Keep Your Heater and Defroster Working Well This Winter

The warmer days at the end of summer are nearly gone. Cool fall weather is right on summer’s heels, and soon after that will be winter. The best way to stay safe while driving and navigating the sometimes scary road conditions often encountered in winter is to perform preventative maintenance checks prior to a significant temperature drop. It’s important to maintain the heating and cooling system in your car before you need it to do any heavy lifting during the winter months.

Here’s how to maintain your vehicle’s heater functions this winter to avoid the need for auto electrical services in Lubbock, TX:

• Test the cooling system: The air conditioner is what defogs your windshield—the coolness is what pulls the humidity from the air. If you test your car’s defogger and it’s having issues, either try recharging the system or check for leaks in hoses, lines and other parts of the cooling system.
• Test the heating system: Get your vehicle’s heating system checked before the coldest part of fall comes around or winter rears its ugly head. Check all functions of the system, including all controls, vents and defrosters. Periodic radiator coolant flushes and refills throughout the year—especially before winter—are good for your car and can save you money. If you do nothing else between routine auto service appointments, at least check the quality of the antifreeze.
• Check the heater’s operation: All the functions of your car’s heating system should run smoothly. Early in the cool season, turn on your car, but stay in park in an open area (or open the garage door). Set the air fan speed to high and test out each cycle for proper airflow to the cabin, floors, dashboard and windshield. Most vehicles will warm up in a relatively short time. If your heating system takes a long time to produce hot air or is not producing any at all, coolant levels could be low.
• Change or top off the coolant: This is not a difficult task, but you might wonder why the coolant level is so low. It could be that there’s an antifreeze leak in the radiator cap, a cracked hose, a damaged water pipe or an internal leak in the system. Don’t diagnose the problem yourself if you are unsure—it’s best to have a professional pinpoint the exact cause to prevent a much bigger issue down the road.
• Listen to the blower: The heater may be heating things up as it should, but you notice the interior blow motor is noisier than usual. This could mean there’s outside debris—like leaves, twigs, grass, insects or animal nests—in the heater box. If you’re comfortable fixing this yourself, remove the access panel to clean out the debris. Otherwise, take your car to an auto shop.

It’s important for your car’s heating and cooling system to work properly during the cooler months. Before winter, schedule any repair needs or auto electrical services in Lubbock, TX with M & M Tire & Service Center. Call us today to arrange an appointment!

Categorised in: Auto Electrical Services

This post was written by Writer