You need to check and service the heater hoses in your Ford Focus every 15,000 miles to keep your car running smoothly and prevent leaks. Perform regular maintenance on heater hoses in the early spring to look for winter wear and in the late autumn to get your car ready for winter driving. Follow these steps for heater hose replacement to keep your car's heating system in good shape.
Locate the heater hoses in the Ford Focus in the engine compartment. You can find them easily under the hood on the passenger side. They connect to the firewall and thermostat housing.
Check the old hoses for brittle or mushy areas, especially next to the clamp connections. Replace soft or damaged heater hoses immediately. Measure the length of the heater hoses and the inside diameter of them, or bring the old hoses with you to the auto supply store to purchase the correct replacements.
Open the radiator petcock and empty existing coolant into a drain pan. Put all unwanted coolant in a sealable container before disposing. Keep it away from children, cats and dogs because they're attracted to the smell. This may result in illness or death if they drink or sniff it.
Shut off the engine. Loosen the clamps connecting the hose to the heater core of your Focus. Auto supply stores sell heater hose disconnect tools specifically for Ford models if you want to remove the old heater hoses easily. You can also use a screwdriver or pliers to disconnect the clamps.
Cut the old heater hoses with a razor blade. Loosen them until you can easily remove them from the fittings. Wipe the fittings with a cleaning solution and then use gasket sealer to fit the new heater hoses securely. Slide the clamps over the new hoses until you tightly place them at the hose end.
Put coolant in the radiator and maintain enough fluid to keep your Focus running properly. Start the engine and if you can't find any leaks or loose fittings, then you connected the heater hoses correctly.
