Warm on the Inside: Keeping Your Car Heater Working During the Winter

As any driver who ever lived in an area with cold winters will tell you, for a few months every year, the car’s heater is just as important as any other part of the vehicle. Not only is it uncomfortable and unhealthy to drive in cold temperatures, but it also keeps your windows icy and difficult to see through. Here are some tips on how to have your heater working as well as possible throughout the winter. 

Check your Coolant Level Before Winter

It’s important to know that the heat pumped into the cabin in the wintertime actually comes from the car’s coolant liquid, although its main role is keeping the engine from overheating. The liquid absorbs some of the heat generated by the car’s engine and the heating system uses that hot liquid to warm up the air going in the car’s cabin. It’s therefore natural that if you are running low on coolant, the amount of hot air keeping you warm will be reduced. During summer, the lack of coolant may overheat your engine, so it should be regularly checked.

It also helps to remember that, because the heat is just a byproduct of the friction inside the engine and is not specifically generated to keep you warm, turning up the heat will not increase your gas usage. Unlike the summertime, when air conditioning requires an extra motor to create the cool air, winter heating is free and will be dissipated into the atmosphere if you don’t use it.

Get In and Start Moving

Older cars needed some time to warm up before driving off, but modern ones don’t. In fact, standing still for more than a few moments after starting the car can do way more harm than good.  Aside from potentially increasing your engine’s wear and tear by forcing it to work with lubricants that have been hardened by the cold weather, it also puts a strain on your heating because the coolant liquid used to warm up the car will heat up much slower.

The sooner you drive off, the less time it will take for the engine to heat up, and with it the entire heating system. This will make you and all other passengers comfortable and keep your heating system operating at optimum efficiency for a long time.

Keep your Air Conditioning On

Although air conditioning is naturally associated with cold air, it also does the important task of removing much of the moisture from the air. Aside from keeping your heater and air conditioning unit working properly, drying the air inside the car will help with visibility, as it will keep the car’s windows from fogging up. Also, unlike the warm days of summer, the A/C won’t have to work too hard, so it won’t take much of a toll on your gas bill.

Keeping your car warm during the winter is not only important for your comfort, but also for your health and safety. Luckily by following a few simple tips, you can have your heater working properly for a long time.

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