Replace coolant hoses as preventative maintenance?

My 2003 ALH is at 221k miles and just had a small coolant line behind the vacuum pump burst on a road trip 120 miles from home. Luckily it was an easy fix to repair on the side of the road. It got me thinking if I should replace all the coolant hoses just due to age? They all look and feel ok, but having an unexpected repair is never fun. Is there a coolant hose kit out there for the ALH or am I being paranoid?

Jeff

5SP TDI said:

My 2003 ALH is at 221k miles and just had a small coolant line behind the vacuum pump burst on a road trip 120 miles from home. Luckily it was an easy fix to repair on the side of the road. It got me thinking if I should replace all the coolant hoses just due to age? They all look and feel ok, but having an unexpected repair is never fun. Is there a coolant hose kit out there for the ALH or am I being paranoid?
Jeff

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It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you.

Did the hose become contaminated from oil leaking from the vacuum pump? My BEW blew a coolant hose because the fuel line above it was leaking, but I'm not paranoid about the other hoses or the government agent in my back yard in the deer disguise.

Careful inspection at each LOF can alleviate your concerns.

And a powerful slingshot can alleviate mine.

Only coolent line to brake on me is Also that 6in stub under the vac pump
Broke around 525k have 600k now owned since 06 and 80k

I've only had to change coolant hoses on my BEW due to my own negligence. I should have left well enough alone.

JB05 said:

I've only had to change coolant hoses on my BEW due to my own negligence. I should have left well enough alone.

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I don't know anyone like that.

**Whistles innocently**

I wouldn't call it paranoia, I've changed many of the hoses mine on my BEW with 219k. I like to choose my battles for days when it is not raining, and I don't have a business meeting at the office that I'm dressed up for.

As for kits: I looked but didn't find one for the BEW. I picked up the main radiator hoses at my local Advance/Discount Auto Parts as they were Febi brand. I also found the local shop could get the oil cooler hoses. The oil cooler hoses cost me a crankshaft position sensor, because replacing the oil cooler hoses caused me to distrub the wires in the crank position sensor which had deteriorated insulation that was fine until I worked near them...

When I replaced the coolant overflow bottle recently using online suppliers, I added the two hoses that attach to it from the same supplier to get my order over $50 for free shipping. If I'm going to pay $9 to ship the coolant bottle, why not put that $9 toward new hoses?

I still have plenty more hoses carrying coolant that I could change out (like the heater hoses), but I've removed some of the larger potential catastrophic failures like the one below the tandem pump that was swelling...

Looking back at my 30 years of owning used VW's, my only issue with a coolant hose failure was a hose that I had never replaced. It was no more than 10 years old when it sprung a pinhole leak.