How Does Cold Weather Affect Car Hoses?

With the onset of colder weather, it’s time to winterize your car. This includes paying close attention to your coolant system, including the hoses. Cold weather can have a significant effect on all of your car’s hoses, but it’s most noticeable with the radiator hoses.

How does cold weather damage car hoses?

Over time, repeated expansion and contraction will weaken the hoses. With cold weather, that expansion and contraction happens faster, and to a greater degree than during the warmer months of the year.

Hoses are made from specially formulated rubber designed to be heat-resistant. Though the hoses are able to withstand high temperatures, exposure to heat still makes the rubber expand. When you turn the engine off, it cools and the hoses contract.

During the winter, your hoses go from being the ambient temperature of the storage area (outside your home, inside your garage, etc.) to the operating temperature of the engine very quickly. The reverse is also true. When you turn off the engine, the hoses cool down faster, and to a lower temperature. This creates significant expansion and contraction of the rubber known as flexing.

The extreme flexing that occurs during winter puts additional wear on your hoses, causing small cracks to appear and damage to the internal structure. If the hoses are already old and worn out, there’s a greater chance that they’ll fail.

The best option is to have your hoses inspected at regular intervals by a professional. This allows you to keep an eye on the condition of your hoses so you’re not caught unaware when winter rolls in and a hose goes from failing to failed (often leaving you stranded on the side of the road waiting for assistance).


The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

Need Help With Your Car?

Our certified mobile mechanics make house calls in over 2,000 U.S. cities. Fast, free online quotes for your car repair.

GET A QUOTE

Related articles

How to Put on Snow Chains
Putting snow chains on your car tires makes winter driving safe and easy. It's smart to practice installing snow chains before snow starts to fall.
How to Replace a Fuel Return Hose
Fuel is transferred by a return hose which fails when gas is leaking or the carburetor is flooded. You may smell gas if the hose is faulty.
How to Replace a Car Surge Tank Hose
Replacing a surge tank hose involves working on the coolant system, which can burn you when the engine is hot. Stay safe by waiting for it to cool.

Related questions

A leak from power steering pressure line hose
Hello. If that other hose is leaking then it will need to be replaced also. If the section of hose that is leaking is the metal line then that can usually only be purchased at the dealer. This line is...
Exactly where is my thermostat located?
If you follow the lower radiator hose up toward the engine, that lower hose terminates at the thermostat housing. The housing itself is attached to the engine with three relatively small bolts. If you remove those three bolts and the...
How many psi does the power steering hose withstand
Two types of hose are used in power steering applications, a low pressure hose for the return (to reservoir) fluid and a high pressure hose for pump discharge. Low pressure hose is generally rated at 400 PSI and operates at...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (844) 997-3624 · hi@yourmechanic.com