v12nut Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 Hi all, After a run, and then sitting at tickover, what would cause both the top and bottom Rad hoses to be sucked flat? regards Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOMAD327 Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 The system is drawing a vacuum on itself as it cools down. The radiator cap is supposed to allow overflow bottle water to be drawn in to relieve the vacuum and is not. The small metal center of the cap bottom in the middle of the rubber washer is probably stuck to the rubber washer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejlain Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 Yeah, i think someone else on the board had the same problem and it was fixed with a new radiator cap. Let the car cool down for a few hours, then remove the radiator cap and have a look. They're pretty inexpensive, so you might want to try replacing the cap first and see if that solves the prob. Let us know. - Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganM Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 I'd also replace both top and bottom hoses. They should hold upto that vacume and not pinch shut. If they fell all squishy then its time to replace them. You'll notice how rigid new ones are when you get them. New clamps is also good I always use a 1/4" drive rachet and socket on them now to get them good and tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Hedrick Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 MorganM: So squishy feeling radiator hoses = replacement time? That's good to know. My car is 6 1/2 yrs old and has 105,000+ mi and I've been keeping an eye on the radiator hoses wondering when I should replace them. They don't look bad, but I felt the lower one while under the car the other day and it did feel "squishy." Not knowing any better, I thought that was normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 Might as well do the thermostat when you do the hoses. Another tell-tale sign of a bad hose is the end near the clamp starts to bulge a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.