Dear Tom and Ray:

I have an '86 Toyota truck that makes a wild, loud gurgling sound whenever I turn on the heater. There's plenty of water in the radiator. The heat seems to work fine, but this weird noise comes out from the dashboard. Any ideas? -- Brian

Tom: Gurgling, huh? That's usually the sound of the passengers' stomachs when my brother is driving.

Ray: It could be several things, Brian. Unfortunately, we can't know for sure without hearing the noise. If you're lucky, you just have some air trapped in the heater core, and when you turn on the heat, you hear the coolant bubbling through the system.

Tom: But it could also be a problem with the blower motor. A bad blower motor could make a "wild, loud" noise sort of like the one you complain about. I'm not sure I would describe it as "gurgling," though. "Gargling" maybe.

Ray: It's also possible that twigs or leaves or something are stuck in the blower housing, and the muffled sound of the fan hitting the twig sounds vaguely like gurgling from the passenger compartment.

Tom: But until they develop the "scratch and hear" newspaper, we're going to have to suggest you take the car to your local mechanic and let him put an ear to it. Once a good mechanic hears the noise, he should be able to tell you instantly what it is and fix it for you.

Which is cheaper, buying or leasing? Should you keep a car forever or dump it after three years, before trouble starts? Find out in Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Should I Buy, Lease, or Steal My Next Car?" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1997 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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