When looking down in the engine bay from the front of the car.

There is a section rubber hose to the lower left side of the radiator.

A metal tube comes from under the left side of the engine bay to the radiator area where it clamps on to a rubber hose which makes a u turn then clamps back on to a metal tube and back under the engine.

Anyone know what the purpose of this rubber u turn hose is for??

Thanks

Nick

 

Picture would help. Lots of hoses doen there.

 

 

Powersteering cooler line. If you follow it, you can see it goes to the powersteering pump.

 

My car doesn't have this hose. My Maxima has a 5-speed and yours has automatic. Perhaps these hoses are for the transmission cooler located in the bottom tank of the radiator. Please see the Haynes repair manual, page 3-5, photo 5.9.

I wonder if someone deliberately bypassed the transmission cooler. That's a bad idea.

 

Both te sending and the return line for the tranny cooler on on the right side of the radiator.

 

I like your answer, except for one thing. Nicks98gle describes the routing as "under the engine", and the power steering cooling loop does not pass under the engine at any point. As Medicsonic said, a picture would be a big help.

 

That's the only thing that makes an U turn that I can think of.

 

Thanks for you all your replies.

I took another look, and I think 1MAX2NV is correct, these lines do appear to go to the Power Steering pump.

Can this rubber loop actually be cooling for the power steering unit??

From the looks of it, it appears to be factory installed.

Thanks

Nick

 

I suspect your identification is correct and the description of hose routing was garbled.

 

My power steering pipes loop in a metal pipe in front of the radiator, apparently to help cool the fluid. SInce my car is a 5 speed and yours is an auto, engine bay parts my be slightly differently located.

DW

 

I thought that was the AC condensor.

 

Can someone out there with an Automatic take a look under the hood when they get a chance and let me know if they have this looped rubber hose.

Just look straight down to the left of the radiator you should see it.

Thanks

Nick

 

OK, you said piping. Pipes are made of metal. Nevermind.

 

On my car the AC condenser, I beleive, is the radiator sitting in front of "the radiator." 2 radiators sandwiched together. Then, in front of all those is a simple u shaped metal pipe that circles once infront of the radiator(s) then returns to the side of the car, by the power steering reservoir.

DW

 

hey 1max2nv is your se-l an auto? i just bought a 99 se-l auto loaded nd was wondering how man guys are auto's and 5 spds..

 

Mine is an auto.

 

If you have a chance and look at a 5th gen. Their powersteering cooler line is even longer than the 4th gen. The whole piping is the cooler and not just the rubber section.

 

I wonder why it is a rubber loop on some cars and a metal loop on others?

Rubber does not disipate heat as well as metal.

Does anyone know if there was an option for heavy duty cooling or something?

Thanks

Nick

 

No heavy duty cooling option appears in the '99 Maxima sales brochure.
No "or something" option appears in the brochure either.