Hose and belt replacement strategy
Do you know if your hoses and belts need replacing? Well if they are over four years old they probably need to be replaced. That is the time frame the Car Care Council recommends. That is if you don’t want to be towed to the nearest repair facility one of these days.
But why would you want to do that if there is no failure? A hose that fails or bursts can cause the engine to overheat quickly. That overheated engine will not just overheat it is damaging itself as the temperature climbs higher. You could have a bill for thousands of dollars in your hands if it gets too high. Changing out your hoses is pretty simple. Every hose that contains coolant will eventually need replacing.
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Hoses are the weakest link in the cooling system
What can cause a failure? Well, let’s look at what a normal hose is exposed to every day of its life. The first thing to know, the hose is made of rubber compounds so that it can absorb vibration from the engine to the fixed thing it is connected to(radiator, firewall). These rubber compounds are exposed to extremes of temperature and pressure, ozone from the atmosphere, contaminants of grease, oils, and sludge, and electrochemical degradation.
Hoses go bad from the inside
ECD is not easy to detect. The first thing it is happening inside the hose. It is extremely small(at first) cracks inside the hose’s inner wall according to the Gates Corporation. Then the contaminants in the coolant weaken the material used to reinforce the hose. Eventually, this will lead to pinholes or a rupture from the other things the hose is subjected to(heat, pressure, or constant movement).
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How to stay ahead of a hose failure
- Check your coolant tank frequently, if it keeps showing low after you have filled it you have a leak somewhere.
- Look for a coolant leak where you park your vehicle. As you approach the vehicle do you have wet spots under the engine? As you leave your parking spot do you have wet spots where your car was parked? Wet spots equal leaks. You will need to investigate.
- Check your hoses when they are cold. Use your thumb and finger and pinch the hose near the hose clamps. This is the most vulnerable spot for failure. Check for soft or mushy spots.
- Visually check the hoses for cracks, bulges or abrasion when they are hot(fully expanded due to heat and pressure).
- Never remove the radiator cap when the engine is hot. The hoses will be under pressure and you will be scalded or worse from the eruption that will happen if you remove the cap. Also, an electric cooling fan can start by itself so exercise caution when working near this item.
Hose Replacements
When looking for replacement hoses, look for hoses designed to fight ECD. Most vehicles built after 1993 come with ECD-resistant hoses. When you’re going to replace the hoses don’t forget the thermostat.
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Serpentine Belts
Most of the same things that attack hoses also attack belts. The best news is that you can see all sides of the belt. So being able to find early failure is just a quick inspection away.
Today’s cars and trucks have a single multi-grooved belt that drives almost if not everything at the front of the engine. This belt is called a serpentine belt. Older vehicles may have separate V-belts that drive the accessories.
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Staying ahead of belt failures
Inspect your belt or belts as may be the case. When you check your fluid levels take some time to inspect the serpentine belt. It only takes a few minutes more to inspect the belts.
- Look for cracks on the surfaces of the belt
- Check for a shiny condition(called glazing) on the belt back or on the surface of the grooves.
- The automatic tensioner has a minimum and maximum range marked on it. If it’s at the end of the range it’s time to replace the belt.
- Look for separation of layers or any condition that is not found on a new belt(cracks, chunks missing).
Always replace the serpentine belt with a belt of identical length, width, and the number of grooves.
A strategy for hose and belt replacement will keep your vehicle running smoothly. A strategy gives you peace of mind. No worries of a busted hose or belt. A few hours of DIY labor will have your vehicle back in service with no fears of broken belts or burst hoses.
Related Articles: More Articles about Car Care
More information from Gates on the use of ECD hoses(click here)
More good information on hose installation techniques(click here)
(By ProjectManhattan (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
(By ProjectManhattan (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
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