radiator hose question
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 56
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From: San Antonio TX
radiator hose question
I've never owned a car with a pressurized coolant reservoir before, so maybe this is normal, but here goes:
I noticed under the hood today that the upper radiator hose was compressed down, misshapen, kind of flat. This worried me a lot at first. I remembered about the pressurized overflow tank and went and took the cap off, and the hose expanded back close to a normal shape, but maybe not all the way.
The car was a little low on coolant when I bought it, the shop that did the inspection couldn't find any leaks. I filled it up after I brought it home (week and a half ago), and its already gotten a little low again.
Is there something weird going on here?
I noticed under the hood today that the upper radiator hose was compressed down, misshapen, kind of flat. This worried me a lot at first. I remembered about the pressurized overflow tank and went and took the cap off, and the hose expanded back close to a normal shape, but maybe not all the way.
The car was a little low on coolant when I bought it, the shop that did the inspection couldn't find any leaks. I filled it up after I brought it home (week and a half ago), and its already gotten a little low again.
Is there something weird going on here?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,163
Likes: 4
From: Concord California
You just may be low on coolent. The system works this way, if filled up correctly with the overflow tank at the correct coolent level. When driving and vehicle gets really hot, the temp rises, water boils a little and is sent to the overflow to releave the pressure. As soon as it cools down, it sucks it back into the radiator system. If you hose is collapsing, it may be time for a new radiator hose. The hoses are long and somewhat flexible, but should not collaps like you are stating. Some guys will cut the hose ends and attach a solid metal chrome pipe for the lenght part so only a rubber end that connects the pipe to the radiator, to me that allows more points of connections more points of leakig. I perfer the solid stock hose... Good luck.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 56
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From: San Antonio TX
Replace the pressure cap. The cap is supposed to hold pressure when it builds from the expansion cause by the coolant heating and it is supposed to allow air to be drawn back into the tank as the coolant cools and returns to normal colder state. The cap is bad and preventing the air from entering the tank so the hose collapses. Been there and done that.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 352
Likes: 1
From: Dayton OH
Replace the pressure cap. The cap is supposed to hold pressure when it builds from the expansion cause by the coolant heating and it is supposed to allow air to be drawn back into the tank as the coolant cools and returns to normal colder state. The cap is bad and preventing the air from entering the tank so the hose collapses. Been there and done that.
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+2 New cap should solve your problem.
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