What is an air intake hose and where is it located?

Your engine needs air to run, just like you do. The fuel in your engine won’t combust without oxygen, and it will combust a lot more efficiently with the correct amount of oxygen. The air intake hose—also sometimes referred to as an air intake tube—is a rubber or plastic hose that connects to your air filter box at one end and to the engine throttle body at the other. When you press on the gas pedal, the throttle opens and allows the engine to draw fresh air through the air filter and through the intake hose. The gas pedal should really be called the air pedal, as it turns out.

How do I know if my air intake hose needs to be replaced?

The air intake hose is constantly exposed to the heat of the engine. Over time, the rubber or plastic can become brittle and develop cracks or leaks. That means that the engine can’t draw in air as smoothly as it should. It could also potentially lead to debris entering the engine, or allow unmetered air in to the engine resulting in a lean condition, both of which can cause bigger problems down the line. 

If the engine idles at a faster speed than normal or is experiencing rough idling, that might be one sign that there’s a leak in your intake hose. You may also experience reduced gas mileage or power. 

The symptoms of a leaking intake hose can be similar to the symptoms of fuel injection problems, so you’ll want to check that the intake hose is really the source of the problem before you replace it. You can visually inspect the intake hose to check for cracks. If you open the hood and run the engine at idle, you might hear a sucking or whining sound from the intake hose.

Can I replace an air intake hose myself?

Replacing an air intake hose is within the grasp of the beginning do-it-yourselfer. Considering how easy it is to replace, and how important it is to have a working intake hose, you have no excuse not to replace one that’s leaking. The air intake tube might have some electrical sensors attached to it. You’ll have to remove those before removing the intake hose. To remove the hose itself, you’ll have to loosen up the hose clamps. Then you can simply pull it out. Clamp the new one into place, reinstall the sensors, and you should be all set.  

Need an air intake hose replacement?

Here at 1A Auto, we carry a large selection of fresh air intake hoses for many makes and models. All of our intake hoses feature:

• Direct bolt-on design for easy installation
• Built to strict quality control standards
• Built stronger in vulnerable areas for great durability