How you can avoid the hassles caused by damaged or aging hoses under your car’s hood.

Check the hoses under your hood every month or two to avoid the hassle of a broken hose while you’re on the road. With the car cool and off, squeeze the hoses. If they are hard or make a crunching sound, replace them. The same goes if they are extremely soft or sticky. With the car warm but off, examine hoses for bulges and collapsed sections. If you find any, this means the hose walls are weak, and it’s time to replace the hose. Never drive with a ruptured coolant hose, or you are liable to overheat the engine and damage it. Other hoses are crucial to operation of your power brakes and cruise-control systems.