Aftermarket fuel hose quality?

[w204benz]

Some time ago I had a small diesel leak from the injector return line connectors, which my mechanic fixed by replacing the o-rings and I think the connectors too. I figured everything was fine as I could finally draw fresh air in through the A/C without any nasty smells.

A few days ago, it was pointed out to me that the bubbling noises from the fuel pump while it's priming are not normal. A bit of looking around online and it seems the issue most likely stems from the return line (probably drawing in air). And sure enough, I found there is still diesel around the injectors! So I've decided to just replace the line (A 651 070 24 32).

Normally I'd go OEM, but the dealer quoted a ridiculous price for what is essentially a foot of fuel hose and a few connectors. Aftermarket is much more reasonable, but I'm just a bit unsure about the quality.

I've been looking at a MAXGEAR branded option, the seller claims OE quality (but of course they would). Is anyone familiar with this brand? Any other suggestions would be welcome too.

Or is this something I don't need to be overly concerned about? It is on the low pressure side after all.

 

[alexanderfoti]

All the aftermarket ones we see are leaking, and are also too long in between the injectors. I wouldn't bother with the aftermarket

Yes £140 is ridiculous for the repair section from MB.

If you buy the cheaper £80 odd one, and a 5mm to 5mm hose barb (maybe buy a set with different sizes) it saves you £70 MB ripoff tax.

 

[w204benz]

Yes £140 is ridiculous for the repair section from MB.

Even worse - I was quoted close to €200! Compared to just over €30 for the aftermarket one.
I was only looking at the ones that appear to be cut to the right length and include the proper hose barb, so it would be a simple 5 minute DIY job.
I figured the savings might be worth the gamble.

I suppose I could try and source just the connectors, as the hose itself looks fine. Shame they're not a separate part number on EPC.
But I'm a bit hesitant unless I can find out the proper OEM part number. The current ones are aftermaket as the originals became brittle due to age, but clearly they're not 100% correct as there is still a slight leak despite the mechanic trying an assortment of o-rings.

If you buy the cheaper £80 odd one, and a 5mm to 5mm hose barb (maybe buy a set with different sizes) it saves you £70 MB ripoff tax.

Are you referring to the aftermarket ones? As most that I've seen are half that price, and don't appear any different than the £80 ones.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Even worse - I was quoted close to €200! Compared to just over €30 for the aftermarket one.
I was only looking at the ones that appear to be cut to the right length and include the proper hose barb, so it would be a simple 5 minute DIY job.
I figured the savings might be worth the gamble.

I suppose I could try and source just the connectors, as the hose itself looks fine. Shame they're not a separate part number on EPC.
But I'm a bit hesitant unless I can find out the proper OEM part number. The current ones are aftermaket as the originals became brittle due to age, but clearly they're not 100% correct as there is still a slight leak despite the mechanic trying an assortment of o-rings.



Are you referring to the aftermarket ones? As most that I've seen are half that price, and don't appear any different than the £80 ones.

No there are 2 versions available from mb. A repair section that's shorter with a barb integrated or the original part that is longer and cheaper.

In my experience the fittings on the aftermarket ones always leak, but for £30, give it a go.

 

[w204benz]

No there are 2 versions available from mb. A repair section that's shorter with a barb integrated or the original part that is longer and cheaper.

Thanks for pointing that out - it wasn't very obvious that there were 2 part numbers attached to the pipe on the diagram. I'd definitely look into the the cheaper of the two if the £30 one starts to leak!

On closer inspection, it looks like the mechanic's repairs held up and the leaks are now from the hose side, so I guess it must have hardened with age and couldn't handle the connectors being changed. Replacing the whole section seems to be the best option.

 

[w204benz]

I've now fitted the aftermarket repair section. It looks like it's a good match for the MB one as everything lined up perfectly, which made it a relatively easy repair.

Except for when it came to attaching the hose barb to the old fuel pipe, it's an incredibly tight fit and took far more effort than I was expecting - but at least I'm confident it won't come loose while I'm driving.

No leaks after starting the engine, so I cleaned up the area. After running it for a few miles, the area around the injectors is still clean and dry, so I guess that's a success (at least for now).