New coolant return hose is hard and cracking

Post by **FireFox31** » 06 Jun 2024, 22:00

What do you think about a new Volvo brand coolant return hose becoming hard and cracked after only three months of use? The cracks are evident at the coolant tank nipple which makes the hose bulge out a bit. The hardness is felt when trying to bend the hose. The car has a notable coolant leak (0.4 L per 2-3k miles) so I will check this hose.

I replaced this hose on a different car with a Volvo part in 2021. That hose is still soft, flexible, and shows no cracks. I believe that 2021 hose had paint marks on its ends and Volvo branding on its length. I don't think this new one has either. This may be a case of Volvo using cheaper materials for their branded parts.

I believe this is a high pressure line, so failure could mean engine overheating. Just one more thing for me to fix.

Post by **scot850** » 06 Jun 2024, 22:54

Welcome to Volvo lower quality parts I guess. I hope you kept the receipt. Take it back and ask for a replacement.

Neil.

Post by **abscate** » 07 Jun 2024, 03:27

Not worth the replacement in my humble opine. Watch for coolant seep, and snip and reinstall if that happens.

Anything that can be fixed with a scout knife in the field isn’t even broken, that’s just maintenance

-Lord Baden-Powell

Post by **FireFox31** » 07 Jun 2024, 11:05

Unfortunately, I don't see how a replacement could help if they just give me another low quality part... from the Volvo brand. Is aftermarket better at this point? Perhaps proactive replacement is no longer the smart option for certain parts, causing a downgrade in quality.

The hose is more firm in a few months than any coolant hose I've handled, decades old with 300k miles on them. Seems like a critical part, where failure could spew out all the coolant and overheat the engine.

Post by **gmh** » 07 Jun 2024, 17:15

https://www.vivaperformance.com/do88-co ... -c-v70-99/

Post by **jreed** » 08 Jun 2024, 06:48

Just bought some Volvo coolant hoses for my 850 thru FCP and they are marked "Made in Poland" and "Made in Czech Republic". Curious what was the country of origin for the cracked hose above?

Post by **abscate** » 09 Jun 2024, 04:09

Turkey, Poland, and Czech Republic have been origin for Volvo blue box hoses for quite some time now…5 years + ?

Post by **scot850** » 15 Jun 2024, 15:26

For comparison, this hose is likely an original. Today while my mechanic friend was swapping the timing belt for me on the R, when he removed the coolant bottle we found it had been leaking from the bottom from a crack at the outlet. Anyway I pulled this one from the spares pile and we installed the bottle and the hose. This hose is off that bottle as we reused the original to the replacement bottle. This is likely the original and it is showing signs of age, but is not showing any sign of cracking. I think the part you bought is likely some really, really ancient NOS pipe. This is my concern now with many OE rubber parts, how old are they actually? At least the timing belt has a date stamp on it so you know it is original. Also it is a wear part shared with other models so stock may be newer.

: Original coolant tank return line

: Hose ends

Gus did cut the end off the original hose, not because it was bad but just to use some un-stretched hose for better sealing.

Neil.

Post by **abscate** » 16 Jun 2024, 05:14

It’s a wierd thing with rubber, the degradation is a bit unpredictable. I had some trailer tires from 1976 that had no cracking on them, while a boat next to it , In full shade, had one tire like new with the other completely dry rotted.

I cam send you Shaggs hose, Firefox31, because I know those cracks are keeping you up at night