Winter is here, and you’re going to be relying on your car’s heating system on most days to get you to and from your destinations without freezing. But what happens if you start your car, turn the heat on and nothing but cold air comes out?
Although it usually takes a minute or two for your car’s heater to begin blowing warm air, particularly on very cold days, a heater that is constantly blowing cold air is a major issue and often indicative of another problem with your vehicle that needs to be addressed by an auto repair shop in Madison, TN.
Causes of car heater failure
The heater in your car is a little more complicated than the heating system in your home; it is composed of a system of parts working together rather than one singular unit creating heat.
Essentially, your vehicle will heat up when it receives heat from the engine’s coolant system. As the engine warms up and reaches its optimal temperature controlled by the thermostat in your vehicle, your coolant and water mixture will also heat. The mixture passes through hoses and valves and passes through the heater core. Then, warm air is pushed through the cabin filter and into your vehicle via a blower fan.
Because there are so many elements to the system, if your car’s heater isn’t working, it may be caused by several different things:
- Low coolant: Without adequate coolant and water levels, your vehicle will not produce adequate heat.
- Broken thermostat: The thermostat in your vehicle determines when the water and coolant begins to heat and circulate through your engine. If the thermostat is broken, it may not be letting the mixture heat up enough or at all.
- Blockage in heater core: There may be a blockage within the heater core that is preventing coolant from circulating throughout all of the hoses and valves in your engine system.
- Busted blower fan: If your system is not blowing air whatsoever, the blower fan may be broken and failing to push warm air into the cabin of your vehicle.
What to do if the heat isn’t working
Unless you are skilled at vehicle mechanics, your best bet when dealing with a malfunctioning heating system in your car is to take it to be serviced by an auto repair shop in Madison, TN. Before you do that, though, you can check a few things to try and identify the problem.
First, check your coolant and water levels. If your coolant is low, you can top it back off, but this will probably not fix the problem. Coolant doesn’t just evaporate, meaning you likely have a leak somewhere in the system that needs to be repaired.
If your coolant levels are fine, you’re probably dealing with a broken thermostat, heater core blockage or broken blower motor. You can test the temperature of the hoses on either side of the heater core to determine if one hose is colder than the other; this is indicative of a blockage. However, heater cores are typically difficult to get to and repair or replace, so it’ll be best if you take your vehicle to a mechanic.
Madison Muffler & Auto Repair is here to help
If your heater isn’t working, bring your vehicle in to Madison Muffler & Auto Repair! Our auto repair shop in Madison, TN has been serving clients for over a decade. We offer a variety of auto repair services and use quality parts at affordable prices. Give us a call today!