Diy Replace a Radiator Hose
An aged and damaged radiator hose means trouble for the cooling system and engine. Thus, knowing when you need toreplace a radiator hosemay save you from costly repairs. You can actually look for particular signs yourself to help you decide whether it is time for a new hose. For this task, you don't need any tools or special skills and you can do it in a few minutes right at home.Looking for hard spotsFinding a hardenedradiatorhose in your car shouldn't surprise you. High temperatures during engine operation can turn a rubber hose brittle. When this problem becomes serious, engine vibration can easily crack the hose and cooling system pressure rupture the rubber, developing a system leak.Coolant leak will lead to engine overheating and very expensive repairs, if not corrected on time. To check for hardening, make sure the engine has cooled first. Then, squeeze the rubber hose with your hand at various points. Is the hose hard to squeeze at any of these points?Replace it.Looking for weakened spotsRadiator hoses have more enemies than heat alone. Oil and other fluids can contaminate a hose and soften the rubber. In most cases, a combination of oil contamination, cooling system pressure and heat during engine operation will cause the softened rubber to swell.A swollen hose may give in to system pressure and leak as well. Most radiator hoses that connect to the water pump come with an internal spring for structural support. A softened rubber hose without this spring may collapse because of the sucking action of the water pump. This can greatly restrict coolant flow and lead to engine overheating. Visually inspect each hose for swollen spots and replace radiator hoses as needed.Looking for signs of agingAfter miles of service, the rubber on a hose deteriorates. Does your radiator has old hoses? Make a careful inspection of each one of them. Look for breaks or cracks or any other damage. Or you may want to simply replace them with brand new hoses to avoid potential problems.Now that you know how to inspect a radiator hose, check them from time to time. When servicing your cooling system (self-link), inspect your radiator hoses as well and replace components as needed. Replacing damaged or old hoses will keep the cooling system not only working properly, but also help extend your engine's service life.
