Which hoses to replace under hood?
03-14-18, 07:39 PM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Which hoses to replace under hood?
Our 2004 LS 430 is now approaching 255k miles and my son-in-law advised to change the radiator hoses. I was told to replace ALL hoses which includes some very short/small ones. So how many do we have and are there any we cannot see? I got prices from a dealer only on the 2 big ones which I was quoted $450, parts and labor. Then I priced actual Lexus factory hoses on Amazon for $48 each.
Anyone else have experience with this?
Jim in Chicago
Anyone else have experience with this?
Jim in Chicago
03-15-18, 06:01 AM
#2
At that age and miles your key hoses to replace are:
Vacuum lines, of which there are plenty.
PCV valve, grommet and hose.
Power steering lines from reservoir to pump.
Radiator hoses and heating hoses... should be 2 large up front and 2 smaller in the rear feeding the heater core.
Most of these you can see if you look hard enough. Some are easier than others.
That's a start.
I would think a simple drain and fill on the coolant with replacing 2 easy to reach hoses would be less than $200 but that work is easy enough I just do it myself.
I don't know what a shop would charge. I do suggest OEM hoses for the radiator. Vacuum lines can be purchase in bulk and cut to fit for some of them.
Vacuum lines, of which there are plenty.
PCV valve, grommet and hose.
Power steering lines from reservoir to pump.
Radiator hoses and heating hoses... should be 2 large up front and 2 smaller in the rear feeding the heater core.
Most of these you can see if you look hard enough. Some are easier than others.
That's a start.
I would think a simple drain and fill on the coolant with replacing 2 easy to reach hoses would be less than $200 but that work is easy enough I just do it myself.
I don't know what a shop would charge. I do suggest OEM hoses for the radiator. Vacuum lines can be purchase in bulk and cut to fit for some of them.
03-15-18, 08:31 AM
#3
At that age and miles your key hoses to replace are:
Vacuum lines, of which there are plenty.
PCV valve, grommet and hose.
Power steering lines from reservoir to pump.
Radiator hoses and heating hoses... should be 2 large up front and 2 smaller in the rear feeding the heater core.
Most of these you can see if you look hard enough. Some are easier than others.
That's a start.
I would think a simple drain and fill on the coolant with replacing 2 easy to reach hoses would be less than $200 but that work is easy enough I just do it myself.
I don't know what a shop would charge. I do suggest OEM hoses for the radiator. Vacuum lines can be purchase in bulk and cut to fit for some of them.
Vacuum lines, of which there are plenty.
PCV valve, grommet and hose.
Power steering lines from reservoir to pump.
Radiator hoses and heating hoses... should be 2 large up front and 2 smaller in the rear feeding the heater core.
Most of these you can see if you look hard enough. Some are easier than others.
That's a start.
I would think a simple drain and fill on the coolant with replacing 2 easy to reach hoses would be less than $200 but that work is easy enough I just do it myself.
I don't know what a shop would charge. I do suggest OEM hoses for the radiator. Vacuum lines can be purchase in bulk and cut to fit for some of them.
03-15-18, 09:56 AM
#4
Here’s a post on replacing the Power steering reservoir hoses that should help. Go to the end for part numbers. The pressure hose is close to the front of the passenger side block/head/valve cover & both hoses take a lot of heat. Almost all DIY mechanics can do this without much trouble.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ning-help.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ning-help.html
03-15-18, 01:05 PM
#5
Moderator
Good advice by Legender. The PCV grommet is somewhat tricky as it is probably quite brittle and may crack and fall into the valley. Unless you are removing the valve cover for any leaks be careful with the PCV grommet. I replaced my PCV recently and decided not to mess with the grommet. Good luck.
To the OP- I wouldn't dive down this rabbit hole just because someone suggested so. How long have you owned the car? With the mileage I would assume the timing belt has been replaced twice so there's a good chance the 2 radiator hoses have already been replaced at some point. Everything else "could be" looked into but considering the price of Lexus pre formed hoses I would lean towards "If it aint broke...." If you don't have a vacuum leak there's no sense spending the money as a compromised vacuum hose will not leave you stranded. Don't get me wrong my middle name is preventative maintenance but our cars are not known for ruptured rad and heater hoses etc.... I'm on my 3rd LS, driven them daily since 1998, and I've had 1 tiny coolant bypass hose fail in 20 years. It developed a SMALL leak near the hose clamp and was replaced because of my OCD not because it created a drivability issue.
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Bocatrip (03-15-18)
03-15-18, 01:27 PM
#6
Lexus Fanatic
'04 LS uses a screw in PCV valve as opposed to the earlier push in type so the grommet isn't an issue.
To the OP- I wouldn't dive down this rabbit hole just because someone suggested so. How long have you owned the car? With the mileage I would assume the timing belt has been replaced twice so there's a good chance the 2 radiator hoses have already been replaced at some point. Everything else "could be" looked into but considering the price of Lexus pre formed hoses I would lean towards "If it aint broke...." If you don't have a vacuum leak there's no sense spending the money as a compromised vacuum hose will not leave you stranded. Don't get me wrong my middle name is preventative maintenance but our cars are not known for ruptured rad and heater hoses etc.... I'm on my 3rd LS, driven them daily since 1998, and I've had 1 tiny coolant bypass hose fail in 20 years. It developed a SMALL leak near the hose clamp and was replaced because of my OCD not because it created a drivability issue.
To the OP- I wouldn't dive down this rabbit hole just because someone suggested so. How long have you owned the car? With the mileage I would assume the timing belt has been replaced twice so there's a good chance the 2 radiator hoses have already been replaced at some point. Everything else "could be" looked into but considering the price of Lexus pre formed hoses I would lean towards "If it aint broke...." If you don't have a vacuum leak there's no sense spending the money as a compromised vacuum hose will not leave you stranded. Don't get me wrong my middle name is preventative maintenance but our cars are not known for ruptured rad and heater hoses etc.... I'm on my 3rd LS, driven them daily since 1998, and I've had 1 tiny coolant bypass hose fail in 20 years. It developed a SMALL leak near the hose clamp and was replaced because of my OCD not because it created a drivability issue.
03-15-18, 04:44 PM
#7
Driver School Candidate
I'm about to go down the same path. I'm only @ 96k miles but I'd rather spend the money now than have one fail when I have somewhere I'd rather be. I need to flush the coolant the and the top and lower radiator hoses feel like they are probably original. I paid about $50 for the radiator hoses and heater hoses (I used the Continental and Gates hoses) and another $10 or so for a thermostat. I'm debating replacing the radiator while everything is apart but I'll make that judgement call when I get into it. A radiator will run about $80 if I decide I need one.
While I'm doing that I'm going to replace the accessory belt, tensioner, and idler pulley. Again, for about $90 in parts (I went with the Gates kit) I have peace of mind that I won't have to worry about those failing for the
As long as I'm having fun I'll go ahead and replace the spark plugs, too.
I don't know what part of Chicago you're in but I would think you'd be able to find a decent independant shop to do simple work like this. I'm a hard-core Do-It-Yourself'er and I can appreciate not everyone has the time, tools, or desire to turn their own wrenches, but paying dealer prices to replace radiator hoses seems excessive.
While I'm doing that I'm going to replace the accessory belt, tensioner, and idler pulley. Again, for about $90 in parts (I went with the Gates kit) I have peace of mind that I won't have to worry about those failing for the
As long as I'm having fun I'll go ahead and replace the spark plugs, too.
I don't know what part of Chicago you're in but I would think you'd be able to find a decent independant shop to do simple work like this. I'm a hard-core Do-It-Yourself'er and I can appreciate not everyone has the time, tools, or desire to turn their own wrenches, but paying dealer prices to replace radiator hoses seems excessive.
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03-15-18, 05:55 PM
#9
Instructor
Radiator hoses fail from the inside out. They rarely fail without showing signs first. With the engine off and cold squeeze the hoses all over. Hoses about to fail will be soft and squishy. They usually swell up before they fail. As for the vacuum and emission hoses they can be replaced with bulk hose from the auto parts store for cheap. I did all of mine for around $6. Just make sure you use vacuum hose for the vacuum and fuel/emissions hose for the fuel vent system.
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