My 95 Neon still has the original hoses and they were healthy enough to withstand full pressure and temperature a couple years ago on track days.
How long do hoses on new vehicles last?
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Newer cars use belts and hoses made from a material called epdm. Often they last the life of the vehicle.
For instance our shop truck,95 Tacoma has 401k on it and on its original hoses.
For instance our shop truck,95 Tacoma has 401k on it and on its original hoses.
As I was told by a service adviser at the Chevy dealership where I used to service my departed '99 Malibu, "These ain't your Daddy's hoses. They last a long time." Hoses were inspected at each service, and the car was traded at 12 years with the original hoses, and no signs of leakage.
Hello, This thread has provided more information in one place than all the times I've asked people in person or on forums about this subject. Nobody knew nothin'.
Even here no one seems to have a definitive answer except that the squeeze test is the new norm and notice of the epdm development.
It is a little reassuring to read of all the long lasting hoses.
I will now change every hose in my 1999 Saab next spring. Its 93,000 miles doesn't factor in at all.
The hoses I changed in my sisters 1999 Jeep 3 years ago felt a little crispy/crackly. I'm not at all certain they were original as she got the car when it was 6 years old-but they likely were originals.
I can tell you that when I was done the new hoses looked fabulous and the old ones on the ground looked like grey, old, fatigued rubber. Very glad I changed them.
I'm doing the hoses in my 2002 Volvo when I do the timing belt (which I'm way overdue for). Gates for the radiator, Volvo (special fittings at the firewall) for the heater. Like the Jeep Cherokee there are only 4 hoses. I LOVE that.
Funny thing is that the rep at Gates never mentioned epdm or any other modernization of production.
A monkey at the local Volvo dealership's used car building told me they never change hoses.
OK but not entirely comforting as there is NO DATA. Kira
Even here no one seems to have a definitive answer except that the squeeze test is the new norm and notice of the epdm development.
It is a little reassuring to read of all the long lasting hoses.
I will now change every hose in my 1999 Saab next spring. Its 93,000 miles doesn't factor in at all.
The hoses I changed in my sisters 1999 Jeep 3 years ago felt a little crispy/crackly. I'm not at all certain they were original as she got the car when it was 6 years old-but they likely were originals.
I can tell you that when I was done the new hoses looked fabulous and the old ones on the ground looked like grey, old, fatigued rubber. Very glad I changed them.
I'm doing the hoses in my 2002 Volvo when I do the timing belt (which I'm way overdue for). Gates for the radiator, Volvo (special fittings at the firewall) for the heater. Like the Jeep Cherokee there are only 4 hoses. I LOVE that.
Funny thing is that the rep at Gates never mentioned epdm or any other modernization of production.
A monkey at the local Volvo dealership's used car building told me they never change hoses.
OK but not entirely comforting as there is NO DATA. Kira
My 19 year old Ford Contour still has the original hoses, and there are lots of specialty formed ones on the engine. I'd hate trying to replace them. I do change the antifreeze on a regular basis, maybe that helps with the hoses longevity.
Whimsey
Whimsey
If you keep the oil off they last indefinitely.
I had a saturn I got with a cracked head; I fixed it on the cheap including, initially, old hoses. I ran plain water plus cascade to flush the cooling system.
Even though I cleaned the outside of the hoses with simple green and paper towels, the hoses "sweated" oil from somewhere in the middle of the foam rubber.
It was gross, and I kept getting an oil slick at the top of my coolant surge tank despite daily cooling system drain & fills.
Wound up replacing the hoses and the oil slicks stopped.
Get oil in (or presumably on) them and they'll never be right, afterward. If you grab a degrading hose with your hand, it can leave a black mark on your skin as it sheds a layer.
I had a saturn I got with a cracked head; I fixed it on the cheap including, initially, old hoses. I ran plain water plus cascade to flush the cooling system.
Even though I cleaned the outside of the hoses with simple green and paper towels, the hoses "sweated" oil from somewhere in the middle of the foam rubber.
It was gross, and I kept getting an oil slick at the top of my coolant surge tank despite daily cooling system drain & fills.
Wound up replacing the hoses and the oil slicks stopped.
Get oil in (or presumably on) them and they'll never be right, afterward. If you grab a degrading hose with your hand, it can leave a black mark on your skin as it sheds a layer.
Original hoses on 2002 Camry with over 256K miles.
In fact, everything in our household fleet is this way. Our newest is a 2010 with 105K, the Camry is the oldest.
The 2003 Corolla at under 140K and the 2003 Protege5 at just under 168K miles.
Again, all with factory hoses.
They've all had new serp belts, but running the same hoses.
In fact, everything in our household fleet is this way. Our newest is a 2010 with 105K, the Camry is the oldest.
The 2003 Corolla at under 140K and the 2003 Protege5 at just under 168K miles.
Again, all with factory hoses.
They've all had new serp belts, but running the same hoses.
I replaced mine in my 05 because I was bored lol
Original on all three vehicles in my signature. Probably a [censored]-shoot, though.
We have a shelf full of radiator hoses from the 80's & 90's in our parts room for our fleet. Haven't real'y bought any for our 52 vehicle fleet since then.
I change hoses on the "as needed" basis which is very rare. Hose longevity is one of the things the car industry definitely got right.
These days hoses seem to outlast the engine.
Most of the time I do preventive replacement, but the top radiator hose on my 97 Integra bulge up at around 180k miles and 10 years. It was under 16psi and happened just after a head warp / gasket leak, so it might last even longer if the head gasket was fine.
I paid a mechanic a bunch of money to change most of the hoses on my 2002 chevy. They changed all but 3. I had to take it back twice because it was leaking coolant. I think they finally got it sealed up. Then I took it upon myself to change the last 3 hoses myself. Well now I smell coolant when the car is not on recirc. Takes about 6 mos for the coolant light to come on, top off the tank with a quart of cheap green premix. Maybe ill chase down the drip one day.
Moral of the story? I wont change any more hoses unless they break. I think you would get a slow leak before a catastrophic blowout. If that is the case you should be ok to drive a little while as long as you have some water you can put in the car until you can fix the hose.
Moral of the story? I wont change any more hoses unless they break. I think you would get a slow leak before a catastrophic blowout. If that is the case you should be ok to drive a little while as long as you have some water you can put in the car until you can fix the hose.
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