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ISSUE: I found small pieces of rubber debris in the coolant. They are a little smaller than part of a fingernail clipping. The rubber hoses have flaking rubber when inspecting them on the inside.

BACKGROUND: The vehicle is a Chevy Cruze with 175k miles. This issue was discovered during a coolant flush, thermostat, and water outlet replacement. The hoses are visibly slaking on the inside but are still pliable and working. I hope to drive this car for another year. It is in good shape other than that. Thermostat and water outlet just replaced. Water pump is next to be replaced due to a minor leak.

QUESTIONS:

How bad is it when you find rubber pieces in the coolant?

Is there a size or quantity that is expected in a high milage vehicle, or is any amount catastrophic?

What should I do to remedy the issue?

Do I need to replace ALL hoses?

NANfan
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If the hoses are shedding rubber then they are nearing their end of life. To avoid problems, like having one burst open on the road, you should replace any of them which are showing signs of age. Being pliable is NOT a reliable test, in fact when they get old and start to deteriorate they usually get more pliable.

Replacing the hoses is not that expensive a job and you can probably do it yourself and save some money.

jwh20
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