Heater Hose
The heater hose is an important part of your vehicle’s climate control system. It plays an integral part in your engine cooling system as well, which ensures that your vehicle’s engine does not overheat. This is why ensuring your heater hoses are in good condition is so important.
There are multiple heater hoses within your vehicle’s system and they each function in a slightly different way from one another. One of the heater hoses transports hot coolant from the engine to the heater core. Air passes through the hot heater core which warms the air before it is dispersed through the cabin vents. A second heater hose transports the cooler coolant back into the cooling current that flows into the engine and radiator. This ensures that there is always hot coolant available to warm your vehicle during the winter. The heater hoses will also help clear your windows of ice and snow.
The heater hoses are made out of rubber, which allows them to absorb the vibrations coming from the engine they are attached to.
Signs of a bad heater hose
A bad heater hose can cause serious driving issues. You may not be able to keep your windows clear of ice and snow which can cause you to be involved in an accident. Since your heater hoses play such an important role in your vehicle’s cooling system as well, your engine may start to overheat when the hoses fail, causing engine damage which is expensive to repair. The following are signs to watch for that your heater hoses are faulty:
- Smell of coolant when hood is ajar
- No heat coming out of the heater
- Steam coming out from under the hood
- Low coolant level
- Coolant leak
- Temperature gauge is running very hot
- Heater hoses feel soft to the touch
- Heater hoses make crackling noise when squeezed
- Heater hoses look damaged
Heater hose maintenance
If you notice any of the above signs, it is time to get your vehicle checked out by a car care professional right away. Your car care professional will likely inspect all parts of your heating and cooling system to ensure that the issue is only limited to the heater hoses. The heater hoses are then replaced once the issue is identified. Any other issues with the heating or cooling systems will be resolved at that time as well.
The best way to get heater hose maintenance on your car is by booking an appointment through CarAdvise. CarAdvise makes car care simple and guarantees that you’ll pay less than the shop price for all car maintenance services.
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