Stay Warm in Your Car
This Winter
Be prepared when traveling this winter. If
you have to wrap yourself in extra clothing and blankets to stay just a little
bit warm in your car, then you need to have your heater checked. It is better
to learn what to look for when it comes to pending car-heater trouble.
• Is there a chirping or screeching sound
when you turn on your car heater? This noise could be a
worn fan-motor bearing. Motor happen quite
rapidly after the noise starts.
• Does your dashboard heater-control lever
seem unusually stiff? This stiffness may be a sign of a sticky or
heater-control valve that isn’t working.
• Do you notice moisture accumulating inside
your car, even with the defroster is running? If so, that could be a sign that
your car’s heater
core—a miniature radiator—might be leaking.
• Is your heating system just not working
like it used too? Heater and defroster duct hoses take fresh air into the
system and warmed air to locations beyond the
heater core. If these duct hoses leak, your heater
may not efficiently warm your car or defrost
your windows.
• Is your heater blowing only cold air? A
leaking heater hose (which carries your system’s antifreeze)
could be the culprit, and this issue could
leave you in the cold, stranded.
An efficiently functioning car heater will
keep you comfortable and your windows clear, both keys to safe driving.
So, watch for pending car heating problems, and get them taken
care of before they leave you stranded in the cold this winter.
