Fuel hose warning - Phase 2 fuel rail link under plenum

[renaultalpine]

I don't know if this has been posted up before or if my car is different from production ones (although the part looks identical to the one on the parts fiche).

Started my car today and it was a bit reluctant and there was a strong smell of fuel. Looked under the car and saw a puddle. Turned on the ignition with an assistant looking in the engine bay and the fuel was spraying out everywhere.

The link hose that connects the two fuel rails (under the plenum near the throttle body) had completely perished. Although factory it looks like it was not fuel rated hose. I have never seen fuel hose of this age perish so badly. Please check your hose as this would have been an engine fire on the next run.

The feed and return hoses are rigid plastic material and not affected. Maybe they used a different material (rigid plastic) for the link hose on the production cars in which case presumably they will all be OK. Maybe someone can take a look and advise.

 

[renaultalpine]

Having checked the markings on the hose it was SAE 30 R6 fuel hose :s

Well I can see the R6 at the cut end.

What are they putting in fuel these days...

 

[Eastlmark]

wonder if that has been exposed to long periods in the sun (despite its location in the car) given the history of that car, who knows.

 

[rustedandrotten]

More likely bio-ethanol, it seems to attack just about everything, oldercars are having all sorts of problems as they have increased the content from 5 to 10% Will do a bit of digging as to whether SAE 30 R6 is tolerant. In the mean time suggest that someone gets onto Renault for comment with this, as the potential for a catastrophic failure is more than a little worrying!!!

 

[Mulgari]

Can confirm they use solid plastic piping on the fuel rail link

 

[rustedandrotten]

http://www.goodyearep.com/productsDetail.aspx?id=6082

Just checked spec on Goodyear website and came up with this, note, not to be used as pressure line on fi engines and not compatible with biodiesel, will see if I can get furthe clarification!

 

[Cold fusion]

Hi,
There was a post on here some time ago when the ethenol was increased from 5% to 10% with a link to a list of cars and vans that would not have any adverse effects from the increase, the Clio v6 1 & 2 were on that list. Glad I dont own a Vauxhall the only car listed at that time was 3.0 V6 4X4 Insignia.

Nigel.

 

[Brembov6]

Not cool. Will it be the same on the Mk1?

 

[renaultalpine]

Can confirm they use solid plastic piping on the fuel rail link

Good news for everyone else then.

Phase 1 has no link pipe so unaffected.

 

[renaultalpine]

Thanks to rustedandrotten for the heads up.

After a bit of research seems:

SAE 30 R6 is fuel hose for low pressure use
SAE 30 R9 is fuel hose for injection use

One of the main differences being permeability specifically resistance to ethanol in fuel.

Maybe I used some E85 in a French supermarket?

In any event the manufacturer had used the wrong hose on my car.

I had ordered a new length of R6, now just ordered some R9 instead!

 

[Williams]

Lucky escape Steve! Glad you've got to the bottom of it ok :approve:

 

[Lankan]

Crikey, that would have been a close one! Guess this is the pre-production Vee?

Either way glad you caught it when you did......

 

[renaultalpine]

Yes the pre-prod and when I went to Monthlery last year there was definately a smell of fuel [smilie=icon_eek.gif]

 

[Lankan]

[smilie=icon_eek.gif] indeed!

Wonder what other parts were used that were not quite production ready, and perhaps were not meant to last beyond a certain time period......

 

[renaultalpine]

Hopefully nothing too important...

Maybe don't park too close if you go to CarFest South

 

[rustedandrotten]

Glad to have been of help, there have been numerous complaints of failures in the fuel systems of many vehicles with the advent of the wonderful biofuels that we are now forced into using. It seems that the oil burners are having it worse than the gassers! Combine harvesters are having the bottoms of their fuel tanks dropping out when stored till next harvest, 'o' rings in push fit fittings disappearing, offshore we are having huge problems in corrosion of steel fuel lines and storage tanks and so it goes on!!
I am led t obelieve that the high octane lead frees do not have bio ethanol in them which is why that is all I use, including the lawn mower (Stiga Park in liquid yellow!!) for these very reasons, a couple of pence per litre is a small price for piece of mind and better performance

 

[rustedandrotten]

Glad to have been of help, there have been numerous complaints of failures in the fuel systems of many vehicles with the advent of the wonderful biofuels that we are now forced into using. It seems that the oil burners are having it worse than the gassers! Combine harvesters are having the bottoms of their fuel tanks dropping out when stored till next harvest, 'o' rings in push fit fittings disappearing, offshore we are having huge problems in corrosion of steel fuel lines and storage tanks and so it goes on!!
I am led t obelieve that the high octane lead frees do not have bio ethanol in them which is why that is all I use, including the lawn mower (Stiga Park in liquid yellow!!) for these very reasons, a couple of pence per litre is a small price for piece of mind and better performance

 

[RUSSO]

Just to re-confirm the Ph2's fuel hose is plastic. Also, it doesn't show any signs of cracking and appears in good condition [smilie=yay.gif]

 

[renaultalpine]

I have the identical fittings just different hose. Maybe I can fit the rigid tube to mine or get one from a breaker. NLA from Renault sadly.

Maybe they damaged the rigid tube sometime and bodged it up with some rubber.