Q: How to inspect, replace, and install flexible brake hoses and brake lines on Kia Sorento?
A: Every 6-12 months the driver should remove the vehicle from the ground and use jackstands to lift it, afterwards check the flexible hoses that connect the steel lines to the front and rear brake assemblies for cracks and damage, wear, rubbing, blisters, and leakage as they are components of the brake system. A light and mirror will help in the inspection, any defective hose need to be replaced with the new one. To replace a hose, first you have to remove the wheel, this can be done by loosening the wheel lug nuts and then jacking up the vehicle. To the models before 2009, there are two brake hoses going to a bracket in the middle of the axle. Take of the brake line fitting from the hose using the flare-nut wrench without rounding of the corners and unscrew the U-clip on the female fitting at the bracket and pull the hose through. Remove some hose brackets from the coil-over shock absorber, control arm or strut as the case may be. At the caliper end, unbolt the banjo-fitting bolt and disconnect the hose from the caliper, always to reinstall the two copper sealing washers. To fit the new hose, screw the banjo bolt and the new sealing washers on the caliper with a specified thread engagement on the cast mandrel face. Ensure you do not twist the hose, reconnect the hose brackets, screw the tube nut into the fitting properly and fit the U clip, then tighten the tube nut. Then, open the bleed screw, put on the wheel and the lug nuts, lift off the vehicle, then torque the lug nuts to the required value. When replacing your brake lines, DO NOT use copper tubing, or any wrong parts, and buy your steel brake lines from a dealer or any auto parts store. Flared tube ends with brake line fittings can be purchased at auto parts store and comes as pre-assembled brake lines. Check that the new line is properly placed in the brackets and perhaps as a safety measure the line should be taken far from the moving or hot parts. Following the installation, be sure to inspect the master cylinder fluid level, topping it up if the level is low, then bleed the brake system and be very cautious when testing the car brakes on traffic.