CAR HEATER CORE REPLACEMENT
The heater core explodes, and winter’s coming (eventually), and now it’s better than never to get your heater core fixed. Don’t catch a cold (ride) a few months from now because you didn’t get your heater fixed when you had the chance. The heating core is one of the essential parts of your heating system. So, today, let’s talk about your heater core: what is a heater core, signs your heater core is broken, and where you can get your heater core fixed in Chico, CA.
Does It Need Replaced?
A heater core looks like a small radiator and is used to pass hot air into your vehicle’s cabin.
The way it does this is rather interesting:
- Hot engine coolant (a radiator fluid) constantly recycles through the engine cooling system to keep it from overheating.
- Some hot engine coolant can be passed through the heater core, which is hollow. This heats the heater core, which heats the air around the body.
- A centrifugal” squirrel cage” fan blows over the hot heater core pushing hot air through the air vents and into the cabin.
- Unique fins on the heater core increase the total heated surface area, increasing the amount of heated air blown into the cabin. The unit is usually made of aluminum or brass to improve heat conductivity.
It’s a rather clever way to use heat already generated by the engine to warm the cabin, and it saves trouble with car parts and complicated auto repairs on an entirely separate heating system.
SIGNS YOUR HEATER CORE IS LEAKING.
You might ask yourself, “Why doesn’t my car blow warm air?” Several signs of heater core problems depend on what aspect of the heating system is broken. These signs include:
SWEET SMELL
Engine coolant is glycol-based (think sugars), which gives off a sweet or smelly fruit when burned. So if you smell odd sweet smells whenever your car or truck has been running long enough to heat the engine or while the heater is being used, there’s a good chance radiator fluid/engine coolant is leaking, touching a heated surface, and then burning off.
Hard to tell exactly where the leak is without a flashlight and some elbow grease. Often this is a vital sign that it’s time to stop by a heater technician or general auto shop and make sure you get a complete vehicle diagnosis, at least on anything connected to the heater core or heating system.
EXTREMELY FOGGY WINDOWS
If your windows keep fogging up for no reason, this may be coolant evaporating into your vehicle’s cabin. However, since it doesn’t fade as fast as average moisture, it builds up and creates a confusing situation where you can’t seem to get it off no matter how you jiggle the HVAC controls.
Again, you probably need to see a car tech for such situations.
COLD AIR BLOWING INTO THE CABIN
Especially if the engine is already hot, there should be heat through the system. So it’s a pretty obvious sign that something is wrong with the heater core or the heating system if there’s no hot air coming out. Obviously.
In rare cases, it may just take a moment for your car to heat enough that the radiator fluid is hot enough to warm the cabin. But this is rarely the case in adequately functioning systems heating; again, this is a vital sign that it’s time for auto service. Call us for all of your heater core replacement needs!
ENGINE COOLANT RUNS LOW QUICKLY
If your coolant is magically running low far too fast, more often than not, there’s a leak. Usually, you can see evidence pretty clearly on the ground under your engine, as with any fluid leak. In addition, coolant on some vehicles may drip into the cabin from the heater core underneath the dashboard.
If you’re running low on coolant all the time, and it smells sweat, and your windows are always foggy, and on top of it all, your heater isn’t working, then you’ve pretty much narrowed the problem down at that point.
HEATER CORE REPAIR NEAR ME
Unfortunately, the heater core isn’t a particularly accessible or user-serviceable system, even though its layout and operation seem pretty simple on paper. So if you are experiencing heater core problems, you’ll probably need a garage, or someone else’s to get the job done.
Thankfully, Tedious Repairs is here to do the job for you! We’re some of the best heating core repair techs in Chico, CA and our prices are affordable too. We work hard to get the job done both fast and right and keep you informed every step of the way. We’ve covered you, whether it’s heating system service, vehicle diagnostics, tire alignment, oil changes, or anything in between.
Use the information below to get in touch at your earliest convenience. Thanks for reading, and tune in next week for more auto repair advice from Chico’s #1 auto shop .
CALL TEDIOUS REPAIRS FOR HEATER CORE REPLACEMENT SERVICE
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