Gurgling noise that occurs when I am driving

Tiny
MADELINE ANN
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LAREDO
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 177,000 MILES
I have this gurgling noise that occurs when I’m driving at all times. It’s very annoying. I took it to the shop and it’s been in a lot lately and they have never explained why it is making that noise. They said that they believe the heater core needs replaced because it may have a small coolant leak. But it is a very expensive job that I cannot afford. If it is a small leak is there another way to repair it? And will it make that gurgling go away?
Monday, June 3rd, 2019 AT 4:29 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
Hi Madeline Ann,

Did they say it was low on coolant? Also, have there been any recent repairs to the cooling system like a radiator, thermostat, or water pump? Or just had it serviced (drain and fill)?

There is a chance that the heater cooler is the issue but normally this is caused by air in the system and the gurgling noise is the coolant filling the empty space. One would assume that this is caused by a leak but that doesn't mean it is in the heater core.

If there was a recent service done, they could have left an air pocket in the system that could cause this.

The proper way to figure this out, is to pressurize the system and look for a leak. If the heater core is leaking, then they will find coolant in the HVAC housing. As you stated, I would hate to see them replace the heater and not fix it because it is not cheap.

Let me know if you need more information and we can go from there.
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Monday, June 3rd, 2019 AT 7:12 PM
Tiny
MADELINE ANN
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
I haven’t had any work like that but I do have it serviced and refilled. It only started recently and I did notice that my coolant was very low. And the day before it had been in the shop and they didn’t even notify me of that. They said they couldn’t find a leak from the coolant reservoir but they think it’s the heater core. I have had to refill my coolant myself. I’m just not a car expert which makes this tough. Because I cannot afford the cost of having them do that and then it not fixing it.
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Tuesday, June 4th, 2019 AT 6:01 AM
Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
I would fill the cooling bottle so that it is not low. Then keep an eye on it for a day or two to see if it drops at all. If it does, then the coolant is either leaking out of the vehicle or into the engine.

If you don't see any coolant leaking out it could be the heater core leaking which will leak into the HVAC housing. Again, they should have checked this rather than telling you that is what it could be.

Just fill it and keep an eye on it. If you find that the noise is still there (I imagine it will be) and the coolant is dropping then I would take it back and tell them what you have done and that the loss of coolant is causing an air pocket to be caught in the heater core which is causing the noise.
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Tuesday, June 4th, 2019 AT 7:35 PM

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