How to Look for Wear or Leaks on Hoses and Clamps in a Chevy Avalanche

Chevrolet recommends you check the hoses and clamps in your Avalanche twice a year to avoid failures on the road. Checking your hoses and clamps for damage and leaks will help your Chevy Avalanche run more efficiently, regardless of what year your vehicle is. Inspect your Avalanche's hoses and clamps while the engine compartment is cool to avoid potential burns.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Visually check each hose, inspecting for cracks, frisions or tiny tears. Locating any of these means that hose needs to be replaced immediately. You may need to use a cloth to wipe the hoses and clamps free of grease and oil in order to perform this maintenance.

2. Pinch the end of each hose in your Impala and try to feel ridges or gaps inside the hose. Feeling pits or ridges means the hose is failing from the inside and needs to be replaced.

3. Run your hands down the hoses to make sure the hoses feel firm, not soft or pliable. If the hoses are soft to the touch, replace them to prevent failure. The hoses of a Chevy Avalanche should be firm to the touch, not soft at all.

4. Inspect the ends of the hoses to ensure they're properly seated. Check the clamps at the same time to make sure they're snug and holding the hose in place but without pinching into the hose which can cause tearing and leaks. Adjust the clamps as needed using a screwdriver.

5. Move the Chevy Avalanche to a fresh location and allow it to run for several minutes. Check again for any signs of leaking or damage in the hoses, the clamps and beneath the Avalanche. Make any adjustments you need to in order to stop the leaks.

Tips & Warnings

• Note the style of any hoses or clamps that need replaced. Gates radiator hoses can vary greatly in length and shape.
• Your upper and lower radiator hoses run from the radiator to the engine, and from the radiator to your exhaust manifold.
• The coolant hose goes from your radiator to your intake manifold, and may be located on the passenger side of your engine compartment near the exhaust manifold.
• Heater hoses run from your radiator to the back of the engine block, as do the hoses attached to the intake manifold.

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