Heater Blowing Cold Air?
During the winter you trust that when you turn that climate control knob to the red zone, warm air will flow from the vents. And while you understandably take your heater for granted, you may not know that warmth comes from the hot coolant that circulates through the engine and radiator. In fact, the “heater core” inside the dashboard that is responsible for interior warmth and windshield defrosting is itself a small radiator. It’s true!
Behind the heater controls, buried deep inside the dashboard, is a small radiator just like the larger one in the front of your engine. The circulating coolant is hot and the climate control system’s fan blows the heated air around the heater core through the vents and defrosting system.
There are signs the heater core in your vehicle may need to be inspected or replaced, and they include:
An absence of or noticeably reduced heat blowing through the vents
A sweet odor inside the vehicle, sort of like maple syrup
A fine, slightly oily mist appears on the windshield when the defroster is on
A damp spot on the floor, typically under the dashboard
So unless you like wearing three sets of mittens on your drive to work, don’t wait for the coldest day of the year to have your heater core inspected.
The Executive Auto Group has an auto repair facility near you. Visit Liberty Mazda or Liberty Honda in the Hartford area, Executive Honda, Executive KIA, Executive Dodge JEEP RAM or The all new Fiat by Executive in Walling ford and Acura by Executive, Executive JEEP or Executive Nissan in North Haven.
