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Symptoms of a Bad Heater Hose

Aug . 19, 2024 15:10 Back to list

Symptoms of a Bad Heater Hose


Symptoms of a Bad Heater Hose

The heater hose is a key component of your car’s climate control and cooling systems. The climate control system is very important to your comfort and safety, while your cooling system is responsible for maintaining the proper temperature within the engine. For all these good reasons, it is of vital importance that your heater hoses are in good operating condition at all times.

One heater hose carries hot coolant from your engine into the heater core. Air from either inside or outside the vehicle then passes through the hot heater core, which warms the air before it enters the passenger compartment of your vehicle. A second heater hose then carries the “cooler” coolant back into the main cooling current that flows through the engine and the radiator. This assures you that a constant flow of hot coolant is available to keep your interior as warm as you want it during cold weather. Properly operating heater hoses also help to keep your windows clear of condensation, snow, and ice.

Heater hoses are made of flexible rubber. This allows them to absorb the vibrations and movements of the engine they are connected to at one end, while being solidly attached to the heater core in the dashboard at the other end.

Heater Hose SAE J20R3

Symptoms of a bad heater hose

A problem with your heater hose can be very serious. On one hand, your heater hose is part of your car’s climate control system. A bad heater hose can impair your ability to keep your windows clear and keep yourself warm. If you can’t see out of your car, or you can’t get warm enough to focus on driving safely, a bad heater hose could potentially lead to an accident.

On the other hand, your heater hose is also a key part of your car’s cooling system. If a bad heater hose causes a significant loss of coolant, your engine could overheat, causing catastrophic (and very expensive) damage.

Neither of these bad outcomes is desirable, so let’s list some of the warning signs of a bad heater hose:

  • Smell of coolant when hood is open
  • Little or no heat coming out of heater
  • Low coolant level
  • Steam rising from under the hood
  • Temperature gauge runs hotter than normal
  • Coolant leaks from the heater hoses
  • Heater hoses that look cracked, nicked, bulging, collapsed, frayed, scraped, or swollen
  • Heater hoses that feel spongy or soft to the touch
  • Heater hoses that make a crackling sound if squeezed when cold

Repairing a bad heater hose

While a lack of interior heat from a bad heater hose is serious enough, the real danger from a bad heater hose is the possibility that enough coolant could leak out to cause your engine to overheat.

Your mechanic will thoroughly inspect the cooling and heating system of your car, to verify that your problem is limited to a bad heater hose. If it is, the bad heater hose or hoses can be removed from your car, and then replaced with a new one (or two).

There could also be damage or wear to other hoses and related components in your car’s cooling system. Repair or replacement of the affected parts should restore the control system’s functionality. Any other issues uncovered during the check of your cooling system should be dealt with now, before they can cause you problems down the road.

Repairing a bad heater hose can be tricky

Unless you have had extensive experience in working with automotive cooling and climate control systems, leave this to the professionals! The proper repair of a bad heater hose involves a thorough understanding of cooling system plumbing issues. Draining and replacing your car’s coolant must be done correctly, including properly bleeding the system to eliminate any air bubbles in the system. Your mechanic has the experience and the proper tools to replace your heater hose safely and cost-effectively.

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