~160k miles
I have had some small leaks in the upper and lower radiator hose for the past few months at the connections to the radiator and engine mounts. The front end of the car was replaced about 6 years ago due to a crash, so the radiator is fairly new. The shop doing the work used worm gear hose clamps while completing the work.
Had system pressure tested and coolant thermostat replaced 4 months ago. The technician said the coolant was not leaking at the time.
A few months later the leaking hose moved to the lower hose at the radiator outlet so I did some research and decided to replace the clamps and hoses myself with OEM parts (new hoses and spring clamps from the dealership) due to thought the worm gear clamps were contributing to the issue.
Two days ago I drained the system, replaced the parts, filled and burped the system. All looked good in the end after running the car for 30-45 minutes watching the coolant cycle and taking the car for a 10 minute drive to make sure the temps didn’t rise and pressure built up in the system.
The next day I went to work and at home everything was fine. Later that night I took the car out and upon arriving at my destination noticed smoke in the engine compartment. The hood was opened and the upper radiator hose was completely disconnected. I was able to secure the hose as I only kept the worm gear clamps in the car when I needed a quick fix on the way home.
After driving home, the overflow tank soaked up all the remaining fluid, so I plugged it into the fill line and left for the night. Pressure was also built up in the machine, but the machine began to overheat. The heat also didn’t work in the cabin as I headed home. I made my 4 minute drive home a 25-30 minute drive, stopping intermittently to cool the car down when it started to overheat.
I checked the coolant levels in the morning and it was still at the top of the radiator.
The only thing I’m not sure about is if the hose blew after I parked the car yesterday or when I started the engine to drive away again later. I used some WD-40 to get the new hose into the radiator, so I think that may have contributed to the issue. I’m planning to reburp the system to bleed the lost coolant.
Wondering if there are any additional thoughts or advice. I am a little concerned that the thermostat may have been damaged again, but I find it unlikely since it was working for 24 hours prior to the incident. Also if I have to go back to the spring clips or just keep the worm gear clip on the radiator inlet.
I am also young enough to do work on my car. Other than this project, the most I’ve done to my vehicle is an oil change and brake pad replacement, but I don’t think of this project as particularly difficult. Spent 1-2 weeks researching and participating before doing the work.
Thank you!!!!!
