Warning, Replace your cooling system hoses ASAP

[dosbricks]

erikv, I can see your point with multiple vehicles, but this is my wife's car and I would rather replace critical parts before it strands her somewhere. I also like to keep one car or the other in good enough condition that we can take a trip out of state in it and feel confident of not having any major problem. Just my take on it.

[jblackburn]

I think this is one "problem" with Volvo lasting as long as they do. Most cars die for other reasons.

That said, in 30 years I've been driving, I have had one hose fail. It was on my '90 240. IMHO, belts on new cars tend not to fail. Quality and hose formulation is a lot better than it was 20 years ago. I think the quality of part in general is a lot better than it used to be. When was the last time you heard of someone overheating because their thermostat failed?

I've blown at least one coolant hose on every older car I've owned (all 9+ years old). Came as a learning experience to replace them all.

Thermostats should fail in the open position, unless cheap replacement crap.

[timmybdaddyof3]

I think the biggest issue is inspection....look at a lot of the pictures posted and you can see the bulging, there are much less obvious signs...feel the hose for weak or soft-spots, look at the nylon braiding at the end of the hose (if there are signs of coolant discoloration, its wicking it from somewhere, etc. Don't just rely on looking for drops when you back up.

That being said, on the wife's car, any time the cooling system gets opened, everything down to the thermostat gets replaced - mass overkill, yes, but also cheap insurance. And its like i tell her, if something is wrong, pull over unless you don't feel safe - in which case keep driving till it won't run anymore (a potential $2k decision).

On my car, I only replace when I see a reason, but if I am going to replace one, I am going to replace them all....if there is ~16psi of pressure and you remove what you THINK is the weakest link, you have just guaranteed there is now a new "weakest link".

As a side note - Robert - Thank you for all you contribute, the knowledge is great, and having a video so you can see what your up against makes life easier (sometimes more so than a parts diagram).

I think the sentiment of him starting this thread is similar to the old Penzoil ad line - "Its cheaper to change your oil than to change your engine"

I would much rather spend $150 on hoses as insurance then deal with the stress of trying to limp a motor off the road without doing catastrophic damage.

[erikv11]

Hah, $150, don't I wish. Sure, I'd make it a priority if it was only $150 to do them all!

Unfortunately, it costs about that much just for two heater hoses. If you're spending less by not installing the Volvo ones then what you are putting in is probably introducing more risk rather than improving things, see the photos up above from Ben850 for one of many examples.

And I agree that the biggest issue is probably inspection habits, a close second is record keeping. Cooling system, timing path, brakes: some things warrant steady attention in the ongoing maintenance routine.

[timmybdaddyof3]

Its probably been too long since I have paid retail....I did do a upper hose in a clients s40 about a year ago and needed the parts same day so i ended up buying from another dealership...with my discount it was still close to $100....I felt the price was so out of line that I ended up eating the 30 mins it took to install it.

[mecheng]

I've never had a coolant hose burst, in any car I own or maintain. Knock on wood. Leaks at the connections, yes. Once had a small hose from the expansion tank spring a pinhole leak. And I've had heater cores leak, but never explode or anything like that.

I'm going to just keep on inspecting them regularly, and replacing them as needed and/or as convenient, the usual stuff. I maintain four cars, replacing everything wholesale would get crazy expensive and seems like overkill.

Neither have I, and I agree. I did have a serious bulge in my Honda's upper rad hose, it looked like a mouse was in it, but it was obvious and got worst so of course you replace it and I always use OEM hoses: aftermarket either doesn't fit right or doesn't last. The upper usually blows before the lower as it is under pressure over suction.

The lower rad hose is kinda hard to get at so if your replacing the rad it makes sense, the upper can be done at any time.

I did my turbo coolant hoses because they were bulging and I'm a glutton for punishment.

[cn90]

Couple thoughts:

- Inspection is fine but it can be deceiving. The cracks happen on the inside of the hose and you simply cannot inspect those cracks, unless you remove the hose for inspection. This already happened to me on other cars. Hoses looked good, one week later, it burst.

- It all depends, if all you do is driving around town and you have diligent eyes looking at the temp gauge, then I see no need to replace the hoses.

- However, if you leave town often, then replace the hoses every 120K-150K. Hoses are made from EPDM rubber material with reinforcement, so it has its lifespan similar to the tire (not the same wear and tear but heat damage). Hoses are not that expensive. So if you spend $20-$30/hose every 120K-150K, it is cheap insurance. A gas tank these days costs $50 btw...

[erikv11]

I am really surprised at how many members have had hoses burst on them. I've driven only old cars my whole life, now my family drives only old cars, and never had it happen once. These old cars leave town a lot, the main exchange is between here and Minneapolis, about 3 hours away. But like I posted, yes I keep an eye on things, each car has had probably half of the hoses changed.

So a bunch of you lost engines or warped heads when this happened?

One hose is $30 yes, but that is exactly the opposite of this thread's point.

The fact that gas costs more "these days" is cool historical information but it means ... nothing. The cost of the hoses is the cost of the hoses, the cost of owning the car is what it is.

[timmybdaddyof3]

Good points....keep in mind, as I am sure we all know and agree, highway driving is easier on a car than city stop and go...one of the basic reasons is heat soak. An engine compartment temp at anything below about 30 MPH can be the upwards of 125~175* hotter than that of a constantly moving vehicle. Typically if a hose is going to let go (in any fashion from bursting to popping off) it will either be while the coolant temp is high (which in turn increases the system pressure), or when you are at higher RPM's (not necessarily boost, believe it or not there is friction created as coolant is rushed through the lines by a fast spinning water pump).

As far as inspecting to look for failure - the only part you can actually see is a catastrophic failure about to happen from the outside - the bulge.
Keep in mind, there are 3 pieces of hose construction that make the complete unit; the inner and outer jackets, and the reinforcement braiding.
Most people do not know how to properly inspect a hose - obviously the bulge, cracks, etc, but after that look at the nylon braiding at the ends of the hose. They should be white; if they are discolored this is a sign that the inner jacket of the hose is not totally sealed. Somewhere in that line coolant is seeping into the nylon threading, and the nylon threading is carrying it to the end of the hose....if the nylon is not white there is something going on inside the hose that should not be.
After that go by feel; personally I use latex gloves and a motor that's down around 120*. The heat keeps the hoses pliable (don't burn yourself), THIN gloves give you some protection without losing sensitivity. Run the length of the hose using your finger tips to press the hose into the palm of your hand...you need to do this every 60* -90* of the diameter of the hose. If you feel a soft spot, again there is a problem.

-External jacket issues typically look like a wet hose or visible wear/fatigue
-Internal jacket issues typically show up by trace fluid being wicked to the end of the hose by the reinforcement cords, and buy feel (and depending on the quality of the hose you can have one without the other
-Reinforcement issues typically show in deformation

Sorry for the rant, personally I LOOK at my fuel gauge, I CHECK my hoses and fluids....and it can take me the upwards of 10 mins to check one hose, but honestly I don't think i have ever had one that I have "checked" (either personally or for a client) fail soon after.

[cn90]

My comment on a gas tank fill-up being $50: I am telling people that $50 these days mean "nothing".
Don't get me wrong, $50 is worth something for me.

So if a radiator hose costs $20: it is cheap, get it?

PS: I am frugal with m money too. Let's say a H: bulb costs $5 for brand A and $7 for brand B. I pay $5.
But radiator hose is a different animal. When it blows, one is stranded and one risks engine head gasket problem.