You don't think about leaks until all of a sudden your vehicle fails to start, or starts sputtering as you're driving. If the coolant in your radiator is unable to reach the components in your engine, then chaos ensues - your engine will start sputtering and grinding as it overheats and the next thing you know billows of smoke are coming out from under your hood. Assuring that your radiator hose is working correctly will save you from a much more expensive fix in the future.
There are a variety of types of radiator hoses, all mostly made of rubber - although rubber deteriorates rather quickly, it is still the best overall material to make a hose out of.
First, note a few things about radiator hoses:
There are two different radiator hoses, and both are required to make the system function.
Be sure you check to see which of the two hoses - upper or lower - is damaged, so you're getting the correct hose to solve your problem. If you're not sure which hose is damaged, there is a combo upper/lower hose that will fit either the upper or the lower area
There are different radiator hoses based on your vehicle, so be sure to check with your owners manual to get the right version of your radiator hose.
The three types of hoses are accordion hoses, molded hoses and common hoses - and each hose does the job in a slightly different fashion. When you are ready to buy a new hose, here are the two main options you will look at:
Molded hoses: Molded hoses can be created from either custom silicone or stainless steel and are pre-shaped based on the equipment manufacturer's custom requirements. These specific hose types were created to make easy connections to the radiator as well as allowing coolant to flow easily. However, they do not fit every different model of vehicle.
Flex hoses: Flex radiator hoses have a corrugated cover that bends easily, flexing to fit. These are designed to match OEM specs and contain a silicone rubber to help them form to the correct shape with ease.
Radiator hoses are a critical part of your vehicle's cooling system, keeping the coolant flowing back to the engine and keeping the engine cool and clean.
YourMechanic supplies top-quality radiator hoses to our certified mobile technicians. We can also install a radiator hose that you've purchased. Click here to get a quote and more information on radiator hose replacement.
