What’s the air injection hose all about?
So, you’ve been told you might need a new air injection hose, and you’re wondering what on earth that actually does. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. We get this question from all sorts of folks – maybe you’re driving anything from a trusty Toyota Corolla to a Volkswagen Passat, or even an older Honda Odyssey or Suzuki Vitara from Gordonton to Cambridge.
Basically, the air injection hose is a bit of kit that helps your car’s emissions stay clean. It pipes fresh air into your exhaust so your car chucks out less harmful muck. Less pollution, happier engine, and it keeps you ticking the boxes for the emissions rules in NZ. Some of those gases even get sent back into the engine to get burnt off again using bits like the EGR system.
Most of these hoses are rubber or plastic, which means—after years of Hamilton potholes on tramways like Boundary Rd or crawling through Forrest Lake in winter fog—the heat gets to them, and they start to crack or split. Throw in the odd bump over a Te Awamutu speed hump or a hot summer spent baking in the Dinsdale sun, and they get tired pretty quick.
What happens if it’s cracked or leaking?
Here’s what we see in the workshop all the time, no matter whether someone rolls in with a Peugeot 308 or a Nissan Tiida, or maybe a Kia Sportage that’s just clocked up a million school runs through Hillcrest traffic:
- Wonky idle – If you notice your car shuddering or nearly conking out at the lights near The Base, could be the hose. Leaks mean your engine can’t breathe right.
- Check engine light – Modern cars are fussy, and a leak will trip that annoying engine warning on your dash, sometimes after driving back over from Morrinsville or Tamahere. Not something you want to ignore.
- Slurping more petrol – A split hose can mess with your fuel mix, making your Subaru Outback, Mazda Axela, or whatever you’re driving chew through extra gas. Nobody wants that, especially these days.
- Sluggish performance – Punch the accelerator and it feels slow, or just off. That lost power feeling? Could be you’re losing air before it even hits your engine.
- Extra smoke – Notice darker exhaust or a bit of stink when you’re idling on Peachgrove Rd? Faulty air injection hoses can make your car pump out more emissions. Not ideal for passing your next WOF in Hamilton.
- Weird hissing sounds – Leaky hoses often make an odd hissing you’ll hear when driving around, especially with the window down on a warm day.
Need a new air injection hose in Hamilton?
If your car’s acting up, don’t put it off. Worn-out air injection hoses are something we see often at Grimmer Motors. One of our techs can sort this quickly, whether you’re in Chartwell, Rototuna, or coming in from Horotiu or Raglan. We use quality parts so you’re not back in the shop every few months.
We get all sorts of vehicles in—Hyundai Santa Fe, BMW 320i, Mitsubishi Outlander, you name it—and we know what real NZ driving conditions do to these hoses. Hot, cold, rain, or shine, Hamilton roads can be rough on cars, but getting this sorted early could save you money on fuel and help you cruise through your next WOF.
Bring your vehicle in and let us have a look. If you need an air injection hose replacement, we’ll get you back on the road in no time, running smooth and clean.
For air injection hose replacement in Hamilton, just pop in or get in touch with Grimmer Motors today.