Ford Quick Tips #84: Brittle Heater Hoses That Will Leave You Stranded

My Company BSG Automotive offers Auto Repair services in the greater Chicagoland area.
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The information, demonstration and any content contained in this video is for informational purposes only. The user and BSG Automotive (hereinafter “FordTechMakuloco”) makes no warranty, express or implied, regarding the effectiveness or safety of the contents of this video. In no way should the contents of the video, including the tools used, be repeated or tried by anyone. Viewers should only seek the help of a trained professional located at a licensed auto repair shop for any fix, modification, alteration, or any change to their vehicle. FordTechMakuloco shall not be liable for any injury, damage, or loss to any person or property that may result from use of the tools, equipment, or any content contained in this video. In addition, there is no way to guarantee that the video is not altered or modified or is not in the final form submitted by FordTechMakuloco and therefore, FordTechMakuloco does not warrant that the video is unaltered or not modified. The links on this video to products are for informational purposes only and in no way are an endorsement of the safety or effectiveness of the particular product. Viewers understand that anything contained in this video or linked to or from this video is the sole responsibility of the viewer and in no way provides an express or implied warranty as to the safety or effectiveness of any linked tool, product, or video. Therefore, viewer agrees to release, waive, and discharge FordTechMakuloco or anyone affiliated with FordTechMakuloco, from any and all liability, claims, demands, actions, and causes of action whatsoever arising out of or related to any loss, damage, or injury, including death, that may be sustained by the viewer, or to any property belonging to viewer, regardless of whether the loss is linked to the use of the contents of this video, or otherwise and regardless of whether such liability arises in tort, contract, strict liability, or otherwise, to the fullest extent allowed by law.

[@leoashrae4199]

I've been replacing these with metal parts and new hoses with worm-drive clamps that I get from my local hydraulic shop. They have stainless steel fittings that come in plastic bags with the Case logo (I think they're Parker brand). I can replace the entire line (with the tee in it) for about $25 worth of metal and rubber, which will last for the rest of the life of the truck. That's about half the price of the plastic MotorCraft parts, which probably will not last as long as the truck.

[@davidwildridge8080]

Planned preventive maintenance can definitely save yourself a ton of money over an inconvenient more expensive breakdown. It always sucks to be stranded on the side of the road. Great tips FordTechMakuloco!

[@luissolis5652]

Had one break on me while servicing the AC system I barely touched them and the second i did one popped, luckily I had a long sleeve on and that saved me

[@colinmoore68]

If the situation comes up with a 2003 range Expedition 5.4L PLEASE show how you can remove these hoses with your usual valuable tricks, particularly with the connections at the firewall. Mine appeared to be leaking at the control valve, I tried to get the whole assembly from local Ford dealers, but apparently they are obsolete. Needing to keep things on the road, I managed to get an aftermarket valve (Murray from O'Reillys) while I wait for Motorcraft parts I found on line to arrive. I got lucky with switching out just the valve and the leak seems to have been fixed for now. These are the original hoses and have nearly 200k experience, so living on borrowed time until the new parts arrive. Thanks as always, really appreciate you being kind enough to share your wealth of experience.

[@american7169]

Yep happened today... Started smelling antifreeze, thought for sure my heater core sprung but in 2 minutes she was hot so i pulled over and found my T had just blown apart. Think im just gonna replace with a stainless t and hose clamps to avoid it ever again leaving me roadside.

[@shadetreesolar2932]

Have the exact same hoses on my 2011 Expedition, About a year ago when I was approaching 100K Miles I changed the spark plugs ,I saw a little coolant residue in the spark plug well underneath that T fitting, but saw no apparent leaking visible. Also, Any tips on removing those heater hoses, You didn’t show the removal process. Thanks for all your advice and experience, It has been helpful on more than one occasion

[@MrJohnBoat]

Awesome info! Much appreciated. Gonna go check all 3 of my Fords now!

[@thomasdaum1927]

Thanks again Brian, will check my hoses. I hadn’t thought of those failing !

[@JenniferFuchek]

I have 2001 Escape and got stranded when one snapped off at the top connection to radiator. Cost: 75$ for tow 160$ for radiator Did swap myself

[@JimBronson]

girl power! awesome!

[@ozzstars_cars]

In 5 years watching your videos Brian I never saw your hands that dirty, you forgot your gloves in the heat of the moment. :-) Good heads up on a potential problem! -Glen

[@ozzstars_cars]

Sancte Alphonse I doubt that.

[@FordTechMakuloco]

Yeah it has been very busy this summer working on multiple vehicles at a time. I try to fit in videos where I can and washing up just wasn't in the cards.

[@klatoo14]

Took me 4 hours to replace those in my expy about 6 weeks ago. Ended up just cutting the sh** out of them and tearing the rest up with needle nose pliers to get them out. The one by the firewall was an extra special nice touch. Came up with a whole new vocabulary for that SOB (Ford wanted $900 to change the hoses) which cost me just under $400 for the 2 of them. Now they have some kinda quick release. Wish mine had that.

[@Elmo_Fuddleputt]

Another great video. My 07 Navigator took a dump on me exactly where you showed it on the way to work but luckily I only work about 3 miles from the house.

[@john7017]

Thanks, Great video. I just replaced similar hoses cracked at the molded Tee fitting on my Taurus. Expensive hoses.

[@johnhammack12]

Balls up Brian.. thanks again... it's the little things that get us through....

[@Gwinchiatos67]

That literally just happened to me 2 weeks ago on my 2008 ford expedition el. I drove up the mountain for a picnic with my family, and when we parked, I smelled something funny. I popped the hood, barely touched the thing, and hot coolant exploded on to my wrist. I ended up buying a 3/4 in tee from the hardware store as a temporary fix. Will switch to a brass tee in a bit, as it is a better material than plastic.

[@mikecont9742]

Very informative... thanks for taking the time.

[@coyotekelly7143]

thanks for the awesome tips! I watch all your videos just to learn. I like that you only use motorcraft, so do I!

[@Mr572u]

Motor craft is what broke in the first place, so I don’t see where you are coming from.

[@TrueMinnesotan]

⁠@@Mr572u You’ll be back sooner fixing it again with an aftermarket part. Nothing last forever.

[@bradhelfrich629]

Brian, You & I speak the same language, factory parts all the way I'm not doing it twice! Lol... Great video as always...

[@tjhessmon4327]

Brad, factory (OEM) components are an excellent choice, when they are available. However, OEMs are not focused on the repair aftermarket.... they are only required to maintain an inventory of service parts for 10 years after a platform is no longer manufactured.... once that time span expires, so do those parts.... this leaves the aftermarket to step in and design and provide solutions.... in this case i was able to assemble hose sets for the Explorer/Navigator, where the OEM hoses have been obsoleted by Ford.... Dorman and Murray offered the main components I assembled with 5/8 heater hose, to create the inlet and outlet hose assemblies....

[@Mr572u]

Factory parts failed the first time didn’t they? Otherwise why are we here?

[@markalcala1293]

Great video man, i would've probably cut the hose without you.

[@robcoile3127]

I have received so much help from your videos over the years, thank you. Seeing your hands while breaking the plastic made me think. Can you do a quick video describing what you do to clean your hands most effective way after getting greasy and grimey like this? When I do DIY jobs even with gloves I get grease under nails and also staining on hands most of time. Again thank you so much for all the help!

[@FloorItDuh]

Get a soap with pumice in it. It'll clean everything off real well. I prefer ZEP or Gojo.

[@mikemd2697]

I learned a long time ago to use a liquid soap (Dawn works great) as if it were hand lotion... I put some in the palm of my hand and rub it into my hands and under my fingernails BEFORE I begin the dirty work (don't forget your arms too). After I'm done with the dirty work, I use one of the "orange" cleaners and it all washes off including the grease/oil. Cleans up fast and works like a charm every time! Hope this helps.

[@Dreccomel193]

Nice one, I enjoyed it thank you.

[@c431inf]

You the man as always

[@jamesu]

I have replaced a lot of these molded connection hose assemblies on foreign and domestic cars.

[@Mayamax3]

That's what I call, a piss poor setup. Scotty Kilmer did a piece on Why Plastic Parts are Stupid. Thousands of heat cycles on top of the fact that all plastics breakdown over time = trouble for older vehicles.

[@tjhessmon4327]

Where one might disagree with the use of polymer, injection molded parts as HVAC components, history provides us objective evidence that such assemblies provide good service life.... we have learned since the polymer introduction into automotive in the 1980s, through aluminum/polymer radiators, they can provide good service, but pose repair issues, forcing the aftermarket to struggle with repair over component replacement..... and when the OEMs obsolete a platform, these components, must be constructed by the aftermarket in some form or fashion. .... I made mine of Dorman and Murray components, all polymer of course.,.

[@arthurgleizer2664]

Great channel! thank you!

[@tww2002]

Great information.

[@hawaiianf1504]

Huge!! Thx Brian

[@lancebangwell]

I swapped mine out 16 f150 5.0 with a Dorman 626-802 whole unit oem fix. The T connections are aluminum with constant tension clamps. Been working well.

[@supercoupe6288]

good video, thanks for the tip.

[@John-hj2mv]

Literally about to replace this exact OE hose for this exact problem on my 07 Navigator. Had to pick up the Dorman part because of price and availability. Hoping that it holds up. The smell when running the rear aux a/c system was the first sign. The steady leak of coolant flowing out of the cracked T-joint was the obvious sign.

[@thesearcherman6652]

Thanks, good info.

[@johnpaulino2670]

I bought metal T from Dorman. Fixed it right up.

[@billyyoder8171]

Thank you Brian.

[@jamesbruno5896]

Great tip!

[@joseluisruiz3789]

Wow that is some very informative stuff. Thank you very much for taking the time to show us and give us a heads up in a future potential issue. I did have a Question for you and hope i can get your honest opinion. I am going to be buying a new Ford Flex soon and was wondering if I should go with the Twin Turbo engine or the Non Turbo. I do have a wife and 3 kids, 1 of the 3 kids is wheelchair bound and have no idea if he will be getting a heavier motorized wheelchair in the future which is why I am not sure if the base engine will be enough power to haul my family or if I should go for the Ecoboost. Any potential problems with this engine? Thanks for your valuable time and greetings from Los Angeles, California.

[@redroofretriever]

Follow up with the replacements video?

[@michaeltrower6792]

Great tip thanks

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Nice video

[@carlosmolina8835]

Colombia mil gracias por su información por compartir sus conocimientos escuchar opiniones profesionales éxitos amigos. ............

[@WreckDiver99]

Those fittings are made right by my house. They are on almost all vehicles now, and FMC has been screaming about it (as have many other manufacturers) for years. Why they haven't just abandoned this is beyond me...they are expensive too!

[@BB-vh7nd]

well from a business standpoint plastic is far more cheaper make,produce and shape than any metal out there

[@WreckDiver99]

Very true...those these fittings are far from cheap...the molds are expensive due to all the action in them (slides, lifters, core pulls, etc.). The material is also loaded to the hilt with glass fiber reinforcement...that means the tools wear out quickly or need to be made out of some really tough material (both expensive options). I think the biggest issue isn't that the fittings are "bad" per se, it's the fact that they went away from the standard "put the clamp on the house, pop it on the fitting and pull the grenade pin from the hose clamp"...and went to an assembly that puts overmolds onto the hoses as their clamping feature. This was done to save money (and grief) in the assembly plant because of repetitive motion injuries and assembly time. A solution to the problem results in other problems.

[@trafficsignalman]

Brian! just replaced these little monsters. Heard a gurgling sound in the heater core and began poking around, did not see anything. The next day did an oil change and noticed the passenger side of the motor was soaked in coolant. $350 later (did all hoses, serpentine belt) works great. Wish you had posted this earlier. Do these hoses have an anticipated life span? Should they be a 5 year item like the other hoses?

[@chrischiampo7647]

😳 Thanks For The Heads Up 👍🏼

[@bobjohnson8206]

I would like to have seen the replacement connections you used on the vehicle and a link to those connections. Those connections you used will probably work on a lot of different models and years. A great video on the heads up.

[@MickeyR6]

Had a similar issue with my 13 F150 5.0 a small leak coming from a Y coolant connector. After so many heat cycles the internal rubber ring seals gave out & started leaking. Low miles on the truck too.

[@thelefthandedshooter5760]

Had that in a 2007 Expedition that leaked onto a coil, shorted the coil and caused a misfire. Always check your hoses every oil change.

[@michaelmurray121]

Big up Brian, can those hose design better since it in the engine compartment..Thanks

[@Goni65]

My heater hose blew last month ended up buying a T fitting and clamping it back together.. Had no leaks for a month now my radiator seems to have a small leak near the top passenger side.. Any videos on replacing the radiators on a 2007 expedition? Thanks

[@SuperMarioDiagnostics]

No dorman?!🤣 Those should be on the normal routine service table 😂 thanks for sharing!

[@michaeltrower6792]

Super Mario Diagnostics Dorman are trash be replacing it again within a year

[@SuperMarioDiagnostics]

Michael Trower haha i know, absolute junk!

[@NUNYABZWX]

HI i just found your channel. thanks for doing this. i have a 1999 ford taurus sedan when i put it in reverse i hear a very loud THUD noise do you have any suggestions? ford dealership said most likely transmission issue. the THUD reminds me of a sway bar that broke on a car i once had. it sounds like something is hitting my car underneath but i just had it looked at and no loose metal.

[@chadharmon5716]

Brian I'm replacing all my a/c components on my old 99 explorer but I'm using aftermarket you think I'll be ok cause of the age?

[@dannypalmer7701]

They sure will snap off easy!!!

[@setthehook4me]

Which tool do you use to remove the quick disconnects? Especially at the heater core...

[@FosterFarmsOk]

The Y for the rear heat on our 07 explorer started leaking. Replace with a O'Reilly Y and hose clamps.

[@TK-ff5kc]

Thanks for the heads up. Just saw a crack on the bottom of the T by the hose, Expy with 145,000.

[@carlo9809]

Question, I have 2008 f250 5.4 3v. Need to replace the Coolant pipe under the intake manifold. It rotted off at the mounting point on the back of the passenger side head. Could you provide me a part number please

[@FloorItDuh]

Thankfully my 09 F150 does not have this design but if it did I would upgrade to all AN or MS fittings which I'll do at some point anyways.

[@Blazer02LS]

All the makers keep trying to come up with ways to make the vehicles faster, but don't seem to bother with anything like quality or serviceability. That hose is a perfect example. Brass or aluminum T and clamps takes longer to assemble on the line, but it can be repaired by anyone.

[@joshsk8ter59]

Mine just went on me and didn't even know it either on my 2016 Ford F150 5.0 I noticed it coming from the other t connector by the upper radiator hose though

[@TheGonzace]

I just had that piece fail on my 2013 ford fusion 1.6. The dealer replaced that and a bunch of other parts due to a recall with the coolant system. Didnt pay anything.

[@ykmalachi]

I've done the T fitting swap in many parking lots.

[@marcbarrera5530]

I have the same navigator and I had to fix that already

[@devondambrosio4978]

Just happened to me on a 5.4L 2-valve. Simple plug and coil turned into me having to pull the intake manifold to replace the heater core line because Ford thought it would be a good idea to put a clamp that's impossible to get to.

[@jamesmoore7327]

That fitting is conveniently located above cylinder 6 and if you have a leak and don’t take care of it you will have to replace the coil and spark plug just had to do it on my 2006 expedition

[@timmbos]

E450s are bad about snapping right at the heater core connection on the firewall.

[@LincolnLog]

Just happened to me today. 2015 F150 v8, 248k miles

[@JimBronson]

I have this exact leak on my 2010 Navigator, took it to the dealer because I had no idea about the quick connects, thought I needed special tools. Now they want $750 to replace both hoses I'm like no thanks...bringing it home on a flatbed if I have to. I just wish you would have featured some detail on doing the quick connects.

[@davidmandziuk8493]

On the '03 F-150 w 5.4 motor, the fire wall heater hose is a major pain, and the lower rad hose.....gonna call a voo do witch doctor to help

[@christdied4us]

Ford usually discontinue these parts after so many years and then you have no other choice but to buy after market.. And other solution??

[@YooTooobJeff]

Which model years for this failure type?

[@andyjones8025]

Is that the inlet or the outlet

[@Maleekus]

the lower radiator hose on my 1996 Town Car has something similar

[@arthurfricchione8119]

Are other manufacturers going to this style or is it mainly a Ford issue. I know one of my main concerns is removing radiator hoses with the plastic fittings on radiators and cracking them on removal. Enjoyed the info Thanks 👍👍

[@jeremiegrund]

Arthur Fricchione It is a common cost saving measure by auto manufacturers to use plastic where possible. I owned a GM product that used plastic for the thermostat housing.... guess what it did after enough heat cycles. They figured out metal does better and issued a new part because it was happening a lot.

[@ka0tyk]

got rid of that plastic nonsense on my 07 navigator and replaced with braided hose and AN fittings. crossover tube is easy to tap theads into and bought new plastic oring connectors for the heater core and rear heater core. even another motocraft is going to fail. they stupidly routed the hoses right over the coilpacks and they drip down into the cylinders, cause misfires, and short out coilpacks. nasty nasty nasty!

[@nolanhunter3841]

You have any tips for removing heater hose from engine to heater core? 2001 5.4 F-150. I cannot get my hand in there to the quick release.

[@thefordmaniac]

At that age...well its Gonna break you can invest in the OEM branded ford heater hose disconnect tool available at advance auto parts. It basically is a long metal rod with threads that you screw on a 90 degree foot attachment. But still they can be a pain.

[@billielester443]

I have a question that is off topic of this video and I'm hoping you can help me. I have a '03 Explorer 4.0 SOHC with a rough idle. Runs great otherwise. Has 236,000 miles on it. I've changed plugs and wires, pcv valve, checked air filter and it's clean, no obvious vacuum leaks, cleaned the throttle body and cleaned the mass airflow sensor. At idle it shakes and occasionally misses. Any ideas?

[@zerkfiter]

Iac..idle air control valve..right?

[@grudgeracinmedia]

Is that the inlet hose

[@MrPami9899]

Hey brian,I have a hard downshift 2nd to 1st with my 6R60,it is even worst in traffic,the tcm have the lastest calibration I believe,what could it be?? Thanks

[@FordTechMakuloco]

Most just need a good reset of the adaptive tables and relearn procedure for the shifts. Others need a complete mechatronics assembly.

[@rw1611]

Just had this happen that's why I'm here lol

[@BB-vh7nd]

Anyone know if these are on the 2007 f-150's?

[@CoberRuger]

Drive with no pressure and NO problem!

[@tjhessmon4327]

Ford like many other manufacturers, has their HVAC supplier manufacture provide solutions to for their various vehicle platforms. Where this might not make for a DIY serviceable part, it makes for an excellent, leak free and "design for assembly" component, for use by Ford manufacturing.... these hose assemblies give good service life, but become problematic, when vehicles get older and such parts become obsolete as the vehicle platform is replaced and the part is no longer serviced.... this is where folks like Dorman and Murray step in and provide Techs and vehicle owners valid repair solutions...to make up these assemblies out of aftermarket components... therefore, don't discount the aftermarket folks, as they will become the only solution as OEMs obsolete such components....

[@600rrgraham]

Lol. That t connection. I just did a tune up on a 5.4 3v and barely touched it to get to the cop and got sprayed with hot ass coolant

[@jaysmechs2457]

Just fucking happened to me, checked to see what was leaking and pushed the hose softly and that shit broke and sprayed my face. Good thing it was 27 degrees out, and the coolant wasn’t at its hottest...

[@shimes424]

¼" tap coming out of the upper heater hose...I looked at it funny and it snapped. All Ford had to do was secure the little hose with a bracket. Or beef up that lil ¼" nipple (2000 merc sable DOHC)

[@FrankySilverFace]

So what's the life expectancy of these parts? 5 years? 7 years? Thx for the content man!

[@FordTechMakuloco]

Most of the ones I see are right around the 10 year mark.

[@TheObserver567]

Yeah when I worked on my truck I was like “this is a service department dream” There is cheap plastic fittings everywhere and hoses to leak, crack, break! Crazy

[@Christistruthindeed]

Do you drain the coolant first?

[@FordTechMakuloco]

yes

[@baxrok2.]

Great info. Just ask any Mazda owner about these T's and they will agree! Thanks!

[@Dirtyharry70585]

can old fashion hose, clamps, and brass Tees be used?

[@jamesu]

If you like. I have also found a few aluminum fittings available. Check for leaks, if the fitting is brittle, the hoses probably won't last much longer.

[@_Doggo_3469]

Yes I used pex brass tees. Holding good it's been 60,000 miles since I replaced both.

[@poppie1946]

So what would it cost to make the parts out of brass,$100.00 ???,and an engine cost how much to replace from overheating 😣.

[@dannypalmer7701]

Get a tee at plumbing store it works good

[@pjak2000]

I can tell you one thing. Ford's engines are running much hotter than other car makers. This results in much hotter (100 deg C) temperatures under the hood - resulting in all rubber items degradating faster. I lost one ecoboost motor due to this - a small vent hose broke on highway - I've lost all the coolant. No signatures on the dashboard (the sensor can't sense overheating if there is no coolant in the system) and the motor died from overheating.

[@MrThedocholiday]

This exact scenario happened to me while flying down the freeway. These Chinese connections really suck! Almost cooked my engine because of it. Probably a good idea to replace with brass wherever possible.

[@boganphelps7809]

You mean heater hoses that will break off when you're working on your Expedition and burn the crap out of your wrist when you're trying to change out the IAC valve... yeah that happened to me. Second and third degree burns on my wrist

[@dm7097]

Piss poor design! Had the same thing on my '05 explorer. Found it while doing some service on it in my garage. (Lucky) stealership wanted way too much $ for the hoses, so I just removed the plastic tee and put in a barbed fitting and some hose clamps. It's still plastic but should hold up a long time.

[@JohnDoeRando]

I had one of these bust on me yesterday. Getting the truck home was a bitch.

[@cichliddude5072]

is the 4.2 just that good of a motor ... cause theirs not that many videos about them ... well at least with the bigger channels

[@cichliddude5072]

2000 and up i have a 05 and so far i love it

[@thefordmaniac]

My 98 4.2 with 215k...might seep a little oil. But she's a strong runner.

[@oby-1607]

Was kinda worried that when one of those plastic connectors broke that you might cut yourself. I've done it before. Plastic has no place under the hood except for electrical.

[@joelbell1360]

Whats wrong with the dorman assembly with aluminum tee and y fitting ?

[@FordTechMakuloco]

In classic Dorman fashion they beef up the failure point to point out their improvements and sell but cheap out at the quick connects at the ends! They are absolute garbage just like everything else from Dorman.

[@joelbell1360]

@@FordTechMakuloco what is a good one to run? Motor craft or gates maybe?

[@FordTechMakuloco]

I only use the Ford ones.

[@charliebrown5200]

You Savage! You are suppose to be fixing things not breaking them, good grief! Thanks for sharing.

[@atetraxx]

My guy. What's the part number!!