MICK’S TIPS: COOLANT HOSES

WHY IS IT WE ALWAYS FORGET TO DO THE SIMPLE THINGS? UNCLE MICK GETS INTO YOUR HOSES

Feeling a little swollen and scaly?

WHEN WAS t he last time you had a good feel of your radiator and heater hoses? A lot of people forget about t hem, until t hey give up! If you’re heading off on a long trip it can pay to drop down to t he loca l parts supplier and grab some spares, just to have t hem t here. It at least gives you a f ighting chance to get rolling again if something fa ils. There’s a chance your nearest countr y tow n won’t have t hem, so it’s a lot easier to have them on board. Don’t worr y too much about what brand you’re buying. Do it t hrough an auto store and you should be fine. Simple things to check before you go away: look for your radiator and heater hoses and give them a v isua l check. Look around the hose clamps. Old hoses swell up in t his area – it’s of ten f luid gett ing into t he materia l and it’s only a matter of time before it fa ils. Another area to check is around any bends. That’s where t he f luid is f low ing quickest and it ta kes its tol l. Feel a long the hose and give it a squeeze. You should get a consistent resista nce a ll t he way a long. If t here’s a sof t area, t hat is a sig n of t rouble.

While you’re doing the squeeze test, you’re look ing for something prett y pliable – check it against a new hose. What sometimes happens is you will get a build-up of sha le on t he inner surface, and t his will come across as feeling stif f. You may even feel or hear t hat inner sha le crack ing as you go a long. Yep, it’s time for a change.

Now while you’re in t here, have a look at t he overf low bott le for t he radiator – if it has one. A lot of people believe t hat should be f illed to its highest point, and t hat’s a fa l lacy. Don’t do it. It should be at its lowest point. Being f ully sea led, it puts liquid into t he overf low as it expands with heat.

If you overdo it, t here’s a r isk it will overf i l l as t he engine warms up and get to t he point where it overf ills and siphons out the coolant. Not a good look.

Prett y much the same principles apply to check ing both heater and radiator hoses, t hough t he latter are obv iously a smaller diameter. Remember to look for both t he f ill and return heater hoses.

One thing when you’re insta lling new gear, avoid t he temptation to overtighten t he clamps, or you risk cutting into t he ver y materia l you’re tr y ing to save. Really t hey need to be just firm enough to hold ever y t hing in place, not to hold t he whole car toget her! So get under that bonnet and have a good feel around – it will do you good!