Common Reasons Why Your Vehicle’s Heater Might Stop Working This Winter

There are a number of things that can cause a car heater to fail in the wintertime. With all car components, seeking preventive maintenance at an auto repair shop is the least expensive method of ensuring the reliability of your car’s heater.

Heater Core Problems One common issue that can cause car heaters to stop working is a defective or clogged heater core . You know it’s the heater core that’s causing the problem if the other components in your car’s heating system—the radiator, the blower, and the thermostat—are working just fine. Going to a car repair shop to flush your cooling system on a regular basis will greatly reduce the chances of having to deal with the expense of a clogged heater core.

Insufficient Level of Coolant Coolant, also known as radiator fluid, is not just used for cooling the engine; it’s also necessary for the operation of your car’s heating system. If your car doesn’t have enough coolant, there’s a chance that it won’t circulate to the heater core, or that too much air will make its way into your heater core and block the heat from circulating into your car’s cabin.

Busted Thermostat If your car’s heater stops working this winter it could be because of a bad thermostat. To test to see if your thermostat is permanently in the “on” position, start your car when it’s cold and then look at your upper radiator hose. If coolant is moving through the hose before the engine is warm, then you know it’s a busted thermostat. This is a quick and easy fix at your local car repair shop.

Broken Blower Another common thing that causes car heaters to stop working is that the blower fan. If you don’t hear the blower fan, then a good car repair shop will most likely be able to fix it without much complication.

For quality car heater maintenance or car repair in the Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, or Prospect Heights neighborhoods, come to Casey Automotive . Visit our website or call us at (866) 709-3522 for more information to learn more about our car repair and maintenance services.