# Radiator Hoses are hard

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-hoses-are-hard/9109>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [January 7, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-hoses-are-hard/9109 "2008-01-07T16:24:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PrimeTime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@PrimeTime](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PrimeTime)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-hoses-are-hard/9109/1 "2008-01-07T16:24:09Z")

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I have a 91 chevy caprice, i notice my radiator steaming and the rad hoses were hard, so i let it cool of adn then they were soft, so i changed the thermostat and it still doing the same thing. Is my radiator shot or is it something else?

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**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-hoses-are-hard/9109/2 "2008-01-07T17:02:42Z")

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When you say the radiator was steaming, do you mean it was venting steam through the cap overflow or someplace else? Do you know what the temperature gause was reading at the time?

It is normal for the hoses to be hard what the system is hot because it is pressurized. If they stay hard after it cools down, that can be an indication of a problem.

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/radiator-hoses-are-hard/9109/3 "2008-01-07T18:29:47Z")

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It’s impossible to tell with this tiny amount of information. Have the system pressure checked for starters, however I have a feeling that when the tech looks at the car the problem(s) will be obvious.

You could have a leaky radiator, a plugged radiator, a leaking/shot water pump, a bad radiator cap, a blown headgasket, a leaky hose, a leaky heater core, a bad cooling fan, …there’s lots of possibilities.