In re. my '99 Carrera, I have a leaking coolant hose; fortunately, its easily accessed. Its the short (6"), 90 degree hose under the engine, toward the rear of the engine and a bit on the passenger side. Looks like a good DIY job, and within my skills set.

Questions, please:

1. Should any sealant be used when installing the new hose?
2. Given that some coolant will be lost when removing the old hose, is there any special procedure to follow for purging air from the system when I'm finished?

Thanks in advance for any/all advice.


relinuca

 

1. No, Zero
2. Open purge valve on expansion tank, drive 20 miles.

Been there , done that.

 

I had the same hose go bad on my car. Because it is a low point in the cooling system you will loose a significant amount of coolant so have a container to catch it. Then you have to decide which type of coolant to use for the refill. Do asearch and you will find lots if discussions on that subject. If you have never replaced the coolant on your car now would be a great time to drain the system and replace all the coolant. Don't believe the lifetime coolant myth.

For the refill a vacumm machine is the best method. While burbing the system is helpful you could still have air in the system.

 

After gathering up the new hose (had to order at dealership), clamps, catch basin, mop-up towel, etc., I jacked the passenger side up a few inches, removed the old hose, and installed the new one "quickly". A bit less than a quart of coolant was lost, and was poured back into the expansion tank.

After a thorough warm-up drive and cool off period, I was able to add about a pint of coolant.

Now, five days and several warm-up drives later, the coolant level remains fine and the temp gauge remains steady at about 190-195 degrees when hot.

Done!

Thanks, guys.

relinuca

 

Good job! I had the same hose bust (in front of the oil cover) in December. I went over a speed bump too fast in the dark and ruptured mine. It looked like an easy DIY and the hose and fittings were listed v. cheaply on pelican, however I wanted the car the next morning so dropped it at the indy porsche shop next door to my office.

 

FWIW, the hose is not a generic auto supply store hose as it connects two pipes of differing diameters! (part#= 996-106-233-51)

relinuca