What Are Symptoms of a Bad Heater Core?
Common symptoms of a bad heater core include lack of heat, coolant loss, and sweet smells in the car. You can test your heater core at home.
Written by Bee Davis
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
A car’s heater core warms the passenger cabin and heats the defroster. Common symptoms of a bad heater core include lack of heat, frequent loss of coolant, and an overheating engine.
Your car’s heater core is responsible for keeping you warm in winter, heating the air in your vents, and preventing your defroster from getting, well, frosty. Whether you live in a colder climate or just get chilly every once and a while, you’ll surely miss your heater core if it breaks down.
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Bad heater core symptoms
Lack of heat
The most recognizable symptom of a bad heater core is that the heat in your car doesn’t work anymore. If you turn on your heat and crank it to full blast with no results, it’s a sure sign that your heater has trouble.
Frequent loss of coolant
The heater core pumps coolant throughout, meaning any coolant issues could be a symptom of heater trouble. The heater core is generally located behind your dashboard, so if you’re frequently losing coolant or find it accumulating on the floor of your car, coolant lines in the heater could be leaking or obstructed.
Film or fog on the windshield
Another symptom of coolant issues in the heater core is a sweet-smelling fog accumulating on the windshield. If your heater core is leaking coolant, coolant vapors can travel up through your vents and condense on your windows.
If you notice a film or fog on the windshield that smears when you try to wipe it and smells sweet, the coolant lines in your heater core are likely damaged.
Engine overheating
It might seem counterintuitive, but if your engine is overheating, the coolant lines in your heater core are damaged. Low coolant levels can also overheat your car, so check your coolant level first if your engine is overheating.
What causes heater cores to break down?
Sometimes heater cores break down because of age. An older car may need its heater core replaced simply because the part has worn down or taken damage over time.
Heater cores also have issues with low coolant levels, as a lack of coolant can put stress on the core and cause it to break down with use. Make sure to keep your coolant levels consistent to avoid overheating your engine and putting stress on your heater.
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversHow to test for a bad heater core
Since the heater core is tucked away inside your dash, testing for heater core damage can be tough. Still, there are a few options for testing your heater core at home.
The most high-tech option is to purchase an infrared thermometer to read heat levels in your dash. If your heat is cranked to the max and your thermometer isn’t picking up heat, your heater core is likely damaged.
If you don’t have access to an infrared thermometer, you can test your heater core with your hands.
Once you’ve started your engine and gotten it up to operating temperature, crank the heat to the max and find your heater core hoses, located under the dashboard. The hoses should be too hot to hold after running at max power for several minutes. If not, your heater core is having issues.
If the outlet hose is cooler than the inlet hose, your heater core is likely clogged, which you may be able to fix by flushing your heater core hoses. Otherwise, the heater itself is likely damaged and needs repair or replacement.
It may be time to take your car to a mechanic if none of the above solve your problem.
Key Takeaway There are a few at-home things you can do to test your heater core, including using an infrared thermometer or testing the temperature of your heater core hoses.
Does car insurance cover heater core repair and replacement?
Generally, car insurance only covers repairs that are the result of a collision or weather-related event. But most insurance companies have policies that will cover mechanical wear and tear. If you have a mechanical breakdown policy, you should be able to get repairs for your heater core covered.
Heater core issues are also covered by most extended warranties, so if your car is newer or still has its warranty intact, you can likely get the cost of repairs or replacements covered by your car company.
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Can you drive with a bad heater core?
While you can technically drive with a bad heater core, it’s best to get your car to a shop right away. Driving with a bad heater core can overheat the engine and lead to extensive engine damage over time, meaning you’re in for much more expensive repairs in the long run.
How much does a heater core replacement cost?
The average cost of a heater core replacement is between $800 and $1,200. The cost of labor varies, though, so shop around for a few quotes from mechanics and check customer reviews to get a good sense of the quality of their services.
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