Where is the heater core located in a car?
Where Is the Heater Core Located? Your heater core is usually behind your dashboard, under the center or the passenger side. It will have some sort of casing or housing and is usually buried behind almost every other component of the dashboard.
What to do if your car has a bad heater core?
Remove any outer doors or casings from things like the fuse box, speakers. and kick panels. Remove the glove box, radio, speakers, and any accessories. Remove any gauges (be careful if you have a speedometer cable back there!). Detach and remove your heater and air conditioner controls.
When do you Know Your heater core is bad?
Though, if you’re seeing one of the other signs in addition to a lack of heat that’s a pretty good indicator that the heater core itself has a problem. When a hole or puncture develops in your heater core, all that warm air may escape too quickly to reach you at the other end of the heater ducts.
What to do if your heater core is not working?
If none of them work, you can also check the cabin air filter, which can get filled with dust and dirt, blocking airflow through the heating system. If the filter is OK, you may have a clogged heater core. The heater core is buried deep behind your dash, and requires a lot of disassembly to get to.
What to do if your car heater core is leaking?
If you have a leak anywhere in the cooling system, including the heater core, it’ll cause a couple related problems. Your car will lose a significant amount of coolant, and eventually your temperature gauge will run higher than normal. Solution: Top off your coolant and take your car in for inspection right away.
What causes a heater core to be clogged with junk?
Don’t exceed the pressure stated on the radiator cap when flushing. Another possibility is that the exterior fins of the heater core are clogged with junk sucked in through the air intake.
What happens when coolant comes out of a heater core?
The amount of coolant spraying out of the heater core is enough to form a mist that coats your windows and is difficult to wash off. This is bad — not only because it blocks your vision, but also because breathing ethylene glycol is harmful to your health.
How can you tell if your car heater core is bad?
The most common tipoff to a problem with a heater core is when the inside of your car suddenly fogs up for no reason. And, when I say “fogs up,” I’m not talking about a little mist on the edge of the windshield, I’m saying every window is covered with moist, warm condensation.
Can a car heater core leak into the cabin?
Even if you have an older vehicle with the heater core outside the cabin, leaking fluid can still find its way into the cabin through the ventilation ducts. Having coolant leaking into the cabin of your vehicle can cause all sorts of problems.
What happens when you have a hole in your heater core?
When a hole or puncture develops in your heater core, all that warm air may escape too quickly to reach you at the other end of the heater ducts. Depending on the size of the puncture, you might feel mildly warm, lukewarm, or absolutely freezing air coming from your heater.