Steam rising from underneath the hood may signal a leak in the radiator hose. With the proper materials, you may be able to repair this problem yourself -- at least well enough get back on the road and drive to a service center. Materials: Safety glasses
Work gloves
Utility knife
Phillips and standard screwdrivers
Large adjustable pliers
Flashlight
Hose-repair kit or replacement hoses
Hose clamps
1 gallon coolant or water
Before attempting any radiator repair, let the engine cool completely. (This may take up to an hour.) Protect yourself by wearing safety glasses and work gloves. Carefully remove the radiator cap (figure A) to relieve pressure within the cooling system. If the hose is damaged near the end where it clamps onto the radiator fitting, the repair is fairly simple. You can probably cut away the damaged section of the hose, shortening it slightly so that it can still be reattached. - Using adjustable pliers, loosen the clamp holding the end of the hose in place. Move the clamp so it's out of the way.
- Using a utility knife, cut lengthwise from the damaged section to the end of the hose (figure B).
- Remove the hose from the fitting, and cut the hose crosswise, cutting away the entire damaged section (figure C).
- Place the newly cut end of the hose back onto the fitting, slide the clamp back into place, and tighten (figure D).
- With the engine running, top off the cooling system with coolant (figure E ) or water, if coolant isn't available.
If a hose breaks in the middle, repair it with a radiator-hose repair kit. These contain various sizes of plastic adapter fittings used to join broken hoses. Cut out the damaged section of hose, slide a clamp onto the end of each section, slide each hose end onto the fitting (figure F), slide the clamps into place, and tighten them. Another option (and a necessary repair if the hose fails completely by splitting lengthwise down a long section) is to replace the entire hose. It's not a bad idea to keep a set of replacements in your vehicle. You may want to save your old hoses when it's time for them to be replaced. In an emergency, an old hose may suffice temporarily. The heater hose may develop a leak. It may be repaired with a heater-hose repair kit (figure G) or a replacement hose, using the same techniques described above. Note that these are temporary repairs. It's advisable to have damaged hoses checked and repaired by a professional as soon as possible.
RESOURCES :
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Trouble-Free Car Care
Author: Dan Ramsey
ISBN: 0028635833
Alpha Books
How Cars Work
Author: Tom Newton
ISBN: 0966862309
Publisher: Black Apple Press
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