the heater core, and thus, your cabin remains chilly. This can occur if the engine is working too hard and overheats or if it wasn’t properly filled.
Faulty Heater Fan
While you may be getting hot coolant/antifreeze into the heater core, the heater fan, the part that actually blows the heat into the cabin, can break or suffer an electrical short.
Faulty Blower Motor Resistor
If the blower motor resistor is broken, you might have issues setting the fan speed or getting air at all.
Clogged Heater Core
Occurring less often than the above issues, debris and particulates that make it into the coolant system can clog your heater core. This can happen when a radiator rusts from the inside or if debris gets through the radiator and lodges itself into the heater core. Either way, you’re looking at refurbishing your heater core or straight-up replacing it.
Leaky Radiator
A leaky radiator could prevent coolant from reaching your heater core and could damage your engine, at worst.
Faulty HVAC Controls
Simply put, your car’s buttons, knobs, or haptic feedback touchscreens may not be triggering the heating system. Shorts, broken dials, and bad touchscreens can all lead to malfunctions that prevent your heater from working.
Faulty Wiring or Blown Fuses
Similar to your broken HVAC controls, your car’s wiring could be broken or have a short in it. This would mean the heater isn’t triggered when the driver commands it to function. Not good.
Bottom line call a certified ASE mechanic, call Harper Service Center today 586-354-9225 for your free estimate.
