What causes a blockage in the heater core?
If there is a problem with the heater core or cooling system, it will affect heater performance. One of the main causes is not using stop-leak products properly. If you’ve had a coolant leak that you’ve attempted to fix with stop-leak and you have no heat or reduced heat, you might have a blockage in the heater core causing the problem.
Can a garden hose burst a heater core?
Take a garden hose and insert it into the inlet tube. Be careful how much water pressure you turn on in the hose. Depending on your water pressure, some hoses can run up to 100 lbs. per square inch of water pressure–which can easily burst a heater core seam.
How can I tell if my heater core is clogged?
A good test to see if your heater core is clogged is to feel the hoses going into it in the firewall. Look at the firewall or bulkhead for two hoses close together. These are normally the feed and return hoses for the heater core. With the engine warm and running, feel the hoses.
What should I do if my heater core is too hot?
Set the heater to the MAX heat position. Check the temperature of the heater core hoses: Both hoses should be too hot to hold. Typically, the inlet hose should be about 20 degrees warmer than the outlet hose. If the outlet heater hose is significantly cooler than the inlet hose, the heater core is probably clogged.
Why are the hoses to the heater core cold?
But it sounds like a bunged up heater core…..or a massive air pocket blocking coolant flow into the heater core. With the engine cold and you’ve got reasonable access to safely disconnect your heater core hoses one at a time, disconnect one or the other and have a friend start the engine.
Take a garden hose and insert it into the inlet tube. Be careful how much water pressure you turn on in the hose. Depending on your water pressure, some hoses can run up to 100 lbs. per square inch of water pressure–which can easily burst a heater core seam.
If there is a problem with the heater core or cooling system, it will affect heater performance. One of the main causes is not using stop-leak products properly. If you’ve had a coolant leak that you’ve attempted to fix with stop-leak and you have no heat or reduced heat, you might have a blockage in the heater core causing the problem.
Set the heater to the MAX heat position. Check the temperature of the heater core hoses: Both hoses should be too hot to hold. Typically, the inlet hose should be about 20 degrees warmer than the outlet hose. If the outlet heater hose is significantly cooler than the inlet hose, the heater core is probably clogged.