How long can Soob hoses last?

[1 Lucky Texan]

When did you guys experience your radiator/heater hose failures? Will those hoses last 15 years? 20 ?

 

my wife's car is only at about 80K miles, but the hoses are 13 years old!

[Rooster2]

Recommend replacing the hoses. The rubber in the hoses gets hard and brittle after time, leading to the rubber splitting and leaking, and leading to a break down at a bad time.

 

If this happens at night, your wife will likely be security oriented, and keep driving the car when it is over heating, and possibly ruining the engine. That is what my wife did a few years back. Cost me a new engine. My daughter did the same thing last year. Again, a new engine to replace the one burned up.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

The Maximum time I 've left the main Radiator hoses to stay, were ten years, but they were Gates brand, not cheap ones for sure; after a Decade, I changed them only to stay safe on the Road, however, they felt still soft to the touch, and only had minor deformity on the part where the hose joins the pipe, due to the clamp.

 

However, I believe that Five years is the best bet to change ALL the hoses on the cooling system; to stay safe. Consider it cheap insurance, somehow.

 

Kind Regards.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Never trust on an Old hose without a good Brand on it:
 

 

The Second overheating happened some months ago; also while Driving... This time she heard a huge "BOOM!" under the Hood and suddenly a cloud with sweet odor, covered her... She was in intense traffic but somehow managed to drive the "KiaStein" to the nearest Shopping Mall's parking lot.

 
The drive took so long, that once again, the Temperature's Gauge was up above the Red "H" Mark, pointing to the Sky!... She called... I went there and switched cars once again.

 
I found a Blown Main Hose from the Radiator's Upper Tank, to the Engine; let me show you the Culprit:
 

...

 

This one was only three years old, but was a cheap hose.

Kind Regards.

[idosubaru]

I routinely inspect the ends/external condition during other maintenance = you can see them crack, dry rot, ends will swell a little and not look "tight", etc -but I wouldn't even think about replacing OEM Subaru hoses before 150,000 miles or 10 years if it's a one/few owner vehicle with excellent history, maintenance records, never taken apart before, never overheated, in an average daily driver.

 

You're in a hot environment, but hoses temps might not really reflect that since they're pushing 150+ degree coolant

I'm in the salt belt and the lower hoses deteriorate quicker - but even still i haven't seen them failing with any kind of regularity, if at all on an OEM installed, high mileage Subaru

 

Aftermarket hoses, unknown vehicles, i'd be far less comfortable leaving, i'd replace them with Subaru hoses. He touts Gates so they're probably good but I feel like even they can be lower quality than Subaru - but that's just a hunch, i've avoided them for 10 years now, so I could be off base

 

Subaru hoses are very robust and rarely fail unexpectedly. i've got 15 years and 254,000 miles on my 2002 OBW H6 and I haven't replaced any hoses yet except the one short elbow on the oil cooler but that was only PM while replacing the oil cooler gasket. and i'm not surprised or think i'm amazing at maintaining hose - they're just that good. I'm not too worried about the hoses even at a quarter million miles.

 

I think hose issues and deterioration are likely a result of one or more of the following:

1. rust from rusty hose clamps

2. prior engine work/removal/reinstall - any time they're disturbed increases risk of compromise/stress

3. sitting for extended periods of time (will vary wildly based on how/where it was sitting - over grass/moisture, dry, exposed, covered, shaded, garaged).

4. preventatively replaced hoses - i've seen lots of leaks/issues with replaced hoses. lower quality hoses, lower quality clamps, not tightened properly, etc.

5. a poorly maintained car - overheated, getting oil or fluids on them, sitting on the ground for weeks while the dog licks and chews it, mice crawl through it, while a car is worked on, etc.

Edited May 17, 2016 by grossgary

[1 Lucky Texan]

I understand there is risk - just tryoing to get some data points on quantifying it.

 

heading to CoSpgs this weekend - hoses are 13 years old, but only 80K miles.

 

is there a decent little kit to take in the car that might repair a pinhole leak or ? something I could grab at O'Reilly ?

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

... something I could grab at O'Reilly ?

 

Yes, New Hoses   

 

Kind Regards.

[Bantum]

Yep - always good to have a spare hose & fan belt in the Kit ...

Ciao, Bantum ...

[forester2002s]

My first-aid kit includes a roll of 1"-wide white adhesive-tape.

I've used the tape as a temporary fix on split hoses. Doesn't seal completely, but it has got me out of trouble.

[idosubaru]

is there a decent little kit to take in the car that might repair a pinhole leak or ? something I could grab at O'Reilly ?

 

a screwdriver and knife will allow you to trim off 1/2" - 1" of the ends and reinstall the same hose which is pretty common (as "common" as hose failure can be considered) since degradation frequently happens around the nipple/clamp/exposed end of the hose. 

 

If you experience an ATF leak you can simply find the inlet and outlet hardlines off the trans - usually next to each other and trim a piece of existing hose appropriately to loop around and attach them together - thereby bypassing the cooler or external filter (if equipped).  obviously you don't want to drive long like that but fine for temporary light duties.

 

some appropriate adhesive (tape) would allow some extra limping around time to with some failures.

 

heater core (access) and oil cooler (large socket, awkward underneath access) hoses and the ATF lines closest to the trans are the hardest ones to check visually and replace, so those would be a good first place to start replacing hoses.

[1 Lucky Texan]

yeah, I got one of those 24mm sockets. good tricks on the other suggestions.

[DaveT]

The big problem with waiting until a hose fails, is that you are gambling that you will immediately know you lost coolant before the engine begins to run above normal temperature. This window is very small. Over normal temp due to low coolant = new headgaskets. Sooner or later, usually closer to sooner.

[1 Lucky Texan]

I haven't pulled the undercover but her car has an oil drip - likely from vc gaskets which are original. I will probably combine new hoses with that work - maybe in October.

 

no way I will find time to swap any hoses before we leave for Colorado. Hoping the lower miles will make up a little for the age.

 

would you guys do every single hose, just rad, rad + heater ? arent here some on top of the engine?

 

I'll research all that later I guess.

[Numbchux]

Obviously rubber ages, but since they are out of the sunlight, the biggest thing that breaks them down is the heat and pressure while running. So they would be far more worn if they had more miles on them.

 

 

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I always carry fluids, and some hose repair tape in the car for long trips. I've patched radiator hoses with it before, even an intercooler hose on a Rally car. That, a tube of QuickSteel epoxy (fixed fuel lines and a radiator with that), and a AAA card is enough for me. Trying to preventatively replace or carry spares for everything that could possibly fail seems like a serious snowball situation to me....with parts availability in the US these days, and how common Subarus are.....it just isn't worth it to me.

[1 Lucky Texan]

^^^ gotcha - thanx for your experienced comments.

 

I picked up some of the self-sealing silicone tape and watched a video on the permatex product that is similar.

 

her car isn't quite the pos that I have driven for myself decades ago - but it is no spring chicken either. And Texas heat is tough even on low miles items made with grease or rubber. The car has done this trip and others before, but soon I think it will be better to rent a car.

[Fairtax4me]

If they're original subaru hoses they're good for almost the life of the car, assuming they don't get covered in oil.

Squeeze them. If they feel nice and pliable they're fine.

If they feel crinkly or make noise, or feel sticky/oily and the ends are swolen, plan on replacing them soon.

[idosubaru]

I would replace the bottom radiator hose, they are by far the most aged looking in excellent condition one owner higher mileage Subarus. The outside will be visibly deteriorated and weathered while the top hoses look great.

 

And it makes sense, it sees the most varied conditions: debris, water, salt, and any fluids that make they're way down.likely exaggerated by salt or cars with no undercover.

 

That's the only one I'd consider replacing and maybe the oil cooler. You could do a quick search and see if any hoses seem common on nice one owner EJ25s.

 

You might want to replace that first since it's easy and highest risk (albeit low). After seeing what condition it is in you might not feel so inclined to replace every hose possible or you might do it sooner!

 

Hose failure is so rare it wouldn't surprise me if the risks associated with replacing every single hose are about the same as leaving the originals on a sub-100k subaru in grest condition.

 

After the lower rad hose, oil cooler coolant hoses if equipped.

 

Then heater core, ATF, and top radiator.

 

Last - throttle body and fuel lines.

 

if engine rubber component degradation is a concern, there are injector orings and If equipped might as well do the crossover orings and/or valve solenoid orings too and oil pressure sender.

 

Yes there are Coolant throttle body, bypass, fuel line hoses, ATF (if equipped), and others. Lots of hoses.

 

H6 have one fuel line hose clamp issue that's known but not common even still. Tighten the clamp is the fix on those.