Cold weather is here in New Jersey. The last thing you want is to be without heat as you travel around for the holidays. There are a few issues that could prevent your car from heating the cabin. Continue reading to learn more from the team at Hogan’s Automotive.
Bad Heater Core
Your car’s heater core is similar to the radiator. It is composed of a number of little tubes and fins. However, heat from the heater core is blasted into the passenger compartment by a blower fan, whereas the radiator distributes heat to the surrounding air. The maze-like network of tubes in the heater core is prone to leaks and clogging, which lowers the coolant level through your engine’s cooling system. Low or polluted coolant levels and defective heater cores frequently go hand in hand, and both problems may cause your engine to overheat and your heater to stop pumping hot air. Other symptoms of a heater core problem include a sweet-smelling odor in your vehicle and unusually fogged-up windows.
Bad or Low Coolant Levels
Your engine is kept from overheating or freezing by the engine coolant, which is a carefully balanced blend of antifreeze and water. The appropriate mix of antifreeze and water in your car’s coolant should prevent freezing in the winter and excessive heating in the summer, allowing the cooling system to efficiently absorb and release extra heat produced by the engine. Some of this surplus heat is pushed into the cabin of your car when the heater is on during the colder months to keep you warm and defrost your windshields. As your cooling system becomes contaminated or drops in level over time, your coolant may become more prone to freezing, which might cause your engine to overheat and your heater to stop working.
Bad Blower Fan
The heater core absorbs heat from the coolant and transports it into the cabin as warm air when you turn up the heat in your vehicle. That warm air from the heater core is blown through the vents in your car by the blower fan. You might notice little to no airflow coming from the vents when the blower fan is malfunctioning, though. Your blower fan could stop working for a number of reasons, such as a blown fuse or internal blower fan component damage. Whatever the case, problems with the blower fan may be to fault if you can hardly hear or feel air blowing when your car heater is on.
Hogan’s Automotive is located in Highland Park, NJ, and provides exceptional auto repairs. We offer a range of services from brake repair to engine maintenance. You can contact us today at (732) 662-7100 to book an appointment.