Why Does It Take So Long For My Car To Heat Up?

There is nothing worse than having to wait for your car to warm up on a cold winter day. Every second you need to wait seems like a lifetime. You tell yourself, if you drive more the car will get warmer, yet your car remains cold. The lack of heat is certainly not a feature you are looking for in your car, and it is time to take it in for an inspection to Paul Campanella’s Auto & Tire Centers.
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There a few possible reasons for the delay in your car warming up; let’s explore.
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Low or Dirty Coolant:

Usually, the first thing that would be assessed if you are having heater issues would be the coolant levels. While it is referred to as coolant, what some people don’t realize is that coolant is most important during the winter, as your heater/heater core runs on coolant. If the coolant is low, there is less fuel for the heater core to work with.
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Thermostat:

If your coolant levels are good, but your car is still taking a while to warm up, your thermostat could be the problem. Your car’s thermostat works in conjunction with your car’s radiator and coolant. One of the thermostat’s main functions is to circulate enough coolant to prevent your engine from overheating, as well as to keep the heater core fueled with enough coolant to generate the heat that keeps your car warm.
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Failing Radiator:

A faulty radiator could be catastrophic to your engine. If your car isn’t heating up as well as it should, make sure there are no signs of leakage. Though radiators are one of the more expensive things to fix, they are not at as high of a price point as replacing your whole engine, which is where you could be headed if the radiator is not addressed.
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Heater Core:

A heater core is very much just a smaller version of a radiator, but instead of being used to cool the coolant in the motor, it uses the heat from that coolant to warm the car’s interior.

If your vehicle’s heater won’t warm up, your heater core could be the issue. In addition to the lack of heat, some other indicators of damaged heater cores include excessive window fog, low coolant, coolant leaks, or the smell of coolant inside of the vehicle.
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Heater Blower:

The heater blower or the fan motor pushes warm air through the vehicle’s vents as well as the AC’s cold air. If you turn up the fan and nothing happens your heater blower may have a problem.
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Bottom line, don’t compromise your comfort when driving your car. Bring your vehicle to Paul Campanella’s Auto & Tire Centers to have us diagnose and repair your heating problem!

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