Don?t Be Hosed (Radiator Hose Replacement)
December 21, 2025
If you are like most drivers, you don’t worry too much about what shape your radiator hoses are in. But they are a vital part of your coolant system, helping carry engine coolant from the hot engine to where it is cooled off in the radiator.
When the cooling system has a problem, you will likely see your vehicle’s temperature gauge showing you it’s running at a higher temperature than it usually does. Or maybe the low coolant light has come on. If either of these happens, it’s important that you not drive too long since a hot, running vehicle can suffer expensive damage quickly.
Radiator hoses can be damaged by being subjected to temperature extremes, both hot and cold. In addition to the temperature gauge climbing or low coolant light illuminating, there are other clues that may tell you your vehicle is leaking fluid. You may notice a green, yellow, brown or purple fluid pooled on the ground around your vehicle.
At any of these signs, it’s time to bring your vehicle in for service soon. A technician can inspect hoses for leaks, deformities and other problems, as well as looking for cracks and wear. They’ll also check the condition of the water pump, since problems with it can be another reason coolant will leak out from under your vehicle.
It is better to periodically have your hoses checked rather than waiting until they fail. How often you should have yours replaced depends a lot on what vehicle you own, and in what conditions it is driven. Rubber degrades not only by temperature but also by what materials it comes in contact with. For example, oil leaking on a radiator hose can prematurely cause that hose to fail. Age is another factor.
We recommend you have one of our technicians inspect your cooling system regularly so you don’t get “hosed” by a failure at an inconvenient time.
Sterling Tire & Auto
34701 Van Dyke Rd
Sterling Heights, Michigan 48312
586-264-7775
Need Service?
More articles from Sterling Tire & Auto
Passing the Test (How to Prevent Emissions Test Failure)
December 14, 2025
Vehicle emission testing has become ubiquitous in North America and for a good reason. Clean air quality is important for the environment and all of us. Since vehicle emissions are among the main causes of air pollution, emission testing can alert you to problems in your vehicle than can be fix... More
A Most Important Part (Serpentine Belt Replacement)
December 7, 2025
Your vehicles engine is an engineering work of wonder with many complex parts working in harmony to get you down the road. One of those simple but important components is called a serpentine belt. It is driven by a pulley on the engine and transfers that power to many of your engines most importa... More
No Fueling Around (Fuel Filter Replacement)
November 30, 2025
A driver called in to the shop the other day saying his European sports sedan had an odd problem. He was driving when his car started to slow down. Applying more throttle didn't help. He pulled over to the side of the road, shut the engine off and waited a few minutes before starting it up aga... More