I will be driving cross-country the first week of July, and it's gonna be hot. With the RPMs my car needs to go 80-85 MPH and the A/C on the cooling system will be under a heavy load. After taking a look at the radiator hoses I don't think I need to replace them before the trip. They look good, no fraying of the ends near the clamps or anything like that. But should I replace them anyway? I don't know their age. Last summer I flushed the antifreeze and replaced it, so I wouldn't normally be doing that again before the trip. But if non-visible cracks are a big problem with radiator hoses I will go ahead and replace them before the trip.
Can radiator hose quality be determined through visual observation?
- Thread starter Sukhoi
- Start date
No. They usually break/wear out from the inside out. The top one is the most common to go.
What is year, make, and model? Also how many miles are on the hoses?
What is year, make, and model? Also how many miles are on the hoses?
mrSHEiK124
Lifer
- Mar 6, 2004
- 11,488
- 2
- 0
It's a 1995 Toyota Corolla that will have right about 120K miles on it when I start the trip. The tranny is a 3-speed auto so it runs nuts RPMs at 85 MPH. I know it can sustain those speeds at 85-90 F temps, but I'm not quite so confidant about 115 F in Nevada.
No idea how many miles on the hoses. I bought the car used at 85K miles. So they will have at least 35K miles on them. Time for a change? I'm already planning on doing the thermostat, and upgrading from 5W-30 to 10W-40 oil when I am at home over Memorial Day weekend. I could probably find enough time to do another coolant flush and hose change then.
No idea how many miles on the hoses. I bought the car used at 85K miles. So they will have at least 35K miles on them. Time for a change? I'm already planning on doing the thermostat, and upgrading from 5W-30 to 10W-40 oil when I am at home over Memorial Day weekend. I could probably find enough time to do another coolant flush and hose change then.
Someone who knows what they're doing can look at them and feel/squeeze them to see if they're getting soft, but unless you're one of those people, there's nothing you can do.
At highway speeds, there really isn't that much strain on your cooling or A/C system....at high speed, all the cooling is being done by the air rushing by the radiator and condenser. That's when both systems are at their most efficient.
Let's say your car is turning 2800 rpm's at 80 mph....it's much harder on the cooling and A/C systems to sit still in neutral and hold the engine at 2800 rpm's.
So just go with how old is the car, or how old are the hoses? If less than 5-6 years, I wouldn't worry at all.
At highway speeds, there really isn't that much strain on your cooling or A/C system....at high speed, all the cooling is being done by the air rushing by the radiator and condenser. That's when both systems are at their most efficient.
Let's say your car is turning 2800 rpm's at 80 mph....it's much harder on the cooling and A/C systems to sit still in neutral and hold the engine at 2800 rpm's.
So just go with how old is the car, or how old are the hoses? If less than 5-6 years, I wouldn't worry at all.
funboy6942
Lifer
- Nov 13, 2001
- 15,368
- 418
- 126
The only signs of wear you will see is bulging where the ends meet up at the radiator and at the water pump and thermo housing. Id where those ends are at you see ballooning of the hose it is getting weak, other then that, if your car is 10 years old, may be a good idea to change it and keep a set of belts in the trunk in case those should break during your trip.
Bring along spares and a screwdriver just in case. They're cheap. FWIW it's hard to tell from looking at them, but give them a squeeze. Look for cracks on the outside while squeezing them. They should be fairly resistent to squeezing when there is no pressure in them. If they are soft, replace them. If you can feel something "crunching" inside when you squeeze them, replace them.
Stock? I find that hard to believe. High gear in that car would be worthless at normal speed limits.
redgtxdi
Diamond Member
- Jun 23, 2004
- 5,464
- 8
- 81
PacFan is correct.
I have the exact same car as the OP (except Geo Prizm). It's a VERY durable and reliable setup, but RPM's are definitely up there at around 80mph. I usually don't sustain over 80 on the freeway. Mine doesn't have a tach, but I'd guess around 3,500rpm at 80mph so 85 would only be higher.
On contrast, my '98 Camry 2.2L/4spd runs about 2,800rpm at 80mph. (it *does* have a tach) and I consider that VERY low for such speed. I think it gets around 3,000rpm at 85mph so 2,000rpm at 85mph would be like no car that I know of on the streets today.
(Not even a Z06!)
I have the exact same car as the OP (except Geo Prizm). It's a VERY durable and reliable setup, but RPM's are definitely up there at around 80mph. I usually don't sustain over 80 on the freeway. Mine doesn't have a tach, but I'd guess around 3,500rpm at 80mph so 85 would only be higher.
On contrast, my '98 Camry 2.2L/4spd runs about 2,800rpm at 80mph. (it *does* have a tach) and I consider that VERY low for such speed. I think it gets around 3,000rpm at 85mph so 2,000rpm at 85mph would be like no car that I know of on the streets today.
(Not even a Z06!)
"upgrading"?
If there are no cracks, and they feel neither too soft nor too brittle, nor are they bulging near the ends, I wouldn't worry about it. Hoses can last a shocking amount of time.
Might want to check those rpm's again. I still find it hard to believe it only turns 2000 rpm at 85 mph. That's a heck of an overdrive.
redgtxdi
Diamond Member
- Jun 23, 2004
- 5,464
- 8
- 81
Ha ha..........very cool.
Yamaha took the R1 motor & stuck it in their personal watercraft to create their first 4-stroke w/ a gear reduction to the driveline based on the fact that 10,000rpm was just a little too much to keep water from not BOILING inside of the jet pump! :laugh:
Originally posted by: redgtxdi
Ha ha..........very cool.
Yamaha took the R1 motor & stuck it in their personal watercraft to create their first 4-stroke w/ a gear reduction to the driveline based on the fact that 10,000rpm was just a little too much to keep water from not BOILING inside of the jet pump! :laugh:
Those watercraft are insane man. Doing 45 over open water is a rush...I can't imagine 80!
Originally posted by: jagec
"upgrading"?
If there are no cracks, and they feel neither too soft nor too brittle, nor are they bulging near the ends, I wouldn't worry about it. Hoses can last a shocking amount of time.
Ok, so maybe not "upgrading". Bad word choice! The owners manual says it will take anything from 5W-30 to 10W-40, so I'm going to put 10W-40 in for the long hot drive.
When I get home from work today I'll give the hoses a squeeze and see what they feel like. If they feel alright rather than replacing both right now I can purchase a replacement set and keep them in the trunk in event of trouble.
redgtxdi, glad to hear someone else here gets to experience the 3-speed.
I definitely agree it's somewhere near 4K RPM at 85 MPH. Once I get out to the 75 MPH speed limit states I probably won't cruise any higher than about 83 MPH.I could if you really want them, but I don't see how that would help much. There are no visual problems with the hoses that I can remember. No cracking or bulging. We'll see what the squeeze test shows.
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