Learn the signs of a bad heater core to protect your engine. A vehicle's heater core carries hot engine coolant and uses air to remove some of the coolant's energy to disperse it into a moving airstream, similar to a radiator. The heater core uses the car's cooling system to provide heat to the passenger compartment. The cooling system in a car is made up of hoses and pipes that circulate antifreeze around to different parts of the car. Yes, if it bad because it not letting enough coolant flow through it, it won’t put out as much heat but, it might not keep the windshield clear. All you need are two worm-drive stainless steel hose clamps and your done! Any NAPA or Carquest has a heater-core jumper adapter fitting for under five bucks. A car heater core is the part of the engine's cooling system that heats up the interior of the car when the heat is turned on. The heater works by circulating the hot water from your cooling system into the heater in the car. Replacing a leaking heater core can be an extremely annoying project due to its location in your vehicle. The antifreeze is pumped through the engine — where it absorbs heat — then routed to a radiator at the front of the car. You Car Heater is Not Working. As long as the heater is not actually leaking, you should be able to drive it. Can I replace a leaking heater core? Another glaring sign of a bad heater core is a simple lack of heat. A non-functioning heater is a major red flag that you have a damaged heater core if your car is running fine. But no leaking inside of vehicle nor any leaks anywhere. You can think of your car's heater core like a radiator in reverse. It’s probably the heater core if you smell it strongly inside the car, and if you notice a filmy fog form on the windshield when the heater is on, that’s another hint. While it could just be the blower motor or another part of the system that has failed, if you’re seeing any other signs it’s a definite indicator. This thin metal can develop cracks over time and the joints in your heater core can start to come loose due to vibrations in your vehicle and bumps in the road. 5. Can I still drive it? keep the heater temp control all the way to cold. There is an easy trick you can do in the mean-time. Signs of a bad heater core are few, but noticeable. As long as you dont lets your engien run out … Also, if there is antifreeze on the floor inside your car, that is another good clue. A fan, that you control with a switch, blows cabin air over the heater core and the heated air then keeps the interior of the car warm in the winter. The fan for the heater and defroster blow across this component to bring heat into the vehicle's interior. I can hear the fluid and when I use the heat the windshield fogs up with an oily substance. Your heater isn’t working. Replacing the heater core is something car owners dread because parts and labor are expensive, and it is a difficult do-it-yourself project. 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