Hi,

I have read that a soft radiator hose can be a sign that it will go bad soon. However, I know that on my truck, even when new, the hose was soft when the engine was cold. It wasnt rigid or anythting. I squeezed the hoses on my 300D, and wanted to see how they were. They were both soft. No cracks or anything, just kind of soft. I dont know if this is indicative of a hose that is going to fail or not. Im driving to Boston next weekend, which is about a 5 hour nonstop trip, and the last thing I need is the hose to fail on the return trip...
Any hints/suggestions would be most appreciated.
Thanks

JMH

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Current Diesels:
1981 240D (73K)
1982 300CD (169k)
1985 190D (169k)
1991 350SD (113k)
1991 350SD (206k)
1991 300D (228k)
1993 300SD (291k)
1993 300D 2.5T (338k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (442k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (265k)

Past Diesels:
1983 300D (228K)
1985 300D (233K)

Your question indicates you suspect there could be a problem, just replace them its cheap insurance, especially if it has been a number of years since last done. Think of it as an early winter prep.