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Heater replacement

Heater replacement

Every car is equipped with a heating system. Its central unit is the heater. The heater is very similar to the radiator in terms of its structure and operation. The coolant flows through the heater and the fan transports hot air into the cabin. In most cases, replacing the heater is not easy, as it is located behind the dashboard, whose removal requires unscrewing numerous fixtures. The most common cause of a heater failure are leaks.

Tips

  • If while waiting for the car to warm up you smell a distinct, sweet odour of the coolant or notice excessive window fogging, it means that the heater is broken
  • A leaking heater may compromise the entire cooling system

Scope of services

  • Releasing the coolant from the system
  • Removing the required dashboard elements
  • Removing the heater
  • Fitting a new heater in
  • Checking if the cooling system operates properly
  • Fitting the dashboard elements back in place

Find a car workshop

Check out our workshops that offer the service heater replacement in some of the biggest cities in your country

Additional info about the service

What is the role of the heater?

The cooling system removes excess heat from the engine and heats up the interior of the car. This is done by means of the heater, which is very similar to the radiator. It is fitted inside the car cabin as part of the ventilation and heating system. Hot coolant flowing through the heater causes it to heat up, while the air from the vent fan heats up while flowing through the heater. This is how your car heating system works.

When should the heater be changed?

The heater is exposed to changing temperatures and the pressure inside the cooling system. It gradually loses its tightness to eventually collapse, leaking the coolant into the cabin, resulting in a characteristic, sweet odour and fast fogging-up of windows on the inside. A damaged heater should be replaced as soon as possible, as not only does it not provide heat to the cabin, but may also cause damage to the cooling system and engine overheating as a result of coolant leaks.

How is the heater changed?

It defers depending on the car. However, in many cases it requires disassembling the dashboard, followed by removing the heater from its housing and disconnecting the coolant hoses. To avoid leaking the coolant into the cabin, a good idea is to first let some of it out. Then, the old heater is replaced with a new one, and all previously disassembled elements are fitted back into place. After refilling the coolant, the engine is turned on to check the operation of the car's heating. Each repair of the cooling system is a perfect opportunity to check if the coolant's concentration is sufficient to protect it against boiling and freezing within a specified temperature range.