How to Troubleshoot a Chevy Silverado Heater
by Alibaster Smith
The heater in your Chevy Silverado supplies the heat to the cabin. There could be several reasons why it's not working properly. The heat in the Silverado is supplied by the hot engine coolant running through the engine cooling channels. Some of this coolant is diverted from the cooling system into a heater core. A fan then blows on the core to blow warm into the air into the cabin. Before you go replacing a heating system in your Silverado, however, troubleshoot the heater in your truck.
Step 1
Turn the engine on and allow the engine to warm up to normal operating temperature. Normal operating temperature is reached when the needle on the temperature gauge sits at or near the middle mark on the gauge.
Step 2
Turn the heater on the highest setting and set the fan speed to the highest setting.
Step 3
Open the hood and place your hand over the upper radiator hose. Check to see if it is warm. If it is, then the coolant is flowing through the cooling system as it should.
Step 4
Check the radiator to heater core hose. The hose that runs to the firewall should also be warm. If it is not, then the thermostat could be malfunctioning.
Step 5
Check to see if there is heat coming into the cabin. If there is no heat, your heater core has failed and needs to be replaced.
References
- Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, Avalanche, GMC Sierra, Yukon, Denali Repair Manual 2007-2009; Mike Stubblefield, John H. Haynes; 2009
Writer Bio
I am a Registered Financial Consultant with 6 years experience in the financial services industry. I am trained in the financial planning process, with an emphasis in life insurance and annuity contracts. I have written for Demand Studios since 2009.
