Signs You Car's Heat Exchangers Are Defective

Your car's heat exchangers play an important role in the cooling and temperature control processes that keep your engine running properly and keep the cabin of your vehicle comfortable. They can become defective over time, which can lead to costly repairs due to poor temperature regulation if you don't have them replaced. Read on to learn about the common signs of defective heat exchangers:

Underperforming Cabin Heaters

Defective heat exchangers will impact the temperature regulation of your car's cabin. You may notice the cabin takes longer to heat up, or that on particularly cold days your car's cabin doesn't seem to reach a comfortable temperature regardless of how you adjust the heater settings. If you turn the heat up in your car and notice the cabin doesn't heat as well as it should, have your heat exchangers checked.

Inadequate Air-Conditioning

Your heat exchangers can also impact the cooling system in your car, so the air-conditioning system can be compromised when they are defective. Your car's air-conditioning system may take longer to cool the air down in the car cabin, or it may even completely fail to cool the air down and blow warm air into the cabin instead.

Engine Overheating

An overheating engine is a common and serious problem caused by defective heat exchangers. If your engine is overheating, your temperature gauge will climb and you may also see steam or smoke rising from the engine. Ignoring an overheating engine can cause serious damage, such as damaging wiring, melting sensors and warping the cylinder head.  If you ignore an overheating engine, you may end up needing to replace it entirely, so it's best to pull over right away and have your car towed to a garage if it begins to overheat.

Coolant Leaking

Defective heat exchangers can cause your car's coolant to leak due to damage to the tubes in the cooling system. A coolant leak that reaches your car's exhaust system will cause the engine to make a gurgling sound. There may also be a strong smell of burning rubber when you're driving. You'll need to have the exhaust system flushed out, so avoid driving your car if you think the coolant is leaking.

If your car is showing any of the signs that the heat exchangers are defective, have it checked over by a mechanic as soon as possible to prevent the need for additional repairs to your car. 

For more information about heat exchangers, contact a local company.