Downtown Auto Tips: Hoses

Your radiator hoses carry coolant between your engine and radiator. It’s an essential job. If a hose fails, you could lose your engine coolant which might lead to harmful overheating and very pricey engine damage so you want to make sure you always have good hoses.

Radiator hoses are very resilient, but they are subject to very harsh weather conditions. The temperature might be below freezing when you start your engine and the coolant could be up over 37 degrees Celsius within a kilometer. These extreme internal temperature fluctuations contribute to hose degradation from the inside. Oil splashing on the outside of a hose will cause the hose material to soften over time. Ozone can also eat away at the hose.

The bottom line for drivers is that hoses don’t last forever and will need to be replaced. If you see steam coming from under your hood, you probably have a cooling system leak somewhere. Other signs are puddles of coolant under the vehicle, bulges in the radiator hose, cracks or a spongy feel. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, have your cooling system inspected. If you have any cooling system repairs, like a water pump replacement, hose replacement or radiator repair, it is also a good idea to have your hoses replaced at the same time along with the radiator pressure cap.

Moreover, it is vital that the coolant be serviced when you replace a radiator or water pump so that there are plenty of anti-corrosion additives in the coolant to coat and protect the new parts that have been installed. Simply reusing the old coolant can lead to rapid and harmful corrosion of the newly installed parts.

The most common reason for engine failure is a failed cooling system. Ask your DOWNTOWN AUTOMOTIVE service advisor if it’s time for a cooling system inspection or service. You can eliminate potentially disastrous and pricey damage with proper cooling system maintenance.

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