For your heating system of the car to work properly, your cooling system should be proper in function. Car issues can blow your brains out. If your car heater is suddenly blowing out cold air instead of heat then you have a good reason to get annoyed. Car AC system might stop functioning due to many reasons. Several things might be wrong with the ac system because many components work together to heat your car. This article will help you to determine the causes of the car ac heater not working and the possible solutions to fix them. Read the article till the end to fix them.
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Reasons For Car AC Heater Not Working
Given below are the reasons for your car heater not functioning in the winter season.
1. Problem In The Blower Fan
If little air is coming through the vents then it could be because the blower motor for the fan speed isn’t working. A bad relay can also be the culprit since the relay takes a small current and uses it to regulate the large current needed for ventilation. If the blower motor fails to push air at any of its designed settings then it might be faulty.
Cool coolant fluid will not generate the required heat needed by the system, and therefore, your car heating will not work properly. So having the vehicle properly diagnosed is highly recommended.
2. Heater Core Issues
Heater cores are parts similar to your car’s radiator- made up of a series of narrow tubes and fins. The tubes present in the heater core are susceptible to clogging and leaks reducing the coolant level or flow through your engine’s cooling system.
Lift the hood and check the temperature around the heater core. The safest way to do this is with a noninfrared thermometer. If one hose is the same temperature as the coolant and the other hose is cold, there may be a blockage in the heater core. Check if the vehicle has a valve in one of the hoses, check its operation. Also, the valve is stuck and prevents coolant from flowing through the heater core, then that might be the problem.
3. A Bad Thermostat
A car thermostat is a simple and important component of a vehicle’s engine. Its purpose is to control the flow of a coolant to allow the engine to maintain a proper temperature under various conditions. If you notice that your thermostat gauge stays on the “C” even after the engine has time to heat up. If the thermostat can’t signal to the car that the engine is warm, the coolant won’t be sent over to provide heat to your heater core and the air will stay cool. Thermostats are a relatively easy and inexpensive fix, so you can get your heater back very easily by replacing it.
4. Water Leaks
In older vehicles, the engine radiator might leak water and some fluid resulting in a low coolant level. A low coolant level will not transfer the required heat to the heating core and causes issues with the heating system. There can be many places where you will find these leaks for eg. the hoses, radiator, water pump.
If you find any sign of leakage in the hose or leaking from the surface, get your car inspected. As a result, it can damage your car heater even worse.
How To Fix The Car AC Heater?
Following are the steps that you should follow if your car AC heater not working. If your heater isn’t blowing any air, skip to the next.
- Turn off the vehicle and let the engine cool completely. It has level indicators that show how full or empty it is. If the coolant level is low, the vehicle likely isn’t circulating enough antifreeze through the heater core and needs to be replenished.
- Check if there is debris in the heater box. If you determine that hot antifreeze flows through the heater core, there may be debris in the heater box. So remove the debris i.e pine needles, road debris in the heating system.
- To help engines warn up fast and then keep it at a steady temperature, manufacturers use a thermostat to control the flow of coolant. If the engine is cold, the thermostat will restrict the flow of coolant into the engine.
- Also, check the temperature around where the heater enters the heater core box. The safest way to do this is with a non-contact infrared thermometer. If the valve is stuck and prevents coolant from flowing through the heater core, then that may be the source of the problem.
How To Maintain Car AC’s Heater?
So let’s start with the maintenance part and begin with basic ones that you can do yourself.
- Car ac comes equipped with a cabin filter that clears out the dirt before the air enters the cabin. The cabin filter gets clogged with dust and dirt particles. Just take the filter out and clean it regularly.
- Make sure to keep a full coolant level at all times because it helps the unit core to heat up. It will also help to keep your vehicle’s engine running smoothly.
Regardless of the temperature outside, it is highly recommended that you turn on your AC at least two times a week for approximately ten minutes. This will keep hoses, valves and intricate parts of the AC will begin to work.- Get your car’s ac serviced at least once a year. Preferably before the winter system, so that your car heater is 100% functional by that time.
Conclusion
The heater in your vehicle is not easy as replacing the entire setup. With a car heater, there can be many problems that can arise after some time. The system consists of several components that coordinate together to provide heat.
For those without the necessary skills, mechanical aptitude, or motivation and for those who are simply busy and have never tried all these then it will make a lot of sense to let your local garage fix the problem. So these were the problems and solutions with the car ac heater not working.