Now is not the time to have your automobile’s heater core leak or go bad. Thankfully, Heath’s Auto Service can replace the core if it’s giving you trouble. How will you know your core is going bad? There are five common signs that indicate problems with the core. Here’s what they are so you know what to look for. If you experience any of these problems, bring your vehicle in right away.
1. Maple Syrup Smell
Yes, we know it sounds strange, but if you smell a sweet smell coming through your vents that kind of smells like maple syrup, you’ve got coolant leaking from the heater core. The reason you’ll smell this sweet odor through your vents is the air is blown over the heater core to warm it before it flows through your vents.
2. You’ve Got Foggy Windows
When the heater core is leaking, the warm coolant creates condensation inside your car when it mixes with the cold air in your cabin. This will make your windows fog up and they won’t clear no matter how high you turn on the defroster. The heater core warms the air that blows through your windshield’s defroster, too.
3. Cold Air
We’ve given you little hints so far but how your car’s heater works is simple. The heater core has a series of hoses in it through which hot engine coolant circulates. When you turn up your heater, the air blows over the hot coolant to warm up. If the core is leaking, there’s no hot coolant to warm the air. Consequently, cold air will blow into your cabin.
4. Your Engine Is Overheating
Even more frustrating? The air blowing into your vehicle’s cabin is barely warm or cold but your engine is overheating. This is because the engine is losing precious coolant out of the core leak. This will create this unique condition of a cold car interior yet an overheating engine. You can almost bet it’s the heater core in this case.
5. Low Coolant
Naturally, as the coolant leaks out of the heater core, the coolant level gets too low. You might find yourself adding coolant to your engine frequently if the heater core is going bad and/or leaking. To be completely honest, you should never have to add coolant to your car. If you do, you’ve got a problem in the engine or core.
Don’t worry. Heath’s Auto Service in Flagstaff, AZ, can fix it. Give us a call to schedule an appointment.
