Replacing a Cracked Fuel Line on Your 2017 Can-Am Renegade 850
Shop parts for a 2017 Can-Am Renegade 850 ATV.
A fuel line is a short piece of rubber doing a demanding job, and on the 2017 Renegade 850 it works between a pressurized in-tank pump and a hot V-twin that shakes everything bolted to it. Replacing one is an approachable garage project, but the sequence matters more than the wrenching, and it starts with getting fuel pressure out of the system safely.
Relieving Pressure and Freeing the Old Hose
Because the 850 is fuel injected, there is no valve to turn. Pull the fuel pump fuse or relay, crank the engine until it stalls on the fuel left in the line, then shut the key off and disconnect the negative battery cable. That order matters — opening a fitting on a live pressurized circuit sprays gasoline across the garage.
With the machine electrically dead, remove the seat and enough side plastic to expose the tank outlet and follow the hose back to the throttle body. Slide a catch pan beneath the joints and keep a rag draped over each fitting as you open it, since residual fuel sits in the hose regardless of pressure. Move worm-gear or spring clamps well down the hose before you disturb anything. Quick-connect couplers release when both tabs are pressed squarely and the fitting is drawn straight off; prying at an angle is how collars crack. If varnish has cemented the hose to a barb, break the bond with a light twist, and if it holds, slit the hose lengthwise with a razor and peel it away instead of forcing the fitting. Note or photograph every clip before the hose is fully clear.
What You Are Working On
The 2017 Renegade 850 carries the Rotax 850 V-twin with electronic fuel injection. Fuel is not gravity fed, so no petcock exists beneath the tank; an electric pump module inside the tank supplies pressure to the injectors, and the fuel filter lives inside that same module. Nothing on the visible hose run is a serviceable filter, which is worth knowing before you go looking for one.
This is also a 4x4 chassis. The front differential and its mounting hardware add clearance points and clips along the hose path that a two-wheel-drive quad would not have. The procedure is identical either way; there is just a bit more routing to keep track of.
Tools and Handling Fuel Safely
- Rubber or nitrile gloves, since gasoline defats skin and absorbs through it quickly
- A sealed metal or fuel-rated plastic vessel for whatever drains out
- New hose in the correct inside diameter, rated for injection pressure rather than gravity-feed carburetor duty
- Fresh clamps in the existing style, plus a quick-disconnect release tool if the tank end is a locking coupler
- Line-clamping pliers to pinch off flow, standing in for the petcock this model does not have
- Sockets and drivers for the bodywork, a small flat screwdriver, a sharp razor blade, and plenty of rags
Gasoline vapor is heavier than air. It sinks, pools at floor level, and finds ignition sources you have stopped thinking about, which is why this job belongs outdoors or in a garage with the main door fully open. A cracked window above your head does nothing. Move heaters, pilot lights, grinders, and hot lamps out of the area before the first fitting comes apart.
Why Lines Fail with Time
Fuel hose deteriorates on two fronts. Heat cycling from the engine steadily removes plasticizers from the rubber, so the hose stiffens and loses the flexibility it needs to move with a flexing chassis. Once stiff, ordinary vibration turns fine surface checking into cracks. Dry, low-humidity regions accelerate the process, drawing moisture out of the hose wall and hardening it from the outside in season after season.
Meanwhile, ethanol-blended fuel works on the inner liner. E10 holds water in suspension, and a Renegade parked for months with that blend sitting in the hose gives the alcohol plenty of time to break the liner down while the light ends evaporate and leave gum in their place. That is how a hose ends up hardening externally, softening internally, and quietly sending fine debris toward the injectors before any leak appears.
Recognizing a Line That Is Done
- A wet patch on the skid plate or a small puddle where the machine sits parked
- Gasoline odor that lingers around the quad, strongest right after shutdown while pressure remains
- Fine cracking, a chalky surface, or a section that feels rigid and glassy under your fingers
- A ring of caked dirt at a fitting, marking dried seepage
- Bogging under load, stumbling on hard throttle, or behavior that mimics a low fuel level
Keep in mind that an injected machine can leak without dripping. Pressurized fuel escaping a pinhole often atomizes and evaporates, so a strong smell with a dry floor still warrants a careful inspection.
Installing the Replacement and Testing It
Cut the new hose to the same length as the original. Extra length is not a margin of safety; it lets the hose sag into the front driveline or wear against a frame edge. Push each end fully onto its barb until it seats, working dry. Grease, oil, and silicone have no place here — any film on the sealing surface gives pressurized gasoline a path to creep out past the barb. Dip a stubborn hose end in hot water for a moment to soften it enough to slide on.
Set new clamps just behind the raised bead on each fitting and tighten evenly, snug rather than crushing. If the tank side uses a self-locking quick-connect, press until the collar clicks and pull firmly to confirm engagement; that joint takes no clamp. Route the hose back through every factory clip so it stays away from the exhaust and clear of the differential.
Test before the plastics go on. Reinstall the pump fuse, Reconnect the battery, and cycle the ignition on and off several times without starting the engine. Each cycle runs the pump and brings the circuit up to pressure while the fittings are still dry and easy to read. Wipe the joints, start the 850, and watch them again at idle for a few minutes, then shut down and inspect once more. If the machine still acts fuel starved after a clean install, the in-tank pump and filter assembly is where to look next.
Related Shopping Categories
Shop Fuel Lines for a 2017 Can-Am Renegade 850 ATV.
Shop Fuel Line Clamps for a 2017 Can-Am Renegade 850 ATV.
Shop Petcocks for a 2017 Can-Am Renegade 850 ATV.
Shop Fuel Filters for a 2017 Can-Am Renegade 850 ATV.
Shop Fuel Stabilizer for a 2017 Can-Am Renegade 850 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.