In the winter you will want a nice, warm vehicle to drive. If you notice an issue with the heat temperature or amount being produced, it could be caused by a poor heating core. This is a component of the engine that is part of the cooling system under the hood. The heater core allows the heater and defrost to function. Not only does it help to warm the vehicle internally, but it also helps to prevent the vehicle from overheating. If you notice the temperature gauge going up on the dashboard, one issue could be the heating core.

 

The heater core takes in and lets out coolant through two heater hoses. The main task is in making sure that you get plenty of warm air waves sent through your heater and into the cabin of your vehicle so that you do not freeze on those cold winter mornings. It is also responsible for allowing your defrost to function properly. Without the heater working properly, you may notice a colder vehicle when you drive. The defrost is important because it can help reduce any fog or frost that is on the windshield.

 

Your heater core is typically located behind the dashboard under the center, passenger side or center-passenger area. It will have some sort of casing or housing and is usually buried behind almost every other component behind your dashboard.

 

 

The most common sign that there is a problem with the heater core is when the inside of your vehicle suddenly fogs up for no reason. This sort of sign happens more often when the heater core blows while you are driving or sometime after the engine has time to heat up. It does this because a leak in the core means that all that hot coolant is now leaking into the cabin of the vehicle. Whether or not the vehicle got all foggy when the heater core broke, it will still be quite clear that your vehicle has now filled up with a sticky sweet and humid smell. This is the smell of your radiator fluid and definitely a sign that coolant is leaking into your vehicle.

 

You might also smell this smell wafting around the outside of your vehicle, which means it is time to look underneath your vehicle and see how much of that coolant has spilled out onto the ground. Also notice if your vehicle has to have coolant added in frequently. This can indicate there is a leak in the system. It is always important to have the vehicle professional inspected, as sometimes a different issue could cause it. With the heater core being the responsible for bringing heat into your vehicle, it is easy to see that a lack of heat can be signs of a bad heater core. A lack of heat all by itself is not always a sign of a faulty heater core. It can also indicate that your blower motor or another component of your heater has gone bad. Make sure to bring the vehicle in, and we can inspect it for you.