Tips For Warming Up Your Car’s Heater

If you don’t park your vehicle in a garage, you know it’ll feel cold when you get inside. Few things are more uncomfortable than leaving the warmth of a home only to slide behind the wheel of a cold automobile. Here are some tips to make the car heater work faster. In addition, take your vehicle to Doug Henry Ford of Ayden in Ayden, North Carolina, for needed service.

Fighting the Cold

During the winter, one of the last things you want to do is to get inside your cold vehicle. Even though it heats up relatively fast, it feels like it’s taking forever. If you drive a newer vehicle, you’ll benefit from a heated steering wheel and seats. Even then, you still need to take a few steps so the interior also warms up.

Don’t Turn the Heat to High

Many people make the mistake of turning the heat to high immediately after starting their cars. That’s only going to blow cold air at full force. Instead, wait a few minutes and then turn the heat on. Now, if you drive a vehicle with automatic climate control, you can set it where you want it. That way, the heater will respond until the cabin reaches the desired temperature.

Start Driving

Another common mistake is to let a car idle for 10 minutes or longer so it’ll warm up. When driving an older model, you might need to do that. However, a newer vehicle only needs about 30 seconds to warm up. In addition, the sooner you drive a new car, the faster the engine will create heat.

Leave the AC On

For this, leave the AC on but without turning the fan on high. You might think this sounds crazy, but there’s a reason. That’s because the AC button controls the compressor. When it gets cold outside, the compressor helps to dehumidify the air. So, if you turn the AC off, you’ll end up with foggy windows. Rather, wait until the engine heats up and turn the air conditioning off.

Don’t Forget Backseat Passengers

Initially, you might turn the heater fan to low. At least you’ll feel some warmth until the heater starts blowing out hot air. However, anyone sitting in the backseat will still feel cold. Even if the air is only slightly warm for a few minutes, go ahead and turn the fan to high.

Avoid the Recirculation Mode

With the heater running, drivers will sometimes press the recirculation button. As a result, they feel even warmer. However, that creates a problem. Without fresh air, not only will the windows fog up but also the air quality inside the car will diminish.

Crack a Window

Especially if you have several people in your vehicle, it’s common for windows to fog. To avoid using the defroster, which would reduce the heat coming into the car’s interior, slightly crack a window.

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Stay Warm This Winter

These tips will help make the inside of your vehicle warmer and, thereby, more comfortable. However, if the heater doesn’t produce warm air, you need to have a professional look at it. That’s where the experts at Doug Henry Ford of Ayden in Ayden, North Carolina, can assist.

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