replacing fuel filter tips?

[blankskeme]

i wanted to change my own fuel filter and was wondering if anyone had any tricks, tips, links, or pictures of location and techniques. i have a 2wd vibe....if anyone can help me out or point me in the right direction that would be GREAT!!!!thanks

[NovaResource]

The only fuel filter we are aware of at this time is located in the tank attached to the electric fuel pump. Access is through a panel under the rear seat (ignore the arrow and oval, it's the black circle in the middle):

[stkos79]

ya its on the pump sender so ya you gotta pull that panel up

[Vibe Rater]

How much mileage do you have on your VIBE? Seems a little early to be changing the fuel filter

[joatmon]

be carefulheard a news story recently about some juvenile who messed himself up when he used a lighter to look in the gas tank of a tractor to see if it was empty. Not saying you're likely to do something similar, but ...Looks like the fuel filter is part of an assembly that includes the fuel pump, tank pressure sensor, fuel level sending unit, and maybe some more stuff. To get to it, you have to remove the assembly from the top of the gas tank, accessible under the rear seat. So, you'll have the gas tank open. Ventilation, no source of spark, and make sure there's no dirt that will fall in when you open it up. Also, there's likely pressure on the fuel line, which you'll need to disconnect, so have something handy to catch/clean up the spill. Given the location of the fuel filter on this car, it seems like Toyota didn't anticipate that it would need to be changed often. Did you have some unusual circumstance that makes this necessary?

[Vibe Rater]

quote:Did you have some unusual circumstance that makes this necessary?Exactly. I know for a fact that the recomended interval for changing the fuel filter on most new cars is 'when it fails'. These filters that are inside the tank are designed to last the life of the car, under normal conditions. Don't mess with it unless it has failed.

[blankskeme]

thanks everyone....I just went to dealership and they told me that it was time to replace the fuel filter, and this was standard to do every 15,000 miles. I have a little over 20,000 miles on it now so I was just going to check if it was something I could do or if I really needed to get it replaced. It sounded simple just changing a filter. Just trying to get more info....also if the dealer is going to tell me to replace things that I don't need replace, i.e. the fuel filter, what should I do? If anyone has some helpful links to resources or recommendations to other places besides the dealership to get my car maintanced and repaired that would be wonderful....I like to try and do it myself but don't want to mess up my car....Again THANK YOU everyone for you help!

[NovaResource]

They probably told you the filter needs to be replaced because most other Pontiacs need the filter replaced. However, the Vibe is not like "most other Pontiacs" because it's mostly Toyota. Check your owners manual (starting on page 7-4) and you will see what does and what does not need replacing.[begin sarcasm]The owners manual. It's not just for taking up space in your glovebox anymore.[end sarcasm]

[blankskeme]

nice....thank you guys for all your input!

[blk182@n7]

thats good to know because i was wondering about the fuel filter as i change my toyota corolla every 10000 miles it says every 3 to 5 but the damn thing is 40 bucks

[sidewinder]

I too have wondered how long the fuel filter will go before plugging up. I know for a fact that we have replace a ton of fuel pumps on every make of GM cars. The most common cause of fuel pump failure seems to be caused by a plugged fuel filter although these fuel filters are on the pressure side of the fuel pump and the vibe seems to have it on the suction side. The fuel filter is the most neglected item I have ever seen on cars towed into the shop. With all the long life of spark plugs and other things on the car the fuel filter will plug and the fuel pump will fail because most people never have the filter changed. I have seen cars with 75,ooo miles on them with the original fuel filter and I have seen some filters plug up with only 30,oo miles on them. Gas quality varies greatly from station to station. I don't know how long the vibe filter will go before plugging up but I think I will check it at 30,ooo miles just to be on the safe side. At least you don't have to pull the gas tank down to replace it which looks to be a good thing.

[ToolGuy]

Yes the Vibes fuel filter is in the tank and does not need periodic changing like other vehciles with in-line filters. My PT is the same way but my Vette has an in-line, newer Vettes do not. More and more OEs are going away from the in-lines to in the tanks. The filters are bigger and OEs claim they can go to 100K without pulgging. I personally feel changing them is the better way to go, but most cars now you cannot. If the dealer is stating change the fuel filter, they obviously do not know your car and stay away from them!Run a bottle of Chevron Techron cleaner in your car in the mean time! Next to the GM cleaner, it is equally recommended.

[MadBill]

Quote, originally posted by blk182@n7 »thats good to know because i was wondering about the fuel filter as i change my toyota corolla every 10000 miles it says every 3 to 5 but the damn thing is 40 bucks Wow! 368 days between entries! Them's some protracted posts!

[ToolGuy]

Whoppity do!!!!

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by blk182@n7 »thats good to know because i was wondering about the fuel filter as i change my toyota corolla every 10000 miles it says every 3 to 5 but the damn thing is 40 bucks and probably some non-trivial labor charges if you have the dealer do it

[CaptainAdultDiapers]

I just got back from the dealer today and they said wait at least 60,000 miles. How do you know when it "fails"?

[Mavrik]

The fuel filter is part of the fuel assembly inside the tank which is a maintanence (sp) free item and does not require changing. Its very costly to do and falls outside the regular fuel filter change schedule. Unless your having an issue with it, leave it.

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »Unless your having an issue with it, leave it.Definitely! The dealer I go to has their own version of the maintenance schedule. They'll send out cards to remind you of what needs to be done. Fuel filter replacement was included on the list. Most of the stuff listed, I do on my own anyway, so I just disregarded it. A friend brought his Vibe in for that service. I gave him a head's up on the issue, so he would know that it doesn't necessarily need to be replaced. When it was all said and done, the dealer basically said "uh, never mind, doesn't need it" and deducted the amount off his bill. What I'm curious about however - on previous cars, I've always replaced the fuel filter at 30K or so. Wondering why replacing the fuel filter isn't a routine thing to do with these cars? I'm definitely not complaining, while it has been a piece of cake to install a new filter on the previous cars, this one seems to be a bit of an ordeal.

[MadBill]

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »...Wondering why replacing the fuel filter isn't a routine thing to do with these cars? I'm definitely not complaining, while it has been a piece of cake to install a new filter on the previous cars, this one seems to be a bit of an ordeal.I think the main reason is that combustion soot, debris and wear particles are inevitable and accumulate in the oil at a predictable rate. A fuel filter however is there to collect any random foreign material that might (or might not) enter the fuel tank. For example, I encountered an apparently carburetion-related stumble with my '87 Firefly at over 300,000 km, and replaced the fuel filter for the first time, JIC. It made no difference (turned out to be the distributor cap), but out of curiosity I cut it open for inspection and found only the tiniest pinch of ultra-fine rust, presumably from the fuel tank that had rotted out years before. At the other extreme, if you replace your filter today and get a load of sand in the tank tomorrow...If a filter is external, inexpensive and easy to replace, it's logical to replace it now and then. If, however, it's expensive and buried deep in the fuel tank, I find it hard to justify the cost. I've been wrenching on cars for over forty years and I've seen maybe three plugged fuel filters, and they all happened suddenly! ( one was sabotage)

[RoundUp]

Quote, originally posted by MadBill »I've been wrenching on cars for over forty years and I've seen maybe three plugged fuel filters, and they all happened suddenly! ( one was sabotage)Sabotage?!? Do explain!

[MadBill]

You've got it, silver; sugar it was! A shop I worked for one summer had a schoolteacher's old Simca (factory powered by a flathead Ford V-8 of all things) towed in because it wouldn't run. The main filter was plugged solid with white sugar and there was about a pound more still in the tank. There was none in the small second filter at the carb so it wasn't that hard to fix. The funny thing is, sugar doesn't dissolve in gasoline; sand would have worked just as well. (Now if the perp had poured sugar into the crankcase, it would have been a different story...)

[tnpartsguy]

The recommended replacement is 50k, per the Service Mgr at my Pontiac Store. I went ahead and got one, and will do it at 50K. It's not that hard really, just make sure to open ALL doors, and remove the gas cap BEFORE attemping to remove the fuel sender unit.

[Lucky317]

the filter was fine when pulled outa my 2000 celica after 75K miles. I removed it because the fuel pump died.I imagine you guys use a similar if not the same part.

[NSimkins]

Just thought I would post an update from the Dec. 2004 GM TechLink article concerning the Vibe's fuel filter:http://www.gmtechlink.com/imag...ory10 (note the blue box in that section as well)

[Lucky317]

then it'll look just like the 1 I posted a pic of.

[tnpartsguy]

Quote, originally posted by Lucky317 »then it'll look just like the 1 I posted a pic of. No, I have one, I'll try to get a picture soon. It's the top part of the fuel sending unit, not a sock; it has a sock as well, but the filter is available seperately, and I'll post a part # tomarrow when I'm at work.UPDATE.88969125 is the part #. List Price is $44.99 US.I still don't have access to a cam, but I have a line drawing, but it's huge, and I hate to take up that much bandwidth on the site.

[jasonvibe]

Simkins, I can't find any listing for the Vibe in your link??? What is my problem. Oh, it's in Jan. '05................is the filter of usual shape? Like a soda can? If so, should be easy to find. Also the external filter on my old Bonnie was easy the first time 50K. Then the fittings rust. 2nd time was a bear 100K. In the tank ain't so bad every 60k. Post a link or picture of the filter. Bigger the longer it lasts. I thought the plastic box(1' X 1') under the car had the pump and filter. Wonder what that is?

[bud_one]

Quote, originally posted by jasonvibe » I thought the plastic box(1' X 1') under the car had the pump and filter. Wonder what that is?That's part of the emissions of the vehicle - purge valve/ solenoid and canister.