How often should we replace non radiator hoses?

[PandaBear]

I know the common practice to replace radiator hoses before they bulge, burst, leak, or collapse. But what about the other coolant hoses like those to and from heater core, to and from intake manifold for heating up the intake air, etc?

They seems to be much smaller and just wondering if they last much longer or about the same?

 

[Chris142]

Seems to me that Heater and bypass hoses don't seem to last as long as the upper and lower Radiator hoses do. I'm always replacing a bypass or heater hose.

 

[eljefino]

+1 I lost a bypass hose on my mazda 323, it had about a 3/8" diameter and got way more pressure (IMO) than a full size rad hose.

They also run a higher risk of having oil dripped on them etc.

 

[4x4chevydude]

I wait till they leak or look as if they will break whenver that is all cars usually are different.

 

[huffmuds9320]

I recently changed out some small bypass hose on my dad's 94 Integra. That hose developed a pinhole leak which made quite a mess in the engine compartment. It was so brittle that when I removed the hose it literally fell apart in my hands. I noticed that hose no longer felt rubbery or flexible. From the looks of it I would say the hose has been replaced at least once before. The larger radiator hoses seem to hold up very well though. I don't know if it prolongs the life of the rubbers hoses but some people like to wipe some protectant on all the hoses. I guess a visual inspection along with squeezing the hoses could be a way to get a rough idea the condition of them.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Seems to me that Heater and bypass hoses don't seem to last as long as the upper and lower Radiator hoses do. I'm always replacing a bypass or heater hose.

+1

The heater and bypass hoses of my LS400 had a leak at around 160-180k miles, while the upper radiator hose lasted until 240+k miles, the lower radiator hose is original.

 

[JosephHarmon]

I did all original hoses at 105,000mi/15yrs. when the coolant manifold gasket failed but who knows how long they can go. The car never blew a hose but a plastic tie broke and allowed the upper rad. hose to be cut by a pulley.

It was more work than anticipated and cost about $120 for hoses alone.

I think if they look good at the clamps no bulges, cracking & seem pliable they could go on working a long time if left alone. I would say if you need to remove an old hose just go ahead & change it.

 

[hounddog]

Lots of hoses these days last as long as you'll own a vehicle. 10/12 years and a few hundered thousand miles. Its not like 30 plus years ago.

 

[artificialist]

With GM 3.1/3.4 engines, I often see a coolant bypass hose fail years before any other hose does.

There are multiple factors in determining radiator hose life:
1. Who built it? The most problematic hoses I work with belong to Nissan and VW, and the best hoses I work with are in BMW and Benz vehicles.
2. Road salt. Road salt exposure takes about 25% of the hose's life away. It is much worse if that hose has permanantly attached steel parts, because the steel may rust through before the rubber part of the hose fails.
3. Maintenance. Cooling systems properly maintained get 2x the hose life compared to ones where the only time coolant gets changed is when something breaks.

Also, I can't count the number of times where the hose if fine, but the plastic junk it is attached to cracks.

 

[PandaBear]

It is 16 years old and 200k miles, I think to be safe I probably should replace it.