I'm thinking it's about time to change my radiator hoses but when I look at them it looks like it would be a pain to get access to the ones on the block side. Anyone here change the hoses? How difficult was it?

Warren

 

Bump...

 

It's a pain. Unless the hoses are leaking, swelling, cracking or otherwise about to leak I wouldn't change them.

OEM hoses are made very well, and It's not uncommon for any Honda to still have OEM hoses 10 years after the car was built.

 

You don't need to change radiator hoses unless it is about to fail. My '94 LS400 with more than 160,000 miles and '00 E430 with more than 72,000 miles still have orginal hoses. Just feel the hose, specially the upper one, with your hand, if they are firm then your hose is okay.

 

No offense, but that doesn't seem right. All rubber parts, esp. ones that heat and cool constantly need to be changed periodcally. Pat Goss on Motorweek said something like changing them every 3 or 4 yrs.

Xviper or Billman, can you weigh in on this please?

Warren

 

Every 3-4 years would be a waste of time and money for 99% of drivers/cars. Radiator hoses are reinforced and designed to withstand large temp variations. There is no need to change the hoses sooner than Honda recomends to change the actual coolant!

 

The Hoses need to be inspected when the car is being serviced, not replaced based on time.

BTW, I work on Hondas for a living.

 

I have a 13 yrs old civic with original hoses. 120,000 miles. I live in Phoenix, so it's not like those hoses have had it easy. Honda makes good hoses. Guys who say to change hoses frequently were probably stranded sometime in the seventies by some GM car.

 

xviper and billman are probably gonna tell you the same thing as Slows2k did. he's an ASE master mechanic, who works on hondas, specifically S2k's, for a living. as he stated.

you're being given some excellent advice. if you're going to question the advice you're given, then why ask for advice from the experts in the first place?