Emergency Heater Hose Replacement. Y ou’re driving along, running late for an appointment, when steam starts belching up through the edges of the hood. Your car has just blown a heater hose, and ...

Not all cars have a heater control valve, but if yours does, the valve is usually about the size of your fist, with a heater hose leading into it and another leading away from it into the firewall.

DIY tips from Consumer Reports on how to inspect the accessory belts and hoses on your car. ... or, in the case of heater hoses, the engine and the body’s firewall.