Preventative maintenance items
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From: Austin TX
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Preventative maintenance items
My 2009 Coupe currently has 37K miles but has hit the 15 year mark. Even though they look good/ great, I am looking at replacing the coolant hoses and drive belts given the age as they are all original. How about idlers and tensioners? Seems like replacing all of them may be excessive given the lowish miles. Any advice for a lowish mileage/highish age scenario?
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Drifting
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Westfield MA
I am in a similar position, I think if the hoses pass a visual inspection, I would leave them. Same with the belt, look for cracks on the ribbed surface. I don't put that many miles on either so at my spring oil change, I draw as much brake fluid as I can from the master cylinder reservoir and replace with new, same for the power steering fluid. This year I am also going to change the coolant and the trans fluid.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,912
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From: Cypress TX
My 2009 Coupe currently has 37K miles but has hit the 15 year mark. Even though they look good/ great, I am looking at replacing the coolant hoses and drive belts given the age as they are all original. How about idlers and tensioners? Seems like replacing all of them may be excessive given the lowish miles. Any advice for a lowish mileage/highish age scenario?
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 243
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From: Ladson,SC
Are you visually inspecting these hoses, belts, pulleys before driving or after driving the car? Regardless, factory/aftermarket rubber hoses and belts are the consumable items that's overlooked because they may look fine, but their decomposition starts as soon as they begin their functions. Don't let the low mileage fool you because that's the ticking time bomb waiting for something to become a much bigger repair in the long run. It's something that I don't take for granted because I don't like taking the short cuts when it comes to periodic maintenance for these cars for it will come back and haunt you ten fold times. All that I can say good luck in your decisions for your Vettes!!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,912
Likes: 2,058
From: Cypress TX
Are you visually inspecting these hoses, belts, pulleys before driving or after driving the car? Regardless, factory/aftermarket rubber hoses and belts are the consumable items that's overlooked because they may look fine, but their decomposition starts as soon as they begin their functions. Don't let the low mileage fool you because that's the ticking time bomb waiting for something to become a much bigger repair in the long run. It's something that I don't take for granted because I don't like taking the short cuts when it comes to periodic maintenance for these cars for it will come back and haunt you ten fold times. All that I can say good luck in your decisions for your Vettes!!!
That said, I have changed the tires on that same 2001 Vette three times in the last 20 years even though it has only had about 16K miles put on it since it was purchased in 2002. The last tires were still practically brand new with the tread depth, but they were showing signs of cracking. So before I pulled it out the garage and got it road ready a couple of years ago (it more or less sat for 15 years with the occasional drive just to keep the inspection up to date), I put a brand new set of Michelins on it. You would think the hoses and belts would have had a similar fate over those years.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Bergen County, NJ
Of course, I've changed normal maintenance items; the battery and tires several times, rotors and brake pads once, spark plugs and wires once, and changed the fluids more times than is needed.
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From: Austin TX
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I decided to replace the hoses, thermostat, and belts. If the idlers and tensioners have play or the wrong amount of drag I'll stop and order those at that point.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Pearland / Houston Tx
Just be sure to use quality parts. What concerns me on replacing belts and hoses that may not need it is getting lesser quality and shorter life than OEM.
The GM maintenance schedule doesn't ask for a drive belt check until 150,000 miles. My 07 with 110,000 miles still has like-new hoses and ac belt. I swapped good looking drive belt cause was in there replacing water pump.
Something else you might want to replace while in there, as it is known to break, is the small tee on the coolant line near the MAF. Coolant tee discussion
The GM maintenance schedule doesn't ask for a drive belt check until 150,000 miles. My 07 with 110,000 miles still has like-new hoses and ac belt. I swapped good looking drive belt cause was in there replacing water pump.
Something else you might want to replace while in there, as it is known to break, is the small tee on the coolant line near the MAF. Coolant tee discussion
Heel & Toe
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 24
Likes: 9
After getting my 09 last month first thing was to get it to a dealership to change the trans, PS, and brake fluids along with the oil. Oil life showed 25% but the car hadn't been driven but couple of thousand miles over 3 years. Checked the cabin air and was filthy like it hadn't been changed in years. Ordered the intake filter because I had a suspicion that it needed changing but didn't want to pull it out without a new one in hand. Sure enough when I pulled it out, the date stamp on it was 09. Guy who owned the car said he was OCD about it when it came to keeping it clean and covered, but a mechanical guy he wasn't.
Belt and hoses seem ok. But will do a drain and fill on the radiator to get a better idea soon.
Belt and hoses seem ok. But will do a drain and fill on the radiator to get a better idea soon.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2021
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From: Peoria, AZ
2023 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
When I installed the A & A S/C on my LS7 powered 2007 narrow body, while I had everything apart I decided to just go ahead and change the P/S pump, water pump and thermostat, heater hoses, and radiator hoses (I also installed an ECP all aluminum radiator), along with the idler pulley. Peace of mind was my purpose, and it wasn't that expensive as I purchased all OEM parts from Rock auto or GM parts and did all the work myself, along with installing the S/C.