Vehicle Heating Repair

Repairing your vehicle's heating system, requires an expert diagnosis, since there are no direct heating elements in your car.  It is the closed circulations system that creates the heat for the car's climate control.  Before attempting any vehicle heating repair, first check to see if your symptoms match our list.  You can repair the damage yourself, or contact a mobile mechanic now, and they can come give a professional diagnosis.  You may need to repair another area of your vehicle, and it may not be what you think. 

Causes of Vehicle Heater Malfunction 

• A car heater will stop working for a couple different reasons.  We have gathered some of the most common issues. f
• If the antifreeze or coolant level in the radiator is low, because of a crack or leak. 
• The engine thermostat needs replacement.  If the thermostat is not working, it won't allow the engine to warm up properly and your heater may not run. 
• A blower motor has burned out, or stopped working. 
• The coolant system has buildup preventing it from correctly flowing throughout the heater core. 
• Possibly an ECU(small computer located under the dash)  has bone bad and will need to be replaced.  The ECU controls many different aspects of the vehicle.

You will notice that although it is your vehicle heating system you are trying to fix, most of the reasons revolve around the engine coolant.  This is because the coolant system is how the heat is transferred.  To repair the heater in your car, you must first check that there are no leaks.  If the coolant system has a hole in it, the antifreeze will not flow properly, and the heat transfer from the engine to the heater core will not function.  If the system has buildup circulating inside the lines, there may be an insufficient amount to regulate the temperatures correctly.  Of course, if your blower fan motor is out, then your vents will not be blowing hot air into the cabin. 

 Checking for obvious coolant leaks is, the first step to narrowing down what is causing the car heater malfunction.  Small hoses may have tears, or ruptures, slowly dripping will allow the level to remain at an acceptable level before any noticeable problems occur.  Hose repairs, are normally fast, easy, and relatively, inexpensive compared to, for example, exchanging the heater core from inside the dashboard.  Replacing the radiator, if cracked, is another repair that doesn't require as many hours in labor.  It will double as a repair for your heater, as well as keep your vehicle from overheating.   

Unlike the blower motor, replacing the thermostat is much more important.  Not only will a faulty thermostat prevent your heater from functioning the way it is designed, but it could lead to catastrophic engine failure.  If the thermostat doesn't open, the lack of coolant to the engine may cause the engine to overheat, potentially cracking the block, or rupturing a head gasket. 

If you experience any of the aforementioned signs while your heater is not working, make sure to call your mobile auto repair specialists to come and take care of your problems before they get worse.