My old truck's heater hose blew out in the middle of a grocery run

I was driving home from the store last Tuesday when I saw steam pouring from under the hood. Pulled over and found the upper heater hose had a big split, spraying coolant everywhere. I had a spare hose in my garage from a past project, so I drained some coolant, swapped the hose in about 20 minutes, and refilled it. Has anyone else had a heater hose fail suddenly, and is there a good way to check them before they go?

2 comments

2 Comments

theaellis6h ago

Check the hose ends for cracks first.

caleb_coleman883h ago

Oh good call @theaellis, that's the first place they usually split. I always run my finger along the whole length too, feeling for any soft or bulging spots. The rubber can get weak there from all the bending.