Fuel Line Repair on the 2013 Can-Am Outlander MAX 500

Shop parts for a 2013 Can-Am Outlander MAX 500 ATV.

The 2013 Outlander MAX 500 is a two-up utility machine built to work, and its fuel plumbing is one of the simpler systems on it to renew. What makes the job different from an older carbureted quad is the delivery method: a Rotax engine with electronic fuel injection, fed by an electric pump inside the tank, with no petcock valve anywhere and residual pressure held in the hose after shutdown.

The Sequence That Keeps Fuel Off the Floor

Order of operations does most of the work here. Pull the fuel pump fuse or relay first, then turn the key and let the engine run until it starves and quits on its own. Shut the ignition off and disconnect the negative battery cable so the pump cannot energize with your hands in the circuit.

Only then remove the seat and the side plastics to expose the tank outlet and the hose route to the throttle body. Slide a drain pan into place before opening anything, and keep a rag over each joint as you break it, since a depressurized hose still holds a few ounces of liquid fuel that will find its way out.

Ventilation, Gloves, and Common Sense

Gasoline handling is the one place on this job where corners cannot be cut. Vapor from gasoline is heavier than air, so it flows downward and pools in a layer near the floor rather than rising and dispersing through a window. That low layer will reach a furnace burner, a water heater pilot, or a battery charger sitting on the concrete.

Work outdoors when the weather allows. If you are in a garage, open the main door completely and shut off every flame and spark source in the space before you begin. Wear nitrile gloves, because gasoline strips the oils out of skin quickly, and add eye protection since a pressurized coupler can spit sideways when it releases. Change out of any clothing you soak instead of continuing in it.

What Wears a Fuel Line Down

Rubber fuel hose is soft when new thanks to plasticizing compounds in the compound, and steady engine heat drives them out over many seasons. The remaining wall is stiff instead of elastic, and once it stops flexing with the chassis, ordinary vibration begins cutting fine cracks into the surface, usually starting near the ends where temperature is highest.

Climate and fuel chemistry both push the process along. Dry air draws moisture out of the hose wall and hardens it from the exterior inward. Ethanol-blended pump gas holds water against the inner liner and degrades it from within, and fuel left standing through a long idle period contributes gum and varnish that restrict flow and bond the hose to its barbs. A hose over a decade old is a maintenance item regardless of how it looks from three feet away.

Symptoms That Should Prompt a Closer Look

  • A fuel odor hanging around the tank area that does not dissipate after the machine sits
  • Staining or a small puddle on the skid plate or the floor beneath it
  • Hose that feels chalky or rigid when squeezed, or shows fine checking when flexed
  • Bogging under load, hesitation on hard throttle, or an engine acting as though the tank were nearly empty
  • A dust-caked band at a fitting, which is dried residue from repeated seepage

An injected system can leak without leaving evidence on the ground. Fuel escaping a pressurized joint often atomizes and evaporates, so a persistent smell is meaningful even when nothing drips.

Removing and Replacing the Hose

Push spring clips or worm-gear clamps well back along the hose before disturbing a joint, which keeps the clamp from gouging the barb and gives you working room. On a self-locking quick-connect at the tank, compress the tabs squarely and draw the coupler straight off. Do not lever it sideways; a plastic collar this old cracks easily. At a barbed fitting, twist the hose gently to break the varnish bond rather than pulling on the fitting, and slit a fully bonded hose lengthwise with a razor rather than forcing it.

Photograph the routing before the old line is fully out. This is a 4x4 on the extended MAX frame, so the hose clears front differential hardware and additional crossmembers that a two-wheel-drive quad would not have in the way. Cut the replacement to the original length with nothing extra, since slack hose eventually leans on a frame edge or drifts toward exhaust heat. Push each end fully onto its barb until it bottoms out, dry. Keep grease, oil, and silicone away from the fittings entirely, because lubricant on a sealing surface hands pressurized fuel a path to creep past the clamp. Hot water for a few seconds softens a stiff end that resists. Set new clamps just behind the raised bead on each barb and tighten evenly. A quick-connect gets pressed until the collar clicks and then tugged to confirm the latch, with no clamp added.

Testing Before the Bodywork Goes Back

Reinstall the pump fuse, Reconnect the battery, and cycle the key on and off several times without cranking so the pump pressurizes the circuit. Wipe each joint with a clean rag and study it for beading fuel. Start the engine and check again at idle, then take a final look once the machine is up to temperature and the hose has expanded with heat. Reassemble the panels only after all three inspections come up dry.

One structural note on this platform: the fuel filter is part of the pump module inside the tank rather than an inline canister on the hose you just replaced. If the 500 still feels short of fuel after a clean, leak-free installation, that internal assembly is the logical next step.

Related Shopping Categories

Shop Fuel Lines for a 2013 Can-Am Outlander MAX 500 ATV.

Shop Fuel Line Clamps for a 2013 Can-Am Outlander MAX 500 ATV.

Shop Petcocks for a 2013 Can-Am Outlander MAX 500 ATV.

Shop Fuel Filters for a 2013 Can-Am Outlander MAX 500 ATV.

Shop Fuel Stabilizer for a 2013 Can-Am Outlander MAX 500 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.