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How Does it Work / Heater

How a Car Heater Works

The heater core in your car is similar to the radiator in the front of your car, in fact it looks like a small radiator. The difference is the heater is mounted inside the car and air is blown through the fins of the core. The heater hoses transfer engine coolant to the heater core, this allows the heat from the engine coolant to be utilized and warm the passenger compartment air.

Heater Core
Heater Core



A heater control valve stops the coolant from flowing into the heater core when the system is off or the air conditioner is turned on. When the engine is cold the heater will not work. The heater core must have hot engine coolant to produce heat.

Heater Control Valve
Heater Control Valve

Controlling the heater varies in most cars, but primarily there are two designs, the first design is the manual system, which constantly needs adjustment to maintain the desired temperature. The other system is a computerized management system, this system can keep the cabin at the selected temperature or split the set temperature from the driver or passenger side compartments.

When a heater core fails it can leak coolant inside the car on the driver or passenger side floor board. Replacing a heater core is different on every vehicle, for the exact procedure consult a repair manual. Replacement can vary from undoing 5 screws and replace it, to the " they started with the heater core, then, built the rest of the car" kind of job which removing the entire dash is not unheard of and can take many hours.

Car Heater Hoses
Car Heater Hoses

The heater hoses are held in place by spring loaded hose clamps and can be removed with the proper tool.



Common Problems

  • When a vehicle is low on coolant it can cause the heater to stop functioning.
  • When the car is running you can hear bubbles flowing through the heater core, (like a fish tank) this is do to air becoming trapped inside the heater core, in time the air should dissipate to silence the noise.

How Does it Work / Heater

Check Manufacturer Specific Heater Questions and Answers

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