🔧 QX80 - Radiator Hose Replacement

Replacing a radiator hose means draining a little coolant, removing the old hose and clamps, then installing the new hose and refilling/bleeding the cooling system. On your QX80, the most common hoses are the upper radiator hose (top of radiator to engine) and lower radiator hose (bottom of radiator to engine/water inlet).

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 1.0-2.5 hours

Assumption: You’re replacing either the upper or lower main radiator hose (steps cover both).

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Never open the radiator cap on a hot engine; hot coolant can spray and burn you.
• ⚠️ Support the QX80 with jack stands before working underneath; never rely on a floor jack alone.
• ⚠️ Keep coolant away from kids/pets; it’s toxic and attractive-tasting.
• ⚠️ Use gloves and safety glasses; coolant is irritating to skin/eyes.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is not required for this repair.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Drain pan (at least 3-gallon)
• Hose clamp pliers (specialty)
• Pick tool (small)
• Slip-joint pliers
• Flathead screwdriver
• 10mm socket
• 12mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 3" extension (3/8" drive)
• Trim clip removal tool
• Torque wrench (10-80 ft-lbs range)
• Funnel (spill-free coolant funnel kit) (specialty)
• Shop rags

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Upper radiator hose - Qty: 1
• Lower radiator hose - Qty: 1
• Radiator hose clamps - Qty: 2
• Engine coolant (Nissan/INFINITI Blue Long Life pre-mix 50/50) - Qty: 2-3 gallons

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🧊 Park on level ground and let the engine cool completely (best: sit overnight).
• 🛑 Set the parking brake and place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
• 🧽 Lay out rags and a drain pan; coolant will spill when the hose comes off.
• 📦 Identify the hose you’re replacing: upper (top) or lower (bottom, usually requires lifting the front).

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Remove engine cover (if equipped)

• Lift the hood and pull upward on the plastic engine cover to release its grommets (use hands).
• Set it aside so you can see the upper hose routing clearly.

Step 2: Relieve cooling system pressure (engine cold)

• Place a rag over the radiator cap, then slowly loosen it (use hands).
• If you hear pressure, stop and wait—then continue once it’s fully relieved.

Step 3: Drain enough coolant to get below the hose level

• Position a drain pan under the radiator drain cock area (bottom corner of radiator).
• Open any lower splash shield access as needed (use trim clip removal tool, 10mm socket, and ratchet).
• Open the drain cock slowly (use hands or flathead screwdriver if needed) and drain 1-2 gallons.
• Close the drain cock snugly (use hands).

Step 4: Raise the front (only if doing the lower hose)

• Lift the front with a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) at the front jacking point.
• Place jack stands under the frame points and lower the vehicle onto them.

Step 5: Remove the hose clamps

• Move the clamp away from the hose end (use hose clamp pliers (specialty)).
• Hose clamp pliers are made to squeeze spring clamps safely.
• If you have worm-gear clamps, loosen them (use flathead screwdriver).
• Do this at both ends of the hose.

Step 6: Break the hose seal and remove the hose

• Twist the hose back and forth to break it loose (use hands or slip-joint pliers gently).
• If it’s stuck, slide a pick tool (small) under the hose edge to let air in, then twist again.
• Pull the hose off the radiator neck and the engine neck. Catch any remaining coolant in the drain pan.

Step 7: Inspect and prep the fittings

• Wipe the radiator/engine hose necks clean (use shop rags).
• Check for cracks, heavy corrosion, or damaged plastic necks. If a neck is damaged, stop—forcing a new hose on can cause a bigger leak.

Step 8: Install the new radiator hose

• Match the new hose bends to the old one before installing (use hands).
• Slide the clamps onto the hose first (use hands).
• Push the hose fully onto each neck until it bottoms out past the bead (use hands).
• Position clamps behind the raised bead on the neck and release/tighten them (use hose clamp pliers (specialty) or flathead screwdriver).
• Clamp must sit straight, not cocked.

Step 9: Reinstall shields/fasteners (if removed)

• Reinstall the splash shield/under cover (use 10mm socket, ratchet, and trim clip removal tool as needed).
• If you removed any small brackets, tighten their bolts: Torque to 9 Nm (80 in-lbs) (use torque wrench with 10mm socket).

Step 10: Refill coolant

• Fill the radiator slowly with Engine coolant (Nissan/INFINITI Blue Long Life pre-mix 50/50) (use funnel (spill-free coolant funnel kit) (specialty)).
• A spill-free funnel holds coolant above the neck to purge air.
• Fill the overflow reservoir to the “MAX” line (use funnel).

Step 11: Bleed air from the cooling system

• Set the cabin heat to hottest and fan to medium (use HVAC controls).
• Start the engine and let it idle (use key), keeping the spill-free funnel installed.
• As it warms up, watch for bubbles in the funnel and keep coolant level topped up (use funnel).
• When the upper hose gets hot and you feel steady heat from the vents, the thermostat is open and most air is purged.
• Shut the engine off and let it cool, then top off radiator and reservoir again (use funnel).

Step 12: Install the radiator cap and clean up

• Install the radiator cap fully (use hands).
• Rinse any spilled coolant off metal/plastic surfaces with water and wipe dry (use shop rags).
• Pour old coolant into sealed containers for proper disposal.

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✅ After Repair

• 🔍 With the engine running, check both hose ends for seepage and re-position clamps if needed.
• 🌡️ Test drive 10-15 minutes, then recheck coolant level after a full cool-down and top off the reservoir to “MAX”.
• 🧾 Watch the temperature gauge for any overheating; if it rises, shut down and re-bleed the system.
• 🧼 Recheck for dried coolant residue the next day (a clue to a small leak).

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $350-$750 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $60-$180 (parts only)

You Save: $290-$570 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.0-2.0 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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