BROKEN AGE AIR HOSE CRACK

BROKEN AGE AIR HOSE CRACK

Rubber begins to crack and fray and the internal cords become weak and brittle. After millions of journeys around the pulleys, even the best drive belt begins to suffer the effects of age. The additional friction between belt and pulley will make a belt run hotter. The wear process is greatly accelerated if the belt is loose and slips which also causes squealing. This produces heat which hardens the rubber over time. Every time a belt passes around a pulley, it bends and flexes. (You can actually measure this with a digital volt/ohm meter) This causes micro-cracks to form inside the hose which eventually leads to pinhole leaks and the weakening of hose fibers.Īs far as belts are concerned, heat and mileage are the main causes of wear. The coolant acts like an electrolyte and allows a current to flow between engine and radiator. According to research done by one hose manufacturer, internal corrosion caused by electrochemical degradation is the primary cause of cooling system hose failure. A hose that appears okay on the outside may actually be on the verge of failure because of internal deterioration. However, neither technique will reveal all of the hoses that might need replacing because hoses wear as much from the inside out as they do from the outside in. Pinching or squeezing hoses to check for age cracks, brittleness or softness can also help locate hoses that need to be changed as well. This applies not only to coolant hoses, but to fuel, vacuum and emission hoses as well.Ī visual inspection can often help you discover bad hoses. Engine vibration and motion can cause hoses to wear if they are too short or rub against other parts. Oil contamination and atmospheric conditions can accelerate the process. Tiny cracks develop in the rubber which eventually cause hoses to split, blister or leak. The reason it’s recommended to replace hoses at this interval is that rubber hoses deteriorate with age. The incidence of failure rises sharply after the fourth year of service for hoses and fifth year for belts. Belts should be replaced every 5 years or 50,000 miles. Did you know that the number 1 reason for vehicles being towed comes from broken belts and busted coolant hoses? That’s why most hose manufacturers recommend replacing hoses every 4 years regardless of mileage.

Broken age air hose