How do I know if my heater control valve is bad?
Symptoms of a bad heater control valve
- No heat comes out.
- Heat is always on and you can’t turn it down.
- Heater operates erratically, putting out more or less heat without any control changes.
- Coolant leaks.
- Low coolant level.
- Higher-than-normal temperature gauge readings (from loss of coolant)
Where is the heater control valve located?
Heater Control Valve Location The heater control valve is typically in line with the heater core’s inlet hose, which is often near the vehicle’s firewall, but the exact location of the valve will vary by vehicle.
What happens when a heater control valve is bad?
The heater may produce hot air, but only at certain times, such as at idle, and the hot air may come and go. A faulty heater control valve may also cause the temperature gauge to behave erratically, rapidly climbing and falling, which will make it difficult to determine the temperature of the engine.
Can a heater control valve cause no heat?
You wouldn’t want your cold AC air to pass through a hot heater core before it enters the passenger compartment, so this heater control valve regulates coolant flow into the heater core. If this valve has an issue, it can cause no heat or AC that doesn’t cool enough.
Can you bypass heater control valve?
Heater control valve bypass is not standard on vehicles; it is a modification. When bypass hoses are installed, the coolant in your car will always be circulating through the heater core – that means that if the core starts leaking, you won’t be able to turn it off.
What does a heater control valve do on a car?
The heater control valve (sometimes called the hot water valve) is used to control the rate at which coolant flows through the heater core. The valve is located on the heater inlet hose. Manually operated systems may use a cable, a vacuum motor or an electric solenoid to operate the valve.
Why is my car blowing cold air when the heater is on?
A car heating system blowing cold air can be due to a faulty thermostat, low coolant fluid level, malfunctioning heater core, a leaking cooling system, or problems with heating controls and blend door.
How much does it cost to replace a heater valve?
The average cost for a Heater Control Valve Replacement is between $180 and $202 but can vary from car to car.
How long do heater control valves last?
about 100,000 miles
How often do heater control valves need to be replaced? The original heater control valve for most vehicles should last for about 100,000 miles. Low-quality replacement heater control valves will more than likely fail much more quickly.
What does a heater control valve do for a car?
How is a heater control valve controlled?
For automatic temperature control systems, the control valve is controlled by the computer and may be operated by either vacuum or electricity. Once a temperature is selected, the computer will control the valve to keep the temperature constant in the vehicle.
What is heater control valve?