Suspecting that your heater core might have gone damaged? If so, here’s everything you need to know about the jeep liberty heater core replacement cost!
A heater core or heater matrix, as the name suggests, is responsible for heating up your jeep’s cabin when it’s freezing outside. It’s an automotive part that allows the hot coolant to pass through it. In the meantime, heated air is projected through the coolant, into the cabin, which in turn, raises the temperature.
In normal cases, the coolant stays inside the engine unless you turn the heater on. As soon as you turn it on, the corresponding valve opens and allows the hot coolant to enter the heater core. At the fin of the core, a fan is attached which blows the air through the coolant and projects the hot air to the cabin through the heater vents.
Like other automotive parts, heater cores also tend to fail over time but generally, they may last up to 10-15 years. This service life may expand or reduce based on how much attention you pay to maintenance and regular service of your vehicle. For example, if you neglect the coolant system and don’t replace the coolant or repair the leakage on time, the heater core failure may occur even sooner.
Can you drive your Jeep Liberty with a malfunctioning heater core?
The answer is yes! You can drive your Jeep Liberty with a bad heater core but you should not – especially for a long time! As mentioned before, the heater core utilizes the same coolant that is used to cool down the engine’s temperature.
So whenever your heater core malfunctions, it affects the coolant’s ability to maintain engine temperature which in turn may lead to problems like engine overheating and engine damage. However, the engine damage may also be caused by other faulty components such as the radiator, hose, water pump, head gasket, etc. So, you should not run for the heater core replacement unless you are 100% sure of its malfunctioning.
The most common sign of a faulty heater core is an unbalanced cabin temperature. Some other telltale signs which confirm a worn-out heater core are as follows;
Signs of a bad heater core
All fogged up
One of the most common and obvious symptoms of a blown heater core is that the cabin suddenly fogs up during the ride, without any reason. Note that by fogged up, we don’t mean minor moisture around the windshield but all the windows get covered with condensation and moisture.
It happens when the heater core of your vehicle blows out during the ride, at the time when the engine is warmed up. Since the coolant was lying inside a warm coolant system previously and now it’s leaking inside the cabin, it turns into a fog by evaporation, hitting cooler air.
Voracious thirst for coolant
If you notice that your Jeep has suddenly developed a strange, voracious thirst for coolant, you better check for the blown heater core which might be causing the leakage. If the coolant begins leaking inside the cabin when your vehicle isn’t running, chances are it might be creating a puddle instead of leaking out in the form of fog.
Thus, if you haven’t noticed any mysterious dog inside the cabin, you should check for coolant leaking on the passenger side floor. If the floor there is soaking wet, it’s a direct indication of a bad heater core.
Odd fruity smell
Besides the foggy cabin, another unmistakable symptom of a broken heater core is the fruity smell which you can smell from inside and even outside the car. Your radiator fluid usually smells a sickly sweet so if you can smell it, take it as a sign of leaking coolant and broken heater core.
The heater emits cold air
Although the reasons behind a chilled passenger cabin could be several (like a bad blower motor) if you have noticed all the previously mentioned symptoms along with this one, it’s a strong indicator that there’s some problem with your heater core. A puncture may have developed in the heater core, causing the air to escape through the vents too quickly for it to get warm enough.
Resultantly, you feel lukewarm, mildly warm, or chilled air coming out of the vents. Besides these telltale signs, engine overheating also indicates a faulty heater core. If you’re facing this issue too frequently or if the engine temperature has raised to an alarmingly high point, stop driving your car immediately and tow it to a nearby mechanic for detailed inspection.
jeep liberty heater core replacement cost
The overall cost of replacing a bad jeep liberty heater core may vary based on several factors including your state or country you live in, the brand or manufacturer of heater core you’re planning to install, the generation of jeep liberty you drive, and the type of mechanic you are going to hire.
Generally, replacing a heater core is a large job since in almost all vehicles (of all makes and models), the heater core is located behind the dashboard. Thus, to replace it with a new heater core, you first need to disassemble and retrieve the entire dashboard, replace the heater matrix with a new one, and then reassemble the entire dashboard all over again.
On the other hand, if you’re a relatively newer version of jeep liberty, with advanced automatic features, it might take more effort to disassemble its delicate electric components, knuckle-bangers, and clips. Considering this, a mechanic will need around eight to ten hours to complete the job and since most mobile mechanics charge somewhere around $60-$80 per hour, the general estimate for your jeep liberty heater core replacement cost is around $480-$800.
On the other hand, if you opt for high-end car repair shops in your area that have specialized lifts, tools, and a more practical work environment, they will complete the job in half the time. However, they will also charge higher than mobile mechanics. On average, the car repair shop rates range around $100-$150 per hour and since they can complete the task in four to six hours, you need to prepare for paying $600-$900.
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