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My car heating system does not start for the first 15-20 minutes of driving in the winter. It happens all the time, no exception. The colder outside the longer it takes to start working. After 15-20 minutes of driving it works just fine. What might be the cause of it and how to fix it? Make/model/year is Nissan/Altima/2007.

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  • what type of work has been done on the cooling system of your car? has the radiator and heater core ever been flushed/cleaned.
    – trond hansen
    Commented Oct 29, 2020 at 10:24

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Most cars are heated using heat from the engine, usually with a smaller radiator used to transfer heat from the cooling system to the internal heating system. The colder it is outside the longer it takes the engine to get up to temperature.

That said, 15-20 minutes is far too long and I'd check the coolant level in your car as it may be low, meaning the engine could be too hot but because the coolant isn't circulating properly it's not reaching the matrix radiator that's supposed to warm your air.

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    Also a bad thermostat can cause this delayed warming.
    – Jupiter
    Commented Oct 29, 2020 at 9:57
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    @Mamun, if you are in an area that gets below freezing make sure your coolant has enough antifreeze in it, otherwise the coolant could freeze up and something will break.
    – GdD
    Commented Oct 29, 2020 at 10:29

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