Introduction
Do you ever get into your car during a wintery morning and come to find out that your car heater is troubling? A car heater not working properly can make you suffer through an uneasy drive. Not only this, but in the winter season, cars without a good working heater cause condensation. Consequently, the car fills up with unpleasant smells and sometimes, it often jams up. Are you wondering what to do? Thanks to vehicle experts on our team, this guide will help you with some quick fixes to get your car heater working like before. Let’s get started:
My Car Heater Not Working – What is the possible diagnosis?
When it comes to car heaters, their user interface is not very complex. All you oblige to do is snap a button, and it begins to blow hot air. Hot air fills the car with warmth and allows you to drive freely and comfortably even if there is snow falling outside.
However, more often than not, distinct vehicle owners complain about different troubling situations with their car heater. For example, the car heater not working, but the AC works or the car heater does not work when the car is idle. Irrespective of what the scenario is, this guide will help you fix the problem in your Garage.
Without a doubt, having to get a car heater repaired by a professional can be heavy on your pocket. Often, there is no big issue with the car heater that you cannot fix for free. But, a professional charges countable bucks to troubleshoot it.
Thus, before we jump to the solutions for non-working car heaters; let’s view a list of possible causes:
- Compromised Coolant Level (By definition, coolant level in-vehicle drives heat from the engines. Further, it cools it. As a result, if the coolant level is compromised, the car heater does not work when the vehicle is not running).
- The heater Core (Or radiator) is blocked for some reason. Suppose your car has a strange smell (damp, almost). This may be the reason for the car heater’s weak airflow.
- No maintenance for a long time – Vehicle maintenance is crucial. If you have been using AC in the car for six months, it is possible that the radiator has weakened or blocked because of debris.
- Your vehicle’s thermostat is not working properly, causing it to stick open. This may further lead to corrosion or permanent airflow blockage.
My Car Heater Not Working properly: do I need to replace it?
To begin with, almost 90% of car owners turn on the Car Heater when idle for upto 20 minutes. When the car is idle, it means that the engine is not working. So, the main question stands, how? The answer is very simple. When you switch on the car heater, it generally transforms the engine’s heat into airflow through the coolant mechanism. As a result, a pattern is formed between the flow of hot air between engine > coolant > thermostat > heat core > heater.
But, when you run a car heater in the absence of a working engine to produce hot air, the car heater uses gas. Therefore, if your car heater not working when idle, it either means that you do not have sufficient gas in the tank. Or, your car heater is delivering a very weak hot air flow because of low gas.
Here’s a fact all car owners should know! According to the repair experts, if you heat up your car using a car heater without putting gas in the tank (when the engine is not running as well). It will cause an air blockage in the long run.
Do I need to replace my car heater?
Is your car heater not working when idle? Or, is your car heater troubling, but AC works fine? If yes, then this could be an indication that your car requires maintenance. Depending on the number of kilometres your car has completed, only then you can figure out if the car heater not working issue may be triggering because of depreciation. Yet, of course, when it comes to an asset as expensive and as useful as a car, you can never be too careful.
Check out the following list of indications that may tell you if it is the right time to replace your car heater or not:
- When you turn on the heater, it fills your car with slight fog.
- The sugary scent in your car, even if there’s no food.
- Overheating Engine.
- The radiator is no longer flushing to clean the cooling system.
- The engine is hot, but the vehicle’s cabin is cold.
More often than not, car owners avoid these indications because of a lack of knowledge. Thus, if your car heater is not working in addition to the above troubles as well, this may be the precise time for you to get a new car heater.
However, if you think your car heater needs a little troubleshooting and it can run for another couple of years, the following solutions will help you do so. Let’s take a glance:
Top Five Solutions to get your Car Heater Not Working Problem Resolved Quickly!
Does your pocket feel a lot weightless every time you visit your mechanic? Well! Mechanics often charge an extra fee to fix even the tiniest problem in your car. Why waste money when you can troubleshoot your non-working car heater at home. Let’s countdown several methods to fix the car heater not working problem:
Car Heater Not Working (Scenario: Blowing Cold Air or when idle)
Presuming that your car heater is not working but instead blowing cold air – it points towards three types of malfunctions:
- Radiator blockage
- Blocked Heater Core
- Compromised Coolant Level
According to the research, these are three reasons why your car heater is blowing cold air instead of hot air. Let’s check them one by one.
#Method 1: Radiator Blockage
To begin with, a car radiator remains responsible for cooling down the engine when it begins to overheat. Let’s suppose the thermostat positioned face to face with the engine produces heat as the car runs on the road. Now, the engine begins to get warmer. Once the engine is hot enough, the radiator automatically turns up the coolant level and releases water to cool down the engine. If the car’s heater is ON, the heat reaches the heater’s core and blows hot air.
Now, if your car heater is gusting out cold air, it is possible that the radiator is no longer releasing water. As a result, the engine does not cool down. Without water flow, a car heater will blow cold air.
What to do?
- First of all, locate the radiator in your car’s internal system.
- You will see a “Drain valve” under the car.
- Please remove this valve to drain the coolant (water). It is under the radiator.
- Similarly, drain the coolant from the engine as well by unlocking the “block drain” valve.
- Now, use a new and fresh radiator flush (coolant purchased) to fill up the raider through the drain valve.
- Next, please run the car for 10 minutes or so.
- After that, drain the radiator flush component again.
- It will clean any subject that may be causing radiator blockage earlier.
Note: Please note that a car radiator is the blockchain of metal placed in front of the car (over which your number plate is positioned).
#Method 2: Is the car Heater not working? unblock Heater Core
As mentioned above, the radiator releases water which further transfers heat to the heater core. However, if your heater core is blocked for some reason (such as debris, dust, spider web, crumbs, and so on), it will not let the air pass.
Here is a quick guide on how to clean a blocked heater core:
In professional’s language, cleaning a blocked heater core is called “flushing”.” Check out the following instructions to perform it properly:
- Please note that the car heater core is positioned in the firewall section.
- For the geographic representation of how to reach the heater core, please get the car’s manual.
- Now, undo the heater hose by losing the clamps that connect the hoses to the firewall.
- To do so, use a screwdriver.
- Once the clamps are undone, place a bowl or bucket under the hose (just in case the coolant leaks, which it will).
- Get the air compressor and position it in a way that pressurizes the outward hose.
- As you compress, it will begin to take out or blow out all the debris, dust, or gunk blocking the heater core.
- Now, clean the heater core properly.
- Use a screwdriver to position the hose back in place.
#Method 3: Compromises Coolant Level (FIXED)
The coolant level of the car majorly depends on the radiator. One of the major reasons for low or negligible coolant levels is leaking & loosely capped radiator.
Warning: Car Coolant contains harmful chemicals. Therefore, please acquire mechanic’s gloves and metal safety glasses for safety against any potential damage or accident.
- First of all, make certain that the car’s engine has cooled down (rest for 15 minutes if not).
- Now, locate your car’s radiator. Slide in the car’s engine system and undo its cap.
- Please take two raw eggs. Pop the eggs open in the radiator.
- Once you do so, the leak will automatically close up.
This is a DIY trick to fix your car heater not working problem without spending any money. In most cases, the egg (automatically cooked thanks to engine heat) remains inside the radiator for a long time. Since it is not liquid, it cannot drain through the leaking space. Not many car owners feel using this trick for the sake of their car.
#Method 4: Replace parts of the car heater/radiator
For the most part, troubleshoot your car heater, which is not working properly. You will require to restore a few parts of the car heater core as well as the radiator. In general, when time goes by, many parts of a car get rusty and damaged. For example, the radiator’s cap may be loose. Hence, causing leakage. Thus, to help you through this and fix your heater, use the following guide:
Replace Heater Core’s Hose Clamps
More often than not, tiny circular screws (called clamps) lazy up because their inner surface scratches up. Hence, it becomes challenging for clamps to hold the hoses tight and well. You can easily replace them. Purchase new clamps from the market as they will only cost you $50 or so.
Once you have purchased stainless steel hose clamps, follow the instructions provided below:
- Please note that the car heater core is positioned in the firewall section.
- For the geographic representation of how to reach the heater core, please get the car’s manual.
- Now, undo the heater hose by losing the clamps that connect the hoses to the firewall.
- To do so, use a screwdriver.
- Once the clamps are undone, place a bowl or bucket under the hose (just in case the coolant leaks, which it will).
- Now, again, use the screwdrivers to fix new clamps.
Similarly, you can purchase a new radiator cap from the market or order it online on Amazon. It may cost you $20 or so.
#Method 5: Reach out to the professional
You may have commenced on this page to resolve a car heater not working properly on your own. But, it is interesting to state that the car’s internal design is complex. It can be a very risky situation if you undo the radiator’s cap or hose clamps and cannot get it back on later.
Thus, reach out to professional mechanics in your area.
Epilogue
We hope that you enjoyed this quick car heater fixing guide as much as we did. For more information on the technical subjects, could you keep us in your favourites? Good luck!
Disclaimer
Please note that all the car heater mechanisms mentioned in this reading range from basic to complex in the context of technical knowledge. Therefore, at any point, if you think you cannot understand or go through a solution without a professional’s help. Please call your regular garage owner or mechanic to get assistance. Any damage to your vehicle or vehicle’s heater or any other part does not put our guide on the line of legal obligation. It is suggested beforehand to take this risk on your own. This concise logue is only for the user’s information.
