Radiator Hose
Your car’s radiator hose should be replaced every two or three years whether it goes bad or not. While this may be an ambitious effort to keep your car parts up to date, it can save a possibly stressful and costly situation from occurring in the future. It wouldn’t cost much to buy, and install, a radiator hose, and it’s definitely cheaper to replace it every few years then to wait for a leak.
Radiator hoses generally only last a few years anyways. If they’re not replaced before the problem starts, it could make matters worse. Due to high temperatures and an excessive amount of pressure on your radiator hose, it will continue to weaken over time. When it reaches an extent, a pressure bubble will form and this will lead to the hose getting torn.
If you don’t tend to look through everything under your engine bonnet on a regular basis, you’ll want to just replace your hose with a new universal radiator hose every two to three years. Even if you frequently observe under the hood of your car for any possible issues that will affect your car’s performance, the bubble just shows up when the radiator hose is pressurized. That means you will likely not see the bubble, or any sign of defect, unless your motor is running, which makes it difficult to observe.
Different Radiator Hoses in Your Car
There are two radiator hoses inside any car. One’s located near the bottom of the radiator, while the other is located near the top. Once you lift up the engine bonnet, you’ll be able to see the hose near the top of the radiator. This hose goes from your radiator to your engine block and is easily noticed. The hose is usually black in color but for the rare few, colored hoses may be possible.
The hose near the bottom of the radiator is usually difficult to see but if you slide under your car it should be easy enough to spot. If you are on a flat surface, you won’t need to lift your car up to slide under and spot your bottom radiator hose. This hose goes from your radiator to your water pump.
Tips for when Replacing the Hoses
When a hose is worn out or hasn’t been changed in a few years, you should just replace both hoses with new radiator hoses. Since you’ll already be around the radiator to replace one, it’s a lot more convenient to install new universal radiator hoses to both the top and the bottom of the radiator at the same time. There are clamps located at the end of the each hose which keeps the hoses attached to the radiator (and engine); these will need to be replaced as well. Installing new radiator hoses with new clamps is a lot easier as older clamps generally get damaged when you take them out.
If you haven’t replaced a radiator hose in the past, it’s suggested that you try replacing the hose near the top of the radiator first. This hose is much easier to remove and it makes great practice for a beginner. Installing a new universal radiator hose for the bottom radiator hose isn’t a complicated job but you’ll have to maneuver around to get into position.
There are guides available online that will instruct you towards how to replace your radiator hoses but the steps are pretty straight forward. It won’t be too complicate to swap hoses as it’s just a matter of detaching the old one and hooking up the new hose afterwards. This is definitely a job that doesn’t require a professional mechanic to handle and can be done by a novice in their own driveway.
