By Tom I Stables
As winter approaches the major concern of most automobile owners is the output of their car or trucks heater. Will it put out proper and adequate heat? A vehicles heater not only keeps occupants in comfort. Properly functioning heaters are essential for motoring safety to defrost front and even side windows from unsafe traffic view blocking windshield condensation, humidity and frost.
If there are two causes of poor heat emitting cold or auto heaters that do not put out any heat what so ever they are firstly not enough glycol anti-freeze in the radiator and engine cooling system and secondly a stuck rad thermostat. What are the steps involved for your trusted auto mechanic to check one of the other or both in order that your car or trucks interior passenger compartment heater be tested for adequate heat production and distribution?
In terms of anti-freeze and standard ethylene glycol radiator antifreeze solutions in all areas where the prevailing wintertime temperatures drop below the freezing point of water that is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below zero ( 0) degrees Celsius it is necessary to add an antifreeze solution to the cooling system fluid or fluids.
Otherwise the coolant will freeze solid causing irrevocable damage to the rad, engine block and cooling system. The most standard used solution for anti-freeze in vehicles is an ethylene glycol / water mixture. These commercial anti-freeze solutions come in various concentrations and colors. Color does not matter from differing makers and manufacturers. Strength does. Ensure that a strong enough solution for less than seasonal temperatures or in your geographic areas is in your rad. On top of that ensure that the rad coolant is of a glycol concentration that can withstand lower temperatures of areas that you may travel to. Otherwise expensive rad and engine block damage can result. It is false economy if you only place 20 degrees antifreeze protection to save antifreeze costs when you live in New York City but are traveling to visit relatives come January in Edmonton or Fort mc Murray northern Canada where winter temperatures can hover at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius. With an inexpensive bulb hydrometer testing device either you or your mechanic can check glycol concentrations in a snap. Play it safe.
The first and major cause for engine heaters not putting out enough heat is low rad fluid levels. Have your mechanic check under the hood in your anti-freeze overflow canister for adequate levels. This is eyeballed on a line on the recovery canister on marker lines indicating min ( minimum or lowest) or maximum ( max or high) mark points for either cold or hot engines. If necessary fluid can be added in a snap. Voila instant heat.
The second main reason for little or low heat is a poorly functioning or stuck engine thermostat. If you have no heat what so ever the usual cause is low antifreeze levels in the radiator. If you have some heat but its lukewarm and never really gets hot then suspect a stuck thermostat. Thermostats are devices in the coolant water flow areas that open and close based on temperature levels of the coolant liquid, when cold they contract closing the water flow passageway, preventing full circulation and thus retaining coolant fluids in the engine block areas Problems result when the thermostats stay in an open/ stuck position. The water circulates all the time to the radiator being cooled by the system never being able to heat up. Imagine driving down the highway or freeway in a cold Canadian winter trip with a stuck radiator thermostat. The engine coolant can never heat up. As result both the engine and coolant stay cool which may be fine in the hot summer to prevent overheating but not in the wintertime when you may want engine heat and hot coolant to give you comfortable warming heat to the inside of your vehicle , auto heater and defroster.
What is the procedure? Ask your mechanic or auto dealership service tech writer to have the thermostat checked. Simply put they will remove it physically from the engine block cooling system. The thermostat will b placed in a bowl or pan along with a thermostat and water covering it. The water will be gently heated. The thermostat will be watched and noted at what temperature it opens up: If the thermostat stays in the open or stuck position it will be replaced and you will have heat and warmth. Secondly some of the time a winter thermostat with a lower temperature opening point will be swapped in to replace a previous working thermostat with a higher temp opening setting so that your engine (and rad coolant) will run warmer and more heat will be outputted from your interior heating system.
Either way if you have a cold interior car or your windows will not defrost either check yourself or have your mechanic check firstly the level of antifreeze in your radiator and cooling system. Secondly if that does not suffice or solve the heating issue or issues have your engine thermostat removed, checked and inspected. Experienced and specialized radiator and auto heater shops will tell you that by checking and testing these two components that the vast majority of cars, trucks and sports utility vehicles will have their heat and wintertime heating problems solved. Its as easy as that.
About the Author: Tom I Stables
Eagle Ridge Chevrolet GMC TrucksCoquitlam Vancouver BC Auto
Service Specialists We get heat out of Northern British Columbia car truck SUV interior car heaters & defrosters
BCTruck Traders
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