Ensuring Your Heater and Defroster Works Properly

You don't ever really appreciate your heater and defroster until you find yourself in the cold. Ensuring that your heater and defroster work properly is a simple and easy preventative care measure that anyone can do. Better yet, it is something that doesn't take very long or even cost a significant amount of money.

The best possible way to ensure that your car's heating and defrosting system is working properly is to have trained professionals take a look. However, there are a few drawbacks to this method in both time and money. You can check it yourself and only take it into the professionals when you know that something is wrong. This will help you save time, money, and ensure that your heater and defroster are working properly.

• Temperature. Drive your car for roughly 15 minutes, which should be enough time to warm up the engine and the heater. Turn the temperature on high and the blower on medium. After driving around, park the car and test the temperature by placing thermometers into the vents and checking the reading. The temperature should read between 115 and 120.
• Engine coolant. Your engine coolant is going to play a large role in how well the heater and defroster work in your car. You should always begin your exam by checking to make sure that the engine coolant is clean and filled to the proper level. If not, refill or replace as necessary.
• Temperature door motor. The temperature door motor can usually be found near the glove compartment or under the dashboard, although you should always check your owners' manual or a repair manual to make sure. When you open the compartment door you should be able to see or hear the motor and shaft turning. If you can't, then this is more than likely the problem but you'll probably want to take it to a mechanic. Just tell them what you found and they will replace the assembly (problem solved).
• Hoses. You should always check the hoses in your car's engine. Make sure that there isn't any debris clogging anything and that all the hoses are in good working order. If any debris is found, remove it, and if any of the hoses are old, brittle, or cracked, replace them.