Heater Cores

Thanks to your vehicle’s heater core, you can be warm when the mercury plunges and see clearly out of your windshield on winter days. The heater core is like a miniature radiator located under the dash of your vehicle. The hoses connect it to your engine and hot coolant flows through the core courtesy of the engine water pump. Both dissipate heat from the coolant to the surrounding air, but the heater core supplies heat so that you can stay comfortable in frigid weather.

Similar to the radiator, a heater core consists of two tanks with a network of tubes in between. Fins are attached to the tubes to provide the surface area to transfer the heat to the surrounding air. Inlet and outlet tubes are attached to coolant hoses from the engine so hot coolant can be circulated into the heater core and back to the engine. A small fan operated by an electric motor draws in outside air and blows it across the surface of the heater core, where it is heated and then directed through a series of ducts behind the dash to outlets at the floor, dashboard, and windshield defrosters.

Common complaints related to a defective heater core are poor heat output and leakage. The heater core can become clogged with scale and debris from the cooling system collecting in the core, indicated by a coolant return hose that is significantly cooler than the inlet hose. Wet carpet, fogged window glass that smears when it’s wiped, along with the odor of anti-freeze are sure signs of a leaking heater core. This condition can be caused by erosion from coolant flow, corrosion due to electrolysis, and weakness from repeated expansion and contraction cycles as the core heats up and cools down.

In the old days it was not uncommon to repair a heater core, but that’s when vehicles were much simpler and heater cores were easier to access. Today it’s a major job to remove and replace a heater core on most vehicles and not the sort of repair you want to do twice. To make sure the job’s done right the first time, call us when you need a replacement heater core. We have the premium quality heater cores from top brands like APDI, Auto 7, Replace, Omix-Ada, TYC, and Vista-Pro. They’re designed and manufactured to meet or exceed OE specifications, so you can be assured of perfect fit and optimal performance.