belts & hoses change interval

[tonycarguy]

Do you replace belts & coolant hoses based on...

1. Time interval
2. Mileage interval
3. Visual inspection
4. Your gut feel

I noticed modern cars don't specify time/mileage for these anymore like the olden days. They specify replacement based on visual inspection.

 

[FL_Rob]

Based on visual AND feel.

 

[Kuato]

Belts: By mileage, with visual inspection after 1/2 the life is gone. I usually change about 10% early.

Coolant hoses: About every 6 years. They can look fine on the outside but be rotten inside. I've been driving my own vehicles for 23 years now, and using that 6 year schedule I've never been left on the road with a burst or leaking hose.

 

[mechanicx]

I go by visual and physical inspection, but also consider the milage and age. I think you can get a good idea of the condition of belts (cracks and fraying) and hoses (swelling, soften or even hardening, leakage) by looking at their condition and how they feel. If the milage is over 80K and age over 5 years, any issues seen and error toward replacent. If I were to ballpark it, I consider 100k miles/7 years to be the service length on quality parts. Of course if you are doing a coolant change or working on one of the accessories that is a good excuse for replacement. I hose or belt failure can lead to an overheated engine. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Ken42]

I just replaced all 3 belts on my 5 year old Elantra
and they where good except for the AC belt which was cracking
and parts of the rubber falling off.

Ken

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: tonycarguy

Do you replace belts & coolant hoses based on...

1. Time interval
2. Mileage interval
3. Visual inspection
4. Your gut feel

I noticed modern cars don't specify time/mileage for these anymore like the olden days. They specify replacement based on visual inspection.

1. Time interval - NO
2. Mileage interval - NO
3. Visual inspection (and Physical Inspection) - YES
4. Your gut feel - NO

'94 +250k miles LS400 had OEM hose(upper) and belt replaced last year at 240k miles, the hose was soft and had small leak at the radiator neck. Heater hoses replaced 5-6 years ago.

'00 +110k miles E430 has OEM hoses and belt. The conditions are so good that I don't think they are needed to be replaced in 4-5 years.

'04 +30k miles S2000 has OEM hoses and belt.