Does extreme cold weather cause a car to heat up so fast,temperature gauge getting to the top

ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. If you have only water in the radiator, and no antifreeze then more than just overheating can happen Often the freeze plugs in the engine will pop out causing issues, the engine block can crack, and other related issues. If there was antifreeze in the system, then your engine may have just overheated. The radiator also may have frozen and cracked. Its very hard to tell without performing an inspection on the vehicle. Check all of the hoses, the radiator, and the engine to try and find if there is a leak anywhere. If there is no leak you will want to check the quality of the coolant, the water pump, and the thermostat. Extreme cold conditions can effect all of these components and more. Make sure you are using a high quality antifreeze.

ANSWER : You may have a clogged heater core that may be prohibiting the outer linings of the heater core to get hot. As you know, the heater core is a series of tubes that the coolant runs through that generates the heat from the warm coolant after circulating through the motor. These tubes can occasionally develop a buildup on the inner walls such that when the heater core is "flushed" this buildup on the inner walls of the lines remains and still allows the coolant to flow through the heater core. It is important to note that when the heater core is "flushed" it is possible to get good flow through the heater core while the inside walls of the heater core remain caked with buildup. As a result, the buildup on the inner walls prevents the temperature from rising to its capability due to the insulating effect of this buildup on the inner walls which will prevent the necessary heat transfer to properly heat the inside of the car. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and replace your heater core.

ANSWER : Hello there. Many common faults will cause your 2012 Mazda 3 to idle poorly and stall in cold weather. The most common faults would be the coolant temperature sensor, stuck open thermostat, radiator, water pump, MAF sensor, or a wiring harness fault. A qualified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, will be able to diagnose your vehicle’s rough running problem firsthand and perform any repairs required to resolve the issue.

ANSWER : The heater not working in some cases may be related to the overheating problem you are also having. This may be due to a faulty heater blower motor or potentially a bad heater core. As you may know, the heater core is a small radiator like unit that circulates the hot coolant from the engine through the heater core which then uses this warm coolant to heat the inside of the car with the help of the blower motor that blows the warm air through the vents inside the car. When the cooling system is not properly circulating coolant through the motor, this results in the warm coolant not being pumped through the heater core properly in order to warm the inside of the vehicle.

Engine overheating can be caused by a number of things such as low coolant levels, a faulty thermostat, or a failing coolant fan switch. As you may know the coolant fan switch helps to maintain the proper coolant temperature by turning on and off at specific temperature thresholds. When this switch is not working properly, this can cause the fans to come on intermittently, all the time or sometimes not at all. When this happens you will notice a temperature spike and drop occasionally as the fan comes on and off. When your thermostat is not working properly or is stuck closed, this will not allow the coolant to properly circulate through the engine, which may cause the engine temperature to fluctuate erratically or in some cases just remain hot. As mentioned above, this also restricts the warm coolant from flowing through the heater core which uses this to blow warm air into the cab of the vehicle. I would suggest having an expert from Your Mechanic come to your home to diagnose your cooling system.

ANSWER : Hi there. The engine always at operating temperature leads me to believe, the thermostat is not the cause, for no heat inside the vehicle. There are several possibilities for no heat inside, the heater control valve is malfunctioning, the heater core is restricted, the temperature blend door actuator is malfunctioning. Replacing components without diagnoses, can be expensive and time consuming without resolution. I recommend having your vehicle’s inoperative heater be diagnosed and repaired by a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic.

ANSWER : Hi there. Given the description of not being able to start your vehicle, when it is cold and jump starting the vehicle without any problem. This leads me to believe the battery does not have enough cold cranking amp capacity. The engine needs to turn over fast enough to start. This may be nothing more than a weak battery. I recommend having this confirmed by a certified technician from YourMechanic.

ANSWER : Hi there – the temperature gauge behavior you describe would indicate that you need a new thermostat. The thermostat should keep engine temperature within a close range – close to the center of the gauge from a visual point of view. The fact that turning on the heater allows the engine to cool down indicates that the thermostat is not doing it’s job. It’s impossible to know what the service center put in your cooling system prior, but you are correct – Dexcool, the GM-recommended coolant, has an orange tint to it, and should be used in your engine. I would recommend having your thermostat replaced by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, replace your thermostat, refill your cooling system, and bleed it. Your temperature gauge should remain centered from then on, and you can be sure the correct coolant will then be in your engine.

ANSWER : Common causes of no cabin heat include malfunctioning blend door(s) (part of the in-dash ventilation network), a faulty or stuck heater control valve, a plugged heater core, stuck open engine cooling thermostat, collapsed hoses, and low coolant level. The cost to resolve the problem depends on which of the foregoing faults is the cause. If you desire a diagnostic to determine exactly why there is no cabin heat, please request a non functioning cabin heater diagnostic and the responding mechanic will come right to your location and get this resolved for you promptly.

With regard to your air conditioning system, if merely re-charging the system restored normal operation but the a/c ceased to function after a month or so, that scenario typically suggests a leak. Some leaks are really cheap to repair, like if a couple o-rings need to be replaced in system piping but if the leak is at the compressor shaft seal, that repair is more costly. It is not expensive to find the leak and diagnose the system and once the leak is found the mechanic can let you know of the exact cost to repair the leak and re-charge the system. If you desire that service please request an a/c system diagnostic – suspected refrigerant leak and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you