There’s nothing worse than getting into your car on a cold morning and realizing your heat isn’t working. This can cause a whole bunch of problems if you’ve got ice to defrost, and driving in an icebox is never ideal. Typically, there are a couple key reasons why this can happen:
Bad thermostat. When a vehicle’s thermostat breaks, it affects more than just the heat in the cabin. It also means the engine’s temperature can’t be read accurately and cooled down when it needs to be. Left unfixed, this could create quite a problem in the hot summer months. The thermostat can be one of the most common problems when the heating fails, so be sure to keep an eye on it if it doesn’t seem correct.
Low coolant. Whether your coolant is low because it needs to be refilled or there’s a leak in the system, this creates problems for your vehicle’s heating. When the liquid can’t make it through the system properly, it can also cause your engine to overheat. Try refilling the liquid to see if the problem persists. If it does, then tests will have to be run to find the source of the leak.
Faulty controls. Even with all of our modern improvements, parts can break. Depending on the type of car, the temperature may be controlled by a dial, button, or touchscreen. Any of these parts can break, whether from an exterior source or from the internal wiring running into an issue.
Broken fan. An essential part of how your air gets pushed into the cabin, this part can break due to age or other factors if debris gets into the system. You will notice that the air pressure does not increase or decrease when you change the force of it, but will be a continuous low blast of air, or none at all.
Bad wiring. This is why it’s so important to go to a service center that is up to date on all electrical aspects of your vehicle’s model. A vehicle’s wiring can break or blow a fuse, and then any commands used through those systems will fail.
Blocked heater core. While this is less likely to occur, your car’s heater core can become blocked by debris. If contaminants have made it into the coolant system or debris gets through the radiator, it can then affect the heater core. Typically, this part of the system is well protected, but age or damage can cause this issue.
Whether your heat has gone completely out or it’s not working as well, it’s important to bring your car in for repair. Superior Service Center has a location in Eagan and Apple Valley, so we can expertly serve the Southern Twin Cities.