Had a sudden coolant hose blowout on my '97 F-150 while hauling a trailer through the Grapevine pass.

3 comments

3 Comments

Honestly, how bad was it? A hose letting go on an old truck is just Tuesday. Did it actually overheat or just spray a bit? Seen plenty of rigs limp off that pass with a weeping hose, temp gauge barely moving. Unless you saw steam pouring out and heard knocking, you probably just needed to top it off and drive the last bit slow.

robin8361mo ago

Oh man, you're totally right, it's basically a rite of passage. My old beater just marked the occasion with a festive coolant fountain all over the engine bay. The temp needle did its best impression of a rocket ship, so I figured playing it safe was smarter than testing how long a rod knock takes to write an invoice. Let's just say the tow truck driver wasn't even surprised.

elizabeth_gonzalez21d agoMost Upvoted

My 2002 Civic's head gasket blew at 75,000 miles, so @robin836, I feel your pain.