[Username Protected]

About 70 hours flying time after my last annual I started having an occasional "FUEL PRESSURE" annunciation at idle power settings with low OAT. I discussed it with Icon engineering and with the A&P who did my annual and was told to watch it and see if it gets worse because Rotax engines often will show that with cold fuel. Ooooookaaaay. During the next several flights I stayed over water or in the airport pattern and I watched the issue get worse - but as long as I carried at least 2000 RPM the annunciator would stay off.

BUT, with my wife's desire for some trips to surrounding lakes/airports I decided we needed to do some troubleshooting. I had the coarse fuel filter cleaned and the tank vent line checked - didn't solve the problem. Then we pulled the headliner and were surprised to find a Bosch fine fuel filter. Checked the maintenance manual and Bosch is not an authorized fuel filter (although I know guys use them in their experimentals all the time). The Bosch fuel filter can be found online for as little at $11 while the Rotax fuel filter goes for around $70. Icon charged over $139.72 for the anauthorized Bosch filter. Yuko (at Icon) confirmed with engineering that Bosch is NOT an authorized replacement. We replaced the filter with a Rotax OEM and problem solved.

Here's the interesting part: I complained to my ICON AUTHORIZED service provider for using an unauthorized part on my A5 when it was in for it's annual - only to find out that ICON SUPPLIED THEM WITH THE UNAUTHORIZED PART!

Yuko confirms that, for some reason, Icon did in fact ship out a Bosch fuel filter for use on my annual. They are investigating how/why this happened.

Now I'm not saying that any of us are going to have an engine failure because we have an unauthorized part in our aircraft BUT the fact that our manufacturer supplied an unauthorized part concerns me greatly. Just saying ...

[Username Protected]

Hi Michael,

Couple of things:
1) ICON should not have shipped your provider that fine filter. This is a quality receiving issue on their part, they should have never received them in the first place.
2) Rotax doesn't specify which fine filter to use, Rotax suggests a 10 Micon filter and also happens to supply them. But the manufacturer can install what they want. ICON many years ago switched to the bigger rotax fuel filter as it didn't load up as fast.

Here is the excerpt from the Rotax 912iS installation manual on this topic.




3) Rotax 912iS ECU doesn't monitor the fuel pressure it just assumes its at 43.5 +/- 3 psi, just the ICON Digital to Analog converter which computes this and displays it on the annunciator panel. I explain the different clues you can use to figure out fuel pressure problems in item 2 in this post https://www.iopa.org/threads/46-quot...wfull=1#post76
4) The Rotax part is a Bosch part and very likely the same exact one. The difference is Rotax has Bosch put a custom part number on there and label it a Rotax part so Rotax can upcharge, it also subsequently allows them to maintain quality on their parts should Bosch change their design without telling Rotax. Bosch won't let you order the rotax part separatly (ask me how I know). Rotax uses a lot of bosch parts; the Coil packs, fuel pressure regulator are couple examples.

Anyway I like you don't think an engine failure would have occurred with that fuel filter but also agree with you that the quality escape should be very concerning to you all...

[Username Protected]

Icon offered me a bit over $200 to cover my replacement of the Bosch with the Rotax filter