Are the fuel lines around your fuel filter leaking? Read more for signs of trouble and replacement options.
Over time the rubber lines that transport diesel fuel to the engine develop dry rot cracks and loose their ability to seal on the connections on the fuel filter & injection pump. This creates problems, including:
- Fuel Leaks – diesel fuel can cause electrical components and coolant lines to fail, plus it smells bad and may cause your engine to “smoke” when hot
- Air Leaks – allowing air into the fuel lines may cause hard starting
- Loss of Suction – if allowed to worsen, the cracks & leaks can become so bad that the car can no longer pull fuel from the tank, leaving you stranded on the side of the road & unable to restart the car
Any of these situations can cause huge headaches.
Replacement Options
The OEM VW, factory fuel lines are nicely molded, paired lines that curve around engine components nicely. On some models the factory line is a hybrid of molded fuel line and hard plastic line. Even better, sometimes the hard plastic lines are clear. The clear lines allow you to inspect for air leaks – large bubbles that grow when the car is off or a steady stream of bubbles while running are signs of trouble.
The good news is that the OE fuel lines are available easily. Check out the Fuel Filter to Pump Line for ALH, Fuel Filter to Pump Line for BEW and others. The bad news is that they are EXPENSIVE. Some are as “cheap” as $129.99, others can pass $300 dollars. This is crazy.
The alternative? Well, regardless of the hard plastic center piece, the ends are typically 7.3mm inner diameter. That is a fairly common fuel hose size. A 2.5 meter length of high quality, thick-wall, nylon weave, multi-fuel hose.
Price? $13.99. Isn’t that better?
Those who are detail oriented will note that these generic lines will not be able to follow the same convoluted path as the OEM lines. While many lines are designed for specific reasons, our own testing, and based on the experiences of many people who have chosen this path too, has shown that these generic lines have no downside other than not looking quite as “clean” or pretty.
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