How To Find a Bad Brake Hose

A bad brake hose may be difficult to find. They can sometimes be confused with a bad brake caliper. In this video I share my method of diagnosing a bad brake hose. It’s simple, easy, and only takes a couple of minutes.

I hope you find this information useful and entertaining.

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Thanks for watching!

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Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information.  EricTheCarGuy assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. EricTheCarGuy recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video.  Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result.  Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not EricTheCarGuy®.

[EarlSinclair]

In trade school, my instructor said to always replace the brake hoses if replacing calipers.
Eric confirmed that theory in this video. 👍

[CarlRMauri]

THIS VIDEO PROVES THAT ERIC MISSED HIS CALLING: HE WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT GREAT VASCULAR SURGEON!! thanks for another great one!!

[hearttoengine]

I remember meeting Eric the car guy in Santa Monica Pier in 2017. His a great and humble person, I'm following in your footsteps.

[razorsharpbt]

I had the same issue on my 01 Silverado. I replaced both front hoses and the issue was solved. The mechanic replaced the caliper first thinking that was the issue. This can save people time, money and aggravation. Thanks, Eric!

[willnicholas]

Great video. I too am diagnosing the same concern. Already put a caliper on last week and the problem is back. Brake hoses don’t often fail but learning how they fail helps my mechanical brain understand and retain why they fail. Thank you Eric!

[bigrockk]

Couple of years ago I had a caliper sticking and grabbing on the left front wheel of my 3/4 ton. Turned out to be rust build up between the brake hose and the bracket that holds the hose in place, the rust was basically pinching the hose. I was 4 hours from home so just cleaned it all up and problem solved. The joys of living in the rust belt! Great video as usual!

[SuperDd]

I had a bad break hose once, i found out when i had to do an emergency stop on the highway and the pedal went straight to the floor . Fun times

[stephenhagen]

When I worked as a ramp agent loading bags at Southwest Airlines, we would inspect the wheel wells where the landing gear was stowed while in flight, looking for hydraulic leaks in the lines and actuators that did the retraction and deployment of those landing gear. We would also inspect the wings where the leading edge and trailing edge flaps were actuated looking for hydraulic fluid on the exterior sheet metal. We did not find any but once in a while we observed a MLG tire that was worn down pretty badly. We notified the Captain before pushoff from the gate. It was his call whether or not the tire would be changed then, or at the next domicile.

[BurlyNerdGetsTheWorm]

The opening up and showing the 'why' was super helpful and a good reminder of why this channel is one of the best!

[RandomYoutuber]

This is one of those things you would see 1 in 1000 times, but vigilance when inspecting the braking system is critical. Excellent video.

[mds]

I noticed that problem as well on my brother’s 2006 Honda Pilot which has well over 200k. Upon replacing the parking brake shoes I noticed that one of the brake hoses was starting to leak. As a preventative measure I opted to replace all of the brake hoses at once, and let me tell you it made a world of a difference. I did get AC Delco hoses in that car, and I know that you always recommend Honda parts but they were on sale at the time and honestly the aftermarket hoses aren’t that bad. As long as you get a good reputable brand name it’s usually fine. So far my brother said that he hasn’t had any issues with them so that’s encouraging

[brucexue]

Eric I've been watching a lot of your videos and never disappointed with anything whatsoever.
Wish you and your loved ones stay strong and healthy during these hard times

[rocketroy]

Hi Eric. I also thought that one of my calipers was seized.
One set of pads was worn way worse than the other side so I. Like you replace both calipers.
But the problem persisted .
I came here followed this video to the letter and you were 100%. On the money.
So I replace both calipers the rotors and the pads.
And this wasn’t even the problem.
My 94 geo metro will be getting a rebuild kit for the old calipers.
So thankyou very much indeed..seriously..bang on from Vancouver Canada.

[reaper]

Brilliant video man.. My niece is spending too much money on her car and the MOT test failed her on Brake hoses for being rusted with sings of pitting. The guys she goes to seem to keep her coming back constantly. I want to check the brake hoses myself to put my mind at rest which is why I'm watching ur videos man. THANKS for the information on here. I'm going to jack the ca up in the morning and take a butchers hook at those Brake hoses..

[andyolsensovereignbeing.]

Very helpful thanks! I've had many calipers replaced by garages over the years and gave up with them and fitting a new hose next week

[jimthecarguy]

Nice diagnoses Eric. I've seen that often and usually it is due the some rusting under the bracket were it holds the hose.

[ChrisMueller-hjss]

I've been having a problem with a sticking break for some time now.And I bought new brick lines but I didn't know if that was gonna work well, you just answered my problem.You showed me just how I'm gonna fix it a new break line.Thank you

[curtislivingston]

this video has just saved me from many more hours of overthinking this freaking caliper freezing up on me issue..its been a nightmare and this seems like an affordable fix to a massive headache

[LuisAMillion]

The brake hoses can also have a "balloon -ing" effect when pressure is applied... Great fix @EricTheCarGuy !!

[rosewd]

Usually for the cost of brake hoses I like to replace them with the caliper.
All 4 hoses with a Qt of fluid for my 02 Mercedes e430 was only 30$ from fcp euro. Also they tend to rot over tine.