How Does a Car Heater Work?

A car heater system is an essential element that is designed to keep you warm when needed. If you live in a cold area, you cannot go out with your car if the heater is not working. Every vehicle has an engine cooling system and which helps the heater to work.

 If you know how does a heater works, you can eliminate any possible problem quickly, and you will know the architecture of your car better.

The heater’s primary working process is the heater takes the heat from the engine and transfers it to you, so you feel warm and cozy. In this article, you will get the correct information about how does the car heater work.

How Does a Car Heater System Work?

The car heater system works with a process of different organs of a car combined to provide proper temperature inside your vehicle.

 Before starting the operation, you should know the fundamentals of your car’s engine so that you can easily understand the next steps. Some components help to work the heater. They are,

• Heater Core
• Antifreeze
• Blower
• Motor Heating
• Ventilation
• Air Conditioning (HVAC) Control
• Water Pump
• Thermostat
• Heater hoses

Process of Car Heater System

Those parts help to enable the healing process inside your car so you can get warm.

Step 1: Operate the Engine

First of all, your engine needs to run so that it can warm up, and your heater can start working. A running engine can create heat and pass it inside. The coolant of the engine cooling system flows cold air through the passage, so the driver gets cool. That’s why the engine will not overheat.

Step 2: Process of Warm Air in Thermostat Part

There is a passage connected to the radiator, which is called a thermostat. It may be located at the top of the engine or somewhere else.

However, a different car has a different engine design. So, the thermostat could also be mounted somewhere else.

If you still cannot find the thermostat, you can follow the upper radiator hose. A thermostat does an essential job. It helps to balances the temperature created inside the engine and fulfills the vehicle around 165 to 195 degrees.

But if the engine is the carburetor, it could be 160to 180. The motor engine has injectors at 195 degrees that means the temperature will reach the same degrees.

After that, the engine cooling system passes liquid to the radiator so that the air will cool itself, and then the wind will come back to the engine.

Step 3: Air Flowing System

All this air flowing system works through the water pump. The water pump is mounted in front of the engine, and it has a drive belt. Also, there is a serpentine belt. Some small engines have the water pump in it situated in the timing cover, which is driven by the timing belt or timing chain.

But if there is no visible water pump, see the internal combustion engine. You will find and internal water pump in there. This is the way the coolant worked at the radiator.

Step 4: Heating Part (Hot Coolant) and its Work Process

The warm coolant flows through the heater hoses and reaches to the heater bow. You will see two types of heater belts in there. One is mechanical, and the other one is electronic.

The heater control module controlled both of them. So, the temperature sends a signal, and the message will pass through the relay, which enables the hot coolant, so the flow of coolant will reach the heater core.

Step 5: Heater Core: How Does a Heater Core Work in a Car

The heater core is the same as the small version of the radiator. So, how does a heater core work in a car?  It is located inside the car dashboard. When the coolant’s flow enters the heater core, it will work the same as an ac compressor.

That means a colder object will attract the heat. The heat will start its work in the heater core. Now the air is going to enter the passenger compartment of your car.

Step 6: Air Circulate Through the Engine

The heater blower spins and forces air through the blower motor. That means you will get more heat in your car. The heater control module system works efficiently and controls the engine itself.

After turning the blower, it will increase the speed, and the signal will pass to the blower resistor. Then it will go to the relay and the blower motor.

After the process, the whole system will disperse the heat throughout the engine to make it in the working condition.

Step 7: HVAC Control

The “HVAC control” unit maintains the blower motor speed and makes the environment comfortable. There is an AC condenser port that has a divided part inside it and also has a blend door.

This works to make hot engine stabilize and into maximum working condition. Normalizing the hot engine with control is a necessary part of the process.

You can open and close the door depending on where you want it and what kind of area do you want to warm. You can control it by the air control module. The signal will go to the blender actuator and your car computer.

If the system has a climate control option, you will see a climate control module. So the air will be flowing through the vents and make you feel warm.

How to Use Heater in Car for Proper Temperature?

Before start the heater, you should run the engine at least 5 to 10 minutes. You can go for driving or just leave it running. Remember, if your engine I not heated enough, your heater will not work. It is essential to raise the coolant temperature for the heater.

Now turn on the AC control. If you have climate control AC, you can do it in the same way. Or if you have manual AC, you won’t find many differences. Just you will see knob instead of switches. Just roll the knob on the red side and set the air by your choice.

Now turn off the ac. If you just press the auto button, you will see the ac temperature, which is the heater’s starting temperature. Rise the temperature and make it the maximum level. You can change the mode option to your leg or head whatever you want.

So the ac and heater are on at the same time. If you want high temperature but not moisture, humidity, or condensation, you should switch on both ac and heater. Because if you run both, they will eliminate the problems. But if you turn off the ac, you will get good mileage. It all depends on you.

What If the Car Heating System Not Working Properly?

Sometimes the car heating system may not work for a different reason, which will result in not starting the engine to many other problems. Here are some ideas you can find that time and solve it after proper vehicle diagnosis.

• Sometimes after using the car for a long time can result in a decrease in the coolant. It can cause problems.

• If the hot air is not reaching it for different reasons like a block in the tubing of the heater’s core, it can also result in a heating system malfunctioning.

• Heating control can get problematic, Brocken, and clogged. It will cause problems, so check the part.

• If the operating temperature the thermostat increases more than usual, it can also cause an automatic stop of the process.

• Sometimes, the thermostat may not function as it can get damaged or broken, so check this out if you have issues with car heating.

After proper diagnosis and finding out the problem, you can contact a car repair service or do it yourself using car tools.

Select Mode

Keep it always in fresh air mode, although it will work in a recirculation mode if you turn on both ac and heater. Recirculation mode mostly used in the summer season. It also helps to cool down the ac. At this time, you need to take fresh air continuously to cool down the ac.

Although it creates problems in ac, it will be better if you do not use it when you are using the heater. Just use the fresh air that time and the heater will work best.

When you keep the option in fresh air mode, it may feel the lower speed is decreased, and you will know the style changing.

Car Heating System Diagram

A car heating system diagram can be a very complex and challenging thing to understand. It can be broken down into three different categories: the engine coolant, the heater core, and the climate control unit.

The first category of heat comes from the radiator, which sends heated fluid through rubber hoses to heat the engine coolant to keep it at an optimal operating temperature.