If your Chevy Volt is not blowing hot air, there could be several possible reasons for this issue. Here are some common causes to consider:
1. Faulty Thermostat: A faulty or broken thermostat is the most common cause of a car’s heating system not working properly. If the thermostat is stuck open or closed, it can affect both the heat and the engine’s cooling system.
2. Low Antifreeze/Coolant: Another common issue is low antifreeze or coolant levels. When the coolant/antifreeze levels drop, the hot fluid cannot make it to the heater core, resulting in a lack of heat in the cabin. This can occur if the engine is working too hard and overheats or if the coolant was not properly filled.
3. Faulty Heater Fan: The heater fan, which blows the heat into the cabin, can break or suffer an electrical short, preventing hot air from being circulated.
4. Faulty Blower Motor Resistor: If the blower motor resistor is broken, you might have issues setting the fan speed or getting air at all.
5. Clogged Heater Core: A clogged heater core can also prevent hot air from being blown into the cabin. Over time, the heater core can become clogged with debris, reducing its ability to transfer heat effectively.
It’s important to note that these are general possibilities, and a proper diagnosis by a qualified mechanic is recommended to determine the exact cause of the issue with your Chevy Volt’s heating system.
Please consult a certified mechanic or take your vehicle to a Chevrolet dealership for a thorough inspection and repair. They will be able to diagnose the specific problem and provide the appropriate solution.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Contents [show]
What runs the heater in an electric car?
The process is fairly simple and works a lot like a space heater you might find in a home. Essentially, electricity is run through a conductor to produce heat. Air is then blown through the heating element and into the cabin and, just like that, an EV has heat.
Why is my electric fan heater blowing cold air?
It’s possible your furnace could be overheating due to a dirty air filter. Because air flow is interfered with, your furnace overheats and turns off the burner, causing the heater fan to emit cold air. Replacing the dirty air filter and restarting the furnace may do the trick.
Why is my electric heat blowing cold air?
– Oftentimes, it’s the fan settings that cause your furnace to blow cold air. If you have your fan set to “always-on”, it will inevitably blow cold air out when your furnace is having some downtime. The solution here is to set your fan to “auto” so it can correlate with the furnace.
Does the Volt have a heat pump?
The Engine Cooling System and Heater Loop The engine cooling system (and heater loop) uses the engine radiator, two 12V variable speed radiator fans, an electric coolant heater pump(12V), a coolant flow bypass valve, a high voltage (360V) coolant heater, and a cabin mounted heater core.
Why is my electric heater blowing cold air in my car?
A car heater can fail in several ways, but when it blows cold air, the two likely causes are that the coolant isn’t flowing through the heater core or air from the blower motor isn’t being directed through the heater core.
Why is my electric heating not coming on?
An electric wall heater will fail in one of several ways. Burnt fuses, tripped breaker, broken element, faulty thermostat, broken, rodent-chewed or loose wires. You should call in a licensed electrician for any of these things, including the fuses or breaker, as the cause must be properly investigated.
Why would my car overheat but the heater blows cold air?
Keep an eye on engine temperature.
If your coolant level is a-okay, but your car heater is blowing cold air and your engine is overheating, then you have a clog in your cooling system. Conversely, if your engine temperatures are unrealistically low after a drive, your thermostat is likely the culprit.
Why is my car not blowing hot air on heat?
Low coolant: Whether caused by a leak or water evaporation, low coolant is the most common source of poor heater output. Thermostat: A stuck-open thermostat prevents the engine (and coolant) from heating up. Heater core: A clogged heater core restricts coolant flow, giving up little or no heat.
Why does my electric heater turn on but no heat?
If the heater turns on, but no heat comes out, it could be the heating element. The heating element is the part of the heater that gets hot and converts the electrical energy passing through it into heat, radiating out from it and making the area hot.
How does the heater in a Chevy Volt work?
Those who aren’t as familiar with the heater system on the Volt it uses an electric heater to heat the coolant for cabin heat while in electric mode. It has an electric coolant pump and a valve assembly to switch over to engine heat when the engine is running.
Summary: In my case it was a shorted cable.
Problem: No cabin heat from battery.
Background: My 2017 Volt cabin temperature controls worked fine from purchase in late 2016 until recently, dec 2024. Its heated seats and heated steering wheel continued to work fine. I had not tested AC operation (it drops well below freezing these days so testing AC is problematic).
Symptoms: Cabin heat on battery-only was not working. Cabin heat when the engine is warm worked fine. Occasional “Service” “Heater” (two lines) message was displayed. I did not record if the message displayed only when the engine was running, but it did not display during my battery-only testing today.
Testing:
This testing by me was done today, 02Dec24, at over 6000’ elevation in Colorado. Ambient air temperature was steady at 33F, and solar gain was very high (in direct sunlight) and humidity was low. (Shorts weather for many of us!)
My Volt’s coolant temperature was 68F during all of the testing (I had driven the car a couple of hours earlier when it was below freezing, so the engine had warmed up but had since cooled to 68F).
The charge cord was always disconnected and the engine never ran during the entirety of my testing.
Now the rest was not quick to discover but I can outline it quickly in writing: While in Park, the power draw displayed on screen never varied from 0.5kW. This was true when I set the cabin climate control to High, fan at full, both front seat heaters at full and steering wheel heater on. This was also true when I set the climate control to Low (AC), fan at full, and everything else off. This was also true when I set the climate control to 86F, fan off, everything else off. After four minutes, no heat came out of the vents on high heat. (I also tried four minutes at Low but I could not discern if the AC was working since it was pretty cold outside.)
Summation: Despite many variations, in Park I could not do anything to get my Volt to vary from displaying 0.5 kW battery usage. I then drove the Volt briefly and observed the Power display respond as expected (+11 kW down to -2kW—it was a short test but where I tested was definitely in parameters.
I took it to a dealer who found a cable “that headed down but was scraped” and replaced it. Problem solved! I have batter-only heat again, and remote start heats the cabin! Yay!