Heater hose split

[chris_h]

The hose running from the right hand side of the engine to through the bulk head to the heater matrix split on at 120mph on the autobahn. It split
just where it comes out of the engine before the 90 degree bend, at the hottest point.

The nice ADAC man 'bodged' it with a puncture repair kit. He degreased it, roughed it up with some sand paper, put some rubber glue on it and stuch a patch on, then wrapped it in gaffer tape. Its probably worth carring this emergency repair kit with you just in case. The pipe looked passed it best with a bulge in it. Its not bad I guess as it was 16 years old and had done 155,000 miles on my '89 9000.

So it might be worth checking yours, and changing it if it has any signs of bulging before it splits.

He degreas

[KevinC]

If you are going to push your Saab on the Autobahn, you need all new hoses plus lots of other preventative items.

I got caught out this summer with a 12 year old idler pulley...

[Superaero]

This is the common place the heater hose fails. It is worth checking the head connection when the hose is off to see if the casting is smooth. there have been reports of spurs or rough spots on the casting where the hose connects that speed up wear.


After 16 years that hose owes you nothing! 6 to 10 years is more usual.

On my cars I replace ALL the hoses when the first one breaks. As for a chain the cooling system is only as strong as its weakest link. When one hose wears out you can be sure a few more are close to being done also.
Most of the cost of hose replacement is labour and once the engine has been drained it makes sense to replace all the hoses. if you happen to pull one off that looks and feels good, keep that as an emergency spare, like an accessory belt. Replace before they break is good maintenance.

[benji9k]

That was the first thing to go wrong with my 9000 after I bought it. I recommend replacing both of those hoses in the pair. If you got it apart, give yourself the peace of mind.