Flushing a plugged heater core works in only about 40 percent of cases. But that 40 percent of car owners leave the shop feeling happy, so we think it’s worth a try.

Plugged Heater Core Heat from the circulating coolant is transferred to the heater core. The blower fan pushes air over the heater core (similar to a small radiator), removing heat from the coolant.

Dear Tom and Ray: Our mechanic states that the heater in our 2000 Ford Focus sedan is clogged. He says there is nothing he can do, since attempts to unclog ...

A clogged heater core is one of the most common reasons behind a malfunctioning car heater. Over time, debris and rust can accumulate in the coolant system, obstructing the heater core.

To be honest, we find that flushing a plugged heater core works in only about 40 percent of cases. But that 40 percent of car owners leave the shop feeling happy and “flush” themselves, so we ...

But a 25-year-old heater core may be irretrievably plugged up. In which case, you’ll have to replace it, which is a big job. Or you can continue to bypass it and wait for an early fall sale on ...

But the RAV still has a clogged heater core. The dealer has flushed the core, but to no avail. Now they say the heater core should be replaced. It’s a nine-hour job and could cost up to $2,000.

If the heater core is plugged or clogged, one of these hoses will be significantly hotter than the other. 0:00 / 0:00. The fix for this problem, if it is in fact the problem, ...

Q–My granddaughter owns a 1990 Plymouth Acclaim that she uses to go to college. Suddenly, there was no heat, so her dad put in a new thermostat. However, this didn’t do any good. Do you have ...

Dear Car Talk: My heater core started leaking, so I plugged the hoses going to the heater. I live in Hawaii, so I don’t need the heater. After a few months, I noticed that the plugs I had ...

Dear Car Talk: I have a “no heat” problem on my ’99 Pontiac Grand Prix SE 3.9 liter. It runs fine with no overheating (yet). I suspect a plugged heater core and want to bypass it for the ...