The Hyundai Santa Fe is a very popular vehicle for its amazing features and great quality. It offers the driver and passengers a comfortable, spacious and safe ride. However, there are some common problems that are related to the Hyundai Santa Fe. One of these problems is the heater not working properly.
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Here are some pointers on how to fix a broken heater on a Hyundai Santa Fe heater:
Check if the radiator is leaking
The first thing you should do is to check if the radiator is leaking. This can be easily checked by using a flashlight and shining it through the right area, while sitting in your Hyundai Santa Fe.
If you see any water leaking from your radiator, then there are chances that it needs to be replaced. In this case, you can go ahead and purchase a new one for your vehicle. A leaky radiator can prevent coolant from reaching the core of your heater and can, at worst, cause damage to your engine.
Check if the heater fan is faulty
The next thing you should check is whether the heater fan is faulty. The heater fan is the component that blows heat into the cabin. If they break or short circuit on the electricity, then your heater will stop working properly.
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Check the coolant level
As well, if there is not enough coolant, it can cause your engine to run hotter and your furnace to not be able to generate enough heat. If there isn’t enough line pressure, due to low coolant, then the heater core will not be able to get any coolant itself.
By checking the coolant level by examining the overflow reservoir, you can verify that this is the case. They should have separate lines for cool hot and cool cold. Do not touch the radiator cap unless the vehicle is ice cold.
Check if the heater core is clogged
While it happens less often than the above issues, small pieces of debris and particulates that enter the coolant system can clog your heater core. Sometimes it is possible that rust on the heater core of the radiator will happen. Or that debris from the radiator will get through the radiator core and lodge in the heater core. On one hand, you may be able to refurbish your heater core, or you may just replace it.
Check the thermostat
The thermostat that is on your Santa Fe engine regulates the temperature of the engine. When the car is heating up, the system allows water to enter the engine, but it keeps coolant from entering while the car is warming up.
Sometimes when the thermostat is bad, it will be so bad that the heat doesn’t work. Sometimes it will work if the vehicle isn’t moving, but if you get on the road it stops working.
If your Santa Fe has an integrated temperature gauge, take a look at it and see if it is in the place it should be. Do that after a bit of driving. If it seems that it is colder than normal, that is a very good indicator that something is wrong with your thermostat.
Max Anthony
Max is a gizmo-savvy guy, who has a tendency to get pulled into the nitty gritty details of technology and cars. He attended UT Austin, where he studied Information Science. He’s married and has three kids, one dog and a GMC truck and a Porsche 911. With a large family, he still finds time to share tips and tricks on cars, trucks and more.
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