Your engine requires a number of fluids in order to operate. There are fuel lines that transport gasoline from the tank to the engine. There are coolant hoses that transport engine coolant to and from the radiator. There are power steering hoses that lead from the pump to the power steering rack and back again. You also have brake fluid lines and hoses, washer fluid hoses and many others. If a hose were to start leaking, the fluid it contains would drain out.

How serious is it when a hose starts leaking?

严重性主要取决于泄漏的软管类型。

如果您说的是洗衣机液软管，那不是特别严重，但可能会很烦人。漏水的冷却液软管是另一回事，可能很严重。如果是动力转向软管泄漏的情况可能更加严重，因为动力转向液易燃。

Your engine’s hoses are vital to overall operation, and driving with a leak may cause anything from overheating to a fire depending on what’s leaking and where the lost fluid is going.

The best defense here is to have your car maintained by a professional mechanic capable of inspecting your hoses during each service. By regularly checking the condition of your hoses, a trusted mechanic can greatly reduce the chance that you’ll experience a leak in the first place.