During each routine maintenance of your car, you are always encouraged to check the radiator (engine cooling).
The heatsink is one of the essential vehicle parts. It is responsible for circulating coolant from the radiator to the engine parts to prevent overheating.
But, if your car’s engine is still overheating while the coolant reservoir is full, something is wrong with the radiator. In other words, there is no pressure in radiator hose to prevent overheating of the coolant.
6 Causes of No Pressure in Radiator Hose
1. Electrochemical Degradation
The generation of an electric charge in your cooling system can result from the interaction of different metals. These charges will then transfer to the radiator hose and create cracks, causing no pressure in radiator hose and overheating the engine.
2. Insufficient Coolant Level
The reason is that a low coolant level can heat the car’s engine. According to thermodynamics, heat causes the radiator hose to swell more.
Over time, cracks will begin to appear on the surface of the radiator hose, causing the radiator not holding pressure. At that time, the engine will overheat as the entire cooling system not building pressure.
3. Kinked Hose & No Clamp Torque
The kinked hose can cause the cooling system not building pressure. A kinked hose means a hose has folds that are like waves.
Over time, these folds can become cracks and grow, resulting in no pressure in coolant system.
What’s more, not enough clamp torque is also another common factor.
4. Clogging & Corrosion of The Hose
The clogged hose is also one of the common reasons that prevent radiator hose pressure build up. Be careful! the corrosive hose will keep pushing water out from the radiator.
5. Damaged or Faulty Hose Cap
Obviously, there will be no pressure in the radiator hose when your cooling system is not working correctly.
But, can a bad radiator cap cause no heat?
The answer is yes.
No matter how good it is, it will fail or degrade over time, leading to engine damage. As you know, once your car’s engine is damaged, the HAVC (Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system will be paralyzed.
6. Poor Performance of Water Pump and Thermostat
If your thermostat’s performance is not good, the cooling system will not know when to release antifreeze to the radiator hose. On the other hand, the same thing can happen if there is a faulty water pump in your car’s system.
Check out this video to know how you can feel pressure in your car coolant system?
5 Popular Solutions For Radiator Hose With No Pressure
1. Get a Good Quality Hose
The best way to prevent cracks from forming on the radiator hose surface is to get the best model. This allows you to eliminate the problem.
Of course, as a rule, you get what you pay for! So you will spend more money on quality models. However, in the long run, it’s a wise investment.
2. Invest in Heat-Resistant Hose
To prevent the radiator hose from heating up and developing cracks, the best thing is to invest in a quality heat-resistant hose.
Also, as a conscientious car owner, you should check your radiator hoses regularly. Problems that you think are insignificant can become a major problem for the engine system.
3. Buy New Hose Cap
If the cause lies in the collapsed or faulty cap, the problem will only be solved when you replace the cap with a new one.
But, you need to ensure that the new radiator cap and the old one are of the same rating. If you choose the wrong model, it will do more harm than good.
What’s more, you should regularly check the radiator hose cap to ensure everything is still working correctly.
4. Replace Water Pump and Thermostat
If the water pump and thermostat go bad, replace them as soon as possible. Once these parts are broken, there is no way to repair them.
On the advice of experts, replacing these parts should be a mandatory part of regular cooling system maintenance.
5. Filling Radiator Coolant
During each routine maintenance of the cooling system, do not forget to flush and refill the coolant with high-quality coolant.
Quick Guide to Check Radiator Hoses
Step 1: Find Upper and Lower Radiator Hoses
One of the reasons many people skip checking radiator hoses is that they can be hard to reach.
Basically, the radiator hoses connect the radiator to the engine.
The lower radiator hose can be harder to find. You may have to underneath the car to position it. It is the smaller diameter hose that connects the radiator and the heat wall of the car.
Step 2: Visually Inspect Both of the Radiator Hoses
Through visual inspection, make sure these hoses are not cracked as this will result in no pressure in upper radiator hose (or lower one)
Step 3: Perform a Radiator Hose Squeeze Test
When your engine is warm, perform a radiator hose squeeze test. You should focus on the areas where the hose bends.
- If your hose is in good condition, it should feel firm but not hard.
- Conversely, you will find it very hard, soft, or spongy if it goes bad. At this point, all you need to do is replace a soft hose or a hose with a soft spot.
Step 4: Check Out the Clamps
Their role is to connect the hose to the engine and the radiator. These clamps include:
- Gear clamps
- Wire clamps
- Banded clamps
Want to know more about how to check hoses and the radiator cap? Check out this article.
Wrap Up
Hopefully, you’ve got some ideas for solving the “no pressure in radiator hose” problem.
In general, the cooling system (or internal combustion engine cooling for some vehicles) is crucial for vehicles and many types of machines.
Thanks to its cooling technology, it provides temperature control for the engine and prevents it from overheating.
Thank you for reading! Please share this article with other car owners who will need this helpful article.