•  Robust “bite-the-wire” crimp
  - The last place you want to have hose failure is on a busy interstate or a lonely country road.
•  Prevent serious—and expensive—engine damage -
  An overheated engine can quickly cause permanent damage to critical components.

APPEARANCE: Moisture, seepage or drips form on or around clamps or connectors. PROBLEM: Other than insufficient clamp torque, leakage is usually caused by the deteriorated condition of the hose and/or connector. SOLUTION: Clamp Torque Suggestions – In problem areas, ordinary wormdrive clamps can be less effective at preventing leaks. Use Gates PowerGrip® SB or Gates Green Stripe® constant-tension clamps, which automatically adjust clamp tension with the temperature of the cooling system. Condition of Connector Suggestions – The smoother the finish of a connector the less is the tendency for leakage under the clamp. Also, brass and cast iron fittings adhere better to common rubber compounds. The use of hose sealants at the connection can help prevent leaks.	APPEARANCE: ECD (Electrochemical Degradation) is not obvious by visual inspection. However, by squeezing a cool hose near the end between your thumb and fingers, you can actually feel voids, cracks or weak spots. Also, bulging may occur near clamped connections. PROBLEM: ECD is a primary cause of most coolant hose failures. Modern engine materials react with the coolant to cause an electrical charge. This electrical current creates tiny internal cracks, which weakens the hose. SOLUTION: Replace damaged hoses with Gates electrochemically resistant (ECR) hoses. Look for the Gates ECR seal. It’s your best protection against electrochemical degradation.
APPEARANCE: Damaged hose is soft, gooey, or spongy to the touch. Bulges and swelling are readily apparent. PROBLEM: Oil reacts chemically with hose compounds to weaken the structure of molecular bonds. This causes the hose to soften, swell, and separate by layers, leading to certain failure. Oil can attack both external and internal surfaces of the hose. SOLUTION: For External Damage - Replace the damaged hose with a high-quality Gates hose and eliminate any source of leaking oil. For Internal Damage - Replace the hose and coolant. Use the recommended type and quantity of coolant for the cooling system. If the vehicle has an automatic transmission, check for oil leakage from the oil cooler into the engine’s cooling system.	APPEARANCE: Scuffed, gouged or abraded cover. PROBLEM: Abrasion occurs when the hose is cut or punctured by debris that bounces up from the road. A drooping hose can be abraded by coming in contact with a moving motor part, such as a fan blade or spinning belt or pulley. SOLUTION: Replace the damaged hose with high-quality Gates hose and be sure to install one that is factory-molded to curve around potential dangers. If necessary, shield the hose from future abrasion.
APPEARANCE: As with ECD, heat damage can occur internally and may not be easily detected by physical appearance. Swelling is one sure external sign of internal damage. External heat damage is often easier to detect since it can result in hardened and cracked hose covers. PROBLEM: Overheating can cause reinforcement fibers within a hose to deteriorate. As engine compartments are being designed smaller and more compact, ambient temperatures under the hood increase. Engine heat, low coolant levels and/or temperature spikes all contribute to hose damage. SOLUTION: Gates hoses are specially designed to resist deterioration from heat. Choose Gates hose and, if necessary, shield it or route it away from harmful heat sources.	APPEARANCE: Tiny, parallel cracks show in the hose cover, even though there is no hardening. PROBLEM: Increased ozone, caused by pollution, attacks bonds in certain rubber compounds. Tiny cracks occur primarily where the hose is stressed— at curves, bends and clamping locations. These cracks allow airborne contaminants to invade and weaken the hose. SOLUTION: Install Gates hose made of EPDM (ethylene propylene diene) rubber compounds, which is unaffected by ozone.

When to Replace Your Hoses

     When you replace a water pump
     When you replace a thermostat
     Every four years of average driving time
     Anytime you notice damage or leakage