HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning; also heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) is the technology of indoor environmental control to provide your maximum comfort. The main goal is to provide air temperature comfort and improve upon the air quality in general. A lot of the same principles used to heat and cool your home are utilized in vehicles.
At Limberlost Automotive our expert technicians can perform a heating and cooling system check to ensure everything is working properly. It pinpoints any problems that may occur with your heating or cooling system. If our technicians find a problem, they’ll let you know what they can do to fix it. We can curb any problem before it starts, so you won’t be left stranded with either a too cold or too hot vehicle.
Heater Core Purpose and Function
Most of the heat absorbed from the engine by the cooling system is wasted. Some of this heat, however, is recovered by the vehicle heater. Heated coolant is passed through tubes in the small core of the heater. Air is passed across the heater fins and is then sent to the passenger compartment. In some vehicles, the heater and air conditioning work in series to maintain vehicle compartment temperature.
Heater Problem Diagnosis
When the heater does not produce the desired amount of heat, many owners and technicians replace the thermostat before doing any other troubleshooting. It is true that a defective thermostat is the reason for the engine not to reach normal operating temperature, but there are many other causes besides a defective thermostat that can result in lack of heat from the heater.
Coolant Dye Leak Testing
One of the best methods to check for a coolant leak is to use a fluorescent dye in the coolant, one that is specifically designed for coolant. Operate the vehicle with the dye in the coolant until the engine reaches normal operating temperature. Use a black light to inspect all areas of the cooling system. When there is a leak, it will be easy to spot because the dye in the coolant will be seen as bright green. Pressure testing the cooling system. A typical hand-operated pressure tester applies pressure equal to the radiator cap pressure. The pressure should hold; if it drops, this indicates a leak somewhere in the cooling system. An adapter is used to attach the pump to the cap to determine if the radiator can hold pressure, and release it when pressure rises above its maximum rated pressure setting.
At Limberlost Automotive our expert technicians can perform a heating and cooling system check to ensure everything is working properly. It pinpoints any problems that may occur with your heating or cooling system. If our technicians find a problem, they’ll let you know what they can do to fix it. We can curb any problem before it starts, so you won’t be left stranded with either a too cold or too hot vehicle. Contact us today to schedule a checkup.