How to Change the Fuel Line on a 2013 Honda Foreman 500 4x4 ES
Shop parts for a 2013 Honda TRX500 Foreman 4X4 ES ATV.
A weeping fuel line on a 2013 Foreman 500 ES is not the same repair it would have been on an older carbureted quad, and the difference is worth understanding up front. This machine is fuel injected. There is no petcock valve under the tank to shut off flow, the pump sits inside the tank, and the hose running back toward the throttle body carries pressurized gasoline that will still be pressurized hours after you shut the key off. Every step below is built around that reality.
Warning Signs on a Pressurized System
Injected machines fail a little differently than carbureted ones. Because the fuel is under pressure, a small breach often sprays a fine mist that evaporates before it can pool, which means smell frequently beats sight as your first clue. Pay attention to these:
- A gasoline odor around the tank that is strongest right after shutdown while pressure is still held
- A wet spot or small puddle on the skid plate or floor, when the leak is large enough to drip
- Fine surface cracking, a chalky finish, or a hard glassy section you can feel by pinching the hose
- A dust-caked ring at a fitting where seeping fuel has dried and collected dirt
- Bogging under load, hesitation on hard acceleration, or the engine feeling starved at higher rpm
If two or more of those line up on your Foreman, plan on replacing the hose rather than watching it.
The Reasons Hose Fails Over Time
Rubber lines wear out on a schedule set by heat cycles rather than odometer readings. Each warm-up and cooldown drives more plasticizer out of the compound until the wall loses its flexibility and turns brittle. From that point on, frame vibration and engine movement work small checks into genuine cracks, and the spots under clamps or at bends go first.
Dry climates make it worse. Low humidity draws moisture out of the hose wall and accelerates hardening from the exterior, so machines in arid country typically show cracking sooner. Ethanol-blended fuel attacks from the interior instead, pulling in water and slowly breaking down the inner liner. Fuel that sits in the system unused for months has time to gum, and on an injected Foreman the resulting debris loads up the filter inside the tank rather than a filter you can see and swap on the bench.
Depressurizing and Preparing to Work
Nothing else happens until pressure is gone. Pull the fuel pump fuse, crank the engine briefly so it burns off the remaining pressure and stalls, switch the key off, and disconnect the battery negative terminal. That sequence takes two minutes and prevents the mess and hazard of opening a live line.
Then get your supplies together:
- Replacement hose rated for fuel-injection pressure in the correct inside diameter, not general-purpose carburetor line
- Line-clamping pliers, which take the place of the petcock this model does not have
- Fresh clamps matched to the fitting style, and a quick-disconnect release tool if a locking coupler is present
- Nitrile or rubber gloves and eye protection
- A lidded drain container, rags, a flat-blade screwdriver, and sockets for the plastics
Choose your workspace with vapor behavior in mind. Gasoline fumes are heavier than air and settle across the floor, drifting toward water heater pilots and shop heaters instead of rising and dispersing. Work outdoors, or with the overhead door standing fully open, and shut down anything in the building that burns or sparks.
Removing the Old Hose
Take off the seat and the fender panels that stand between you and the tank outlet. Clamp the tank-side hose with your line-clamping pliers to hold back the standing fuel in the tank, then slide a drain pan underneath and lay a rag over the first joint you intend to open.
Handle each fitting according to its type. A worm-gear or spring clamp should be slid well back along the hose before you disturb anything. A quick-connect coupler requires you to depress its locking tabs squarely and pull straight off, never prying to one side, because the plastic collar becomes brittle with age and will crack. On plain barbs, rotate the hose a quarter turn to break the fuel varnish bond, and if it refuses to release, slit it lengthwise with a razor and peel it away rather than risking damage to the fitting.
Photograph the routing before the hose is fully out. As a 4x4 machine, this Foreman routes its fuel line past front differential and driveshaft hardware and through frame clearance points that a two-wheel-drive quad simply does not have, and the electric shift ES model adds shift control wiring in the same neighborhood to stay clear of.
Installation, Pressure Test, and Final Notes
Cut the new line to the same length as the old piece. Extra hose does not add safety; it chafes on frame tubes, kinks at loops, or drifts toward hot exhaust. Push each end fully onto its fitting until it bottoms out, and do it dry. Grease, oil, and silicone on a sealing surface give pressurized fuel a direct route out and let the hose creep off the barb, so leave everything clean. A quick dip of the hose end in hot water makes stiff new rubber slide on by hand.
Set fresh clamps just behind the raised bead on each fitting and tighten them evenly. Where your Foreman uses a self-locking quick-connect, push until the collar clicks, then pull firmly to confirm it has latched — that connection needs no clamp and should not receive one. Restore the hose to its original clips and guides so it stays away from the front driveline and the exhaust.
Reinstall the fuel pump fuse, Reconnect the battery, and cycle the key on and off several times without starting. Each cycle runs the pump and pressurizes the circuit, which lets you inspect both joints while everything is still clean and dry. Once it holds, start the engine and check again at idle with a clean rag, cycling the electric shift through its range as the machine warms. Keep in mind that the fuel filter on this injected Foreman lives inside the tank as part of the pump module rather than inline on the visible hose, so persistent delivery problems after a good install point toward that assembly next.
Related Shopping Categories
Shop Fuel Lines for a 2013 Honda TRX500 Foreman 4X4 ES ATV.
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Shop Petcocks for a 2013 Honda TRX500 Foreman 4X4 ES ATV.
Shop Fuel Filters for a 2013 Honda TRX500 Foreman 4X4 ES ATV.
Shop Fuel Stabilizer for a 2013 Honda TRX500 Foreman 4X4 ES 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.