heat in my car doesnt work anymore?(read details)?

Question

err ok i just bought a 2001 chevy malibu everything was fine when we test drove it etc the when i got home (2o mins away) ALL this water came pouring out from undernieth the car and light smoke...i checked the temp it was fine so i called the dealer and the mechanic said the fan wasnt working well so the car was suppost to empty the water on it own(i dunno lol) so they filled it up with water again and took it to their shop well thats fixed then i took the car to work and tried the heat in the morning and my service engine soon light came on and no heat? ive been asking arround 1 guy said there might have been a bubble in there so when you start the engine the water circulates and you may need to add more then another said there may be a bubble stuck? it worked b4 the water leaked any ideas on whats wrong and how much it will cost ? or if my husband can"do it himself"?

Answer 1

bring it back to the mechanic whom supposedly fixed your auto

Answer 2

Cat lady is the nearest to correct. You probably have an air lock in the cooling system if the leak was fixed and it is refilled. One thing you can do that might work is, run it or drive it long enough to warm it up and get the water to circulate and park on an uphill grade. That seems silly but air bubbles will go uphill and will work their way "up" to the radiator and escape. Be sure and run the heater wide open while waiting. Keep an eye on the temp gauge. If you need to add coolant, add slowly to allow the air to escape.
If you drive for 30 minutes or let it run while sitting uphill for 15 mins or so, and it still does not work, there is probably something else wrong. If the thermostat is stuck open, the coolant is not heating up enough. If you are low on coolant, it will not be able to circulate through the heater core and therefore the heater will not be heating.

Answer 3

I'm not sure with Chevy's but that guy is right. if there is a bleeder valve on the thermostat housing, you may have an air bubble in which case you bleed the system till there is no more air and the water/coolant is flowing normally. Also, what color was the smoke? if it was white, it is water. Do you smell a sweet odor(kinda like maple syrup)? If you do or you see any liquid dripping on the passenger side of the passenger compartment, your heater core is bad. The part is cheap but the labor is not. I hope it is not that. Another tell tale sign of a heater core problem is not only the smell, but a mist or the windows fogging up. I have worked at auto zone, advance auto and now currently, car quest. I hope this helps. good luck

Answer 4

There is a drain form the heater core to the engine compartment so it sounds like the the place you took your car to either put sealer in the cooling system to seal the heater core leak and plugged up the heater core or blocked off the heater core to stop the leak Ive seen allot of Malibu's with the same problem it must be a very expensive repair doing th heater core. If the fan was not working and the water came from the overflow then the car overheated

Answer 5

you can do it if you want too there is air in the system you will need some antifreeze and a 7 or a 8mm wrench make sure the antifreeze is top off then start the engine let it warm up a little while running follow the top radiator hose to the engine there will be a little bolt. a 8 or 7 mm wrench will fit it open it up a little you will hear air coming out then antifreeze will start coming out if not rev the engine a little then let off (may have to rev the engine a couple of time off and on) make sure a steady stream of antifreeze come out and then shut the valve then let it cool down re top off the antifreeze and you should have heat

Answer 6

Sounds like your coolant level is low.
Let the car cool off.
Take off the rad cap and check the level of coolant.
Add a 50 50 mixture of antifreeze and water.
Should fix the problem.

If the level is up, you may have a stuck thermostat from the overheating that happened. Follow the top rad hose to where it bolts to the top of the engine. Inside the housing there is a thermostat. Change it.

Answer 7

Alright to fix an air bubble all you need is a drill and what ever you need to get to the thermostat.

first remove the thermostat.
once it is out check and see if it is stuck open if it is get a new one if not then drill a small hole near the edge to let trapped air behind the thermostat escape.
next replace the thermostat and fill the reservoir then start the car if the level drops keep adding until it stays at the full mark on the tank

Answer 8

Check that your coolant level is topped off. Check the heater core hoses (the two smaller hoses coming off the radiator and going to the car's firewall over on the passenger side of the car. If you are getting no heat, I would guess that you have a plugged up heater core. It sits behind the glovebox on the inside of the firewall above the passenger's feet. It's not easy to get to, but they usually aren't all that expensive for a new one, just a lot for the labor to pay someone else to replace it for you.

Answer 9

The problem seems to be with the heater core, it's a mini radiator under the dashboard that uses a fan to pass air into the cabin. Aside from that I HIGHLY recommend you follow Herman's advice and bring it back to the garage that supposedly fixed it because they did not fix the problem you paid them to. Your husband could fix it but it is a pain in the rear to get to the heater core.

Answer 10

Make the dealer fix the problem!