ather

Hi All, I broke the plastic coolant hose when replacing the O2 sensor and followed the advice on a tip but have not had much luck and still continues to drip cooant every few seconds. Here is the tip I followed:

"2) There is a small plastic tube that starts at the coolant expansion tank, runs along the firewall, turns toward the front of the car and goes under the air intake tubing, and terminates at the radiator hose. If you break this tube as I did multiple times in multiple places (it seemed quite brittle), don't worry -- just go to the hardware store, get some rubber tubing (5/16" inside diameter fuel line hose worked for me) and a couple of aircraft clamps, and splice in the tubing to replace the broken section of plastic pipe. It works great, and I have used this solution elsewhere in the engine compartment to avoid having to pay Audi dealer prices for the OEM hose/tubing part (in particular, I used dishwasher drain hose to replace some tubing down in the lower right front corner of the engine compartment that feeds the secondary air pump)."

The leak is at the connection to the larger radiator hose. I have tried using the standard ring clamps but they just cut into the hose and cause leaks.
Has anyone also experienced this problem and found a fix to it?

tester123

Have you visited your local junk yard lately?

SloopJohnB@mac.com

Just buy the OEM pipe and be done with it. I've replaced it once in 14 years…the replacement seems to last quite well.
Search around for the best price..get the p/n off the OEM pipe or call your dealer. Sometimes the dealer will match the online price but you'll pay tax if not shipping. Can work out if you value time over wait.

ather

Looks like that's what I will have to do. The description sounded like an easy alternative and a lower cost one too that worked well.
That hose is very brittle and easily breakable for a guy like me whose all thumbs. Will hunt one down and see how it goes...thanks.

Airbag

Those clamps you are using have fixed tightness and are used to fasten down cables and pipes to something else without crushing.

To do what you have to do you need fuel hose clamps which will tighten down without cutting in . But id just go to the wreckers.