Fuel Line Service for the 2009 Suzuki King Quad 400AS 4X4 Auto
Shop parts for a 2009 Suzuki King Quad 400AS 4X4 AUTO ATV.
Most of the difficulty in this job lives in one place: getting a hardened, varnish-glued hose off a pair of delicate barbs without breaking either of them. Do that part patiently on your 2009 King Quad 400AS and the rest of the replacement almost takes care of itself.
Getting the Old Hose Off Without Collateral Damage
Start by turning the petcock lever to OFF, then remove the seat and the plastic covering the tank so both ends of the run are in plain view. Slide a drain pan under the carburetor and back the float bowl drain screw out to empty the bowl into it — that removes the fuel sitting at the lowest point of the system and keeps it from finding your forearm later.
Next, deal with the clamps. Squeeze pinch clamps open with pliers and walk them well back along the hose, or loosen worm-gear clamps and slide them clear. With the clamps out of the way, resist the urge to yank. Years of ethanol varnish effectively glue hardened rubber to a brass or plastic spigot, and a straight pull transmits all of that force into the fitting. Twist the hose a quarter turn first to shear the bond, then work it off with a gentle rocking motion. When a hose end still refuses to release, run a razor blade down its length and peel it away in two halves. Sacrificing a hose you are throwing out anyway is always cheaper than replacing a snapped petcock or a damaged carburetor inlet.
This is a 4X4 machine, so the hose threads past the front differential and the additional frame crossmembers that four-wheel drive brings with it. Follow it through every clip before it comes fully free and take a photo of the path, because reinstalling along a slightly different route puts the new hose against something hot or moving.
Confirming the System You Are Working On
The 400AS uses a carburetor rather than fuel injection, which is what makes the removal above so uncomplicated. Fuel leaves the tank through a petcock valve with ON, RESERVE, and OFF positions and reaches the carburetor float bowl purely by gravity. Nothing is pressurized, there is no fuel pump in the circuit, and no relay or fuse has to be pulled before you open a joint. That also means the shutoff is mechanical and absolute: with the lever on OFF, the tank stays sealed while you work.
The Reasons These Lines Give Out
Age is the root cause, working through two mechanisms. From the outside, heat cycling and long air exposure drive the softening compounds out of the rubber until the hose goes stiff, then chalky, then cracked — a process that runs faster in dry climates where the surrounding air keeps wicking moisture out of the hose wall. From the inside, ethanol-blended fuel absorbs water and attacks the hose liner chemically, and fuel left standing during an idle season leaves gum and varnish behind at the fittings. A hose can therefore be visually presentable and still be soft internally, flow-restricted, or feeding debris toward the jets.
Symptoms That Should Send You Looking
- A puddle or damp shadow on the floor under the engine after the quad sits
- A gasoline smell hanging around the front of the machine well after shutdown
- Fine cracks, a hardened stretch, or a swollen spongy section anywhere along the hose
- Dried fuel residue holding dust in a ring at either barb
- Bogging under throttle, a lean stumble, surging at cruise, or behavior that mimics an almost-empty tank
Because a gravity system has so little pressure behind it, a partly restricted hose shows up as a fuel starvation complaint long before it ever leaks. Improvement when you switch to reserve is a strong hint that the supply side needs attention.
What to Have on Hand, and Handling Fuel Safely
Gather gloves, eye protection, a sealed fuel-rated container, a drain pan, new hose matched to the original inside diameter, a set of fresh clamps, pliers, a flat-blade screwdriver, a razor blade, sockets for the bodywork, and clean rags.
Do not treat the gasoline casually. Its vapor is heavier than air and collects at floor level, which is exactly where pilot lights and extension cords tend to be, so open the garage door completely or move the quad outside. Disconnect the battery, shut down any heater or appliance with a standing flame, keep sparks away, and clean up spills immediately rather than letting them evaporate slowly across the shop.
Installing the Replacement and Verifying the Seal
Cut the new hose to match the original length precisely. Extra hose is not a safety margin, it is a chafe point against the frame or a hot engine surface. Slide the new clamps on loose, then press each hose end fully onto its barb until it seats past the raised bead. Do this dry — no grease, no oil, no silicone anywhere near the fittings, because a lubricated sealing surface both invites a weep and lets the hose creep off the barb over time. If the fresh hose is too rigid to push on comfortably, soak the end in hot water for half a minute.
Tighten the clamps just behind each bead, firm enough to hold without deforming the rubber, then route the hose back through its original clips clear of the exhaust, front driveline, and steering components. Turn the petcock to ON and let full-tank gravity pressure sit on the joints for several minutes with a dry rag underneath each one. Start the engine and inspect both connections again at idle, then once more after a short warm-up lap. Two dry fittings and no fuel odor mean you are done and the bodywork can go back on.
Related Shopping Categories
Shop Fuel Lines for a 2009 Suzuki King Quad 400AS 4X4 AUTO ATV.
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Shop Petcocks for a 2009 Suzuki King Quad 400AS 4X4 AUTO ATV.
Shop Fuel Filters for a 2009 Suzuki King Quad 400AS 4X4 AUTO ATV.
Shop Fuel Stabilizer for a 2009 Suzuki King Quad 400AS 4X4 AUTO ATV.
Disclaimer: This guide is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended to replace your ATV's official owner's manual. Always refer to your manufacturer's documentation for model-specific instructions, torque specifications, safety procedures, and maintenance requirements. If you are unsure or inexperienced, consider seeking assistance from a qualified mechanic or technician.