Your teenage daughter rides shotgun, and she kicks off her shoes the minute you get going. She puts her feet down on the floor and realizes it is wet. Water on your vehicle’s floorboard underneath the dashboard on the passenger side isn’t water; it’s most likely engine coolant leaking out of your heater core. Fountain City Auto Clinic can help. Let’s talk about this further.
Heater Core Leak
As you probably guessed by the introduction to this blog post, your heater core is located underneath the dashboard on the passenger side. This is the automotive part that is responsible for heating the air that is blown into your car, truck, crossover, or SUV’s cabin when you turn up the interior’s temperature. A surefire sign that the heater core is leaking is exactly what was described above. You’ll end up with coolant on the floor and your interior may smell sweet and musty, too.
Other Signs of Heater Core Problems
Musty smells that resemble fruit or syrup is just one sign that your heater core is leaking. You may also have that smell coming through the vents. Heater cores can also get clogged. When this happens, engine coolant never makes its way back to the radiator and your vehicle will overheat. These are two signs of a heater core clog, but you may also experience
- Cold or lukewarm air blowing into your cabin
- Engine coolant loss that needs to be replaced
- Foggy windows coated with engine coolant
The reason why these things happen is simple. When you turn on or turn up your vehicle’s heater, the cooling system reroutes coolant to the heater core. This happens at the end of the coolant’s circulation, so it’s good and hot when it flows through the heater core’s tubes. Your heater’s blower blows the air over the hot coolant. This is what turns it from cold to hot.
Once the heater core has increased the air’s temperature, the coolant heads back into the radiator where the radiator fan and vents cool it off. If the heater core is clogged or leaking, you’ll lose your engine’s coolant at this stopping point. This creates all of the issues discussed above, and it’s important to replace the heater core as soon as possible.
Fountain City Auto Clinic services all vehicle makes and models. We work tirelessly to be the best auto shop in Knoxville, TN, and we’d be happy to inspect your car, truck, or UV’s heater core for clogs or leaks. Give us a call today.
