Belt Hose

Where will you be when your hose blows?
Why be concerned?

You can’t predict when a radiator hose will fail. It can look just fine until the minute it blows. That’s because radiator hoses wear out on the inside where you can’t see.

Why some radiator hoses fail prematurely.

A few years ago, no one knew why radiator hoses failed prematurely. These failures were especially evident in upper radiator, bypass and heater hoses.

Before the mid - 1980’s, most hose failures were wrongly attributed to hear cracking, yarn failures and cold cracks. Recently, the real culprit was discovered. Hose failures are the results of an electrochemical attack on the tube compound inside the hose. This effect is called ECD for “Electro-Chemical Degraduation.”

How ECD works

Different kinds of metals in the engine ad cooling system-- iron, aluminum, copper and zinc -- generate an electrical charge. This charge is carried between the metals by the coolant in the system. The coolant acts the same way copper wire acts in carrying electricity between an AC outlet and a lamp.

In time, the inside tubing can crack. Coolant then seeps through these cracks and travels along the length of the hose. When it finds a weak spot, the coolant bursts through.

High under-the-hood temperatures accelerate the degradation process. So does stop-and-go driving. ECD continues to destroys hoses even when the engine is off.

NAPA solved the ECD problem.

After identifying the ECD problem, NAPA Belts/Hose engineers developed a brand new hose tube made with a new rubber compound. We changed the manufacturing process, too. Extensive testing in the lab and in the field proves NAPA premium radiator hoses suffer no effects of ECD.

Don’t get stranded.
Change your hoses now.

Your hoses may look great on the outside, yet be near failure on the inside. Don’t take a chance. When you change your antifreeze, change the hoses, too. replace them with NAPA premium radiator hose.

A little maintenance saves big headaches.

There are lots of things that can go wrong with a car.

We’ll keep an eye on them for you.

In the old days, you could fix your flivver with a wrench and an oil can. Not any more.
NAPA’s automotive technicians have to go to school to learn how to maintain a car like yours. It’s a full-time job just keeping up with all the computerize wizardry they find under the hood

We inspect things others don’t.

Instead of the standard U-joint on the rear axle of older cars, front-wheel drive cars have CV (Constant Velocity) joints. They’re protected from the elements by a rubber boot. If a boot should crack, dirt and grime get inside and play havoc with the trans-axle, the steering and your safety. A damaged CV boot is easy to spot. That’s why a routine safety check from NAPA means more than escaping the inconvenience of a roadside breakdown. It means peace of mind.

When your car is in a NAPA repair shop, we take the time to give it a thorough once-over. Then we give you our Courtesy Check List, a full report on the condition of your car. If something needs to be repaired, we tell you so- and we’ll fix it right then. Or if you prefer, you can make an appointment to have the problem taken care of later. If everything is okay, we tell you that, too.