Things that suck: Cracked radiator hoses :|

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
0
Dammit..... car's sitting outside with no damn coolant in it right now.... argh.....

I guess it's to be expected that a 13 year old hose could break, but, ugh.... oh well, I was going to put a new thermostat in it anyway, now I don't hve to drain it first.....

Still though, nothing better than seeing that temp needle climb up into the red :|
 

narzy

Elite Member
Feb 26, 2000
7,006
1
81
DUCT TAPE and water :) hehehe

sorry to hear you broke your car tho, that sucks.
 

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,204
66
91
I take it was the top hose.

Might I suggest you also do the bottom hose while you're at it.
 

Pepsi90919

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
25,162
1
81


<< I take it was the top hose. >>

well he said the car had no coolant in it, and since gravity tends to pull down that might imply the bottom hose...
 

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
44,296
16
81
What really blows chunks is when it's the little 90-degree hose from the water pump to the intake manifold. That thing's a PITA to change..
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
0
it was the top hose, but the car tends to lose coolant whn it's runnnig regardless of what hose is leaking....
 

HappyPuppy

Lifer
Apr 5, 2001
16,997
2
71
While you're at it replace the heater hoses and check your belts. Sounds like you don't pay much attention to the basics of auto maintenance.
 

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,204
66
91
Top hoses will dump all your coolant, but there is nothing disquieting like squeezing a bottom hose that has run in all the muck being thrown up from under your car and feeling what seems to be more sponge like than hose like.

Think time bomb.....tick......tick.....tick.....spurt.
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
0
It's actually not the top radiator hose, but a smaller hose that connects to the thermostat houseing right next to the radiator hose, and goes down towards the water pump somewhere (hard to tell exactly, as it's dark out). I jsut said it was the top hose cause it's near the top, and it was easier than trying to explain exactly where this hose is.

As far as "the basics of auto maintenance", this is hardly a hose you'd notice cracking everytime you opened the hood, it's kinda hidden behind some stuff and generally out of the way. Sure you're suppsoed to check the hoses evey yrear, but hey, I haven't even had the car quite one year yet (bought it in July).
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
1
0
alienbabeltech.com
Things that really suck, cracked engine blocks!

It is far cheaper to change your hoses and belts than your engine. . . . be glad you have a temperature gauge rather than an "idiot" (overheat/engine dead) light. :)

Whenever I used to buy a decent used car, those were among the first thing I'd inspect and change if necesary. I hate being stranded.

Sound like you lucked out since your car is home . . . not far away . . .
 

SuperTool

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
14,000
2
0
Heh. Funny thing happenned yesterday. Last weekend I cleaned the throttle body on my Maxima, and I guess I didn't tighten one of the hose clamps tight enough.
So yesterday, I am driving, and boom, the engine stalls, right before I crossed the railroad tracks. It was the hose coming out of the velocity stack that keeps revs up above certain idle point. So the rev needle just dropped to 0 after I turned it on. So I had to clear the road, so I turned the car on while keeping the gas on, held the gas pedal so that it would rev at 1K rpm, and shifted to Drive. I have auto tranny, so I had to go through reverse to get there. I had to keep revs at 700-1000 rpm, and had the brake on so I wouldn't go backwards. Anyways, it jerked the car, but tranny held up OK, and I had to keep revving above 1K, which is kinda hard if you are braking. It's like I was in the movie speed :). Anyways, I got the hose back on, and it's working fine. But that was a scare. What if it stalled on the railroad? Also, when the engine stalled, I lost power steering and brake pressure, which really was scary.